Research team
Expertise
Studies in the economic and financial history of Europe. Analyses of household behavior and their use of financial services in the past.
The Financial Inclusion of Migrants: The case study of Nineteenth century Antwerp.
Abstract
During the 19th century, millions of people moved from the countryside to cities in search of economic betterment. While many became impoverished laborers, some ascended to the urban middle class. One route to wealth accumulation for middle classes was through mortgage credit and participation in the booming housing markets of the 19th century. However, it is unclear whether migrants had access to local mortgage credit markets or whether they instead had to turn to their family or networks of the place of origin. Due to data limitations, the existing literature lacks systematic research on migrants' engagement with mortgage markets in Europe. To answer these questions and tackle the data gap, this project investigates the relationship between the social inclusion of migrants and their access to mortgage credit in the city of Antwerp between 1830 and 1870. This project methodically links personal data from mortgage loans with information from various other sources. Quantitative methods and network analysis are employed to scrutinize the borrowing and lending patterns of migrants across three distinct periods. Life course analysis will be used to investigate access to credit and real estate throughout the life courses of a representative sample of migrants and non-migrants in Antwerp in the second half of the 19th century. Together, this provides a holistic understanding of migrants' use of mortgage credit, their access to real estate and the impact this had on their lives.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Gelderblom Oscar
- Fellow: Peeters Ruben
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Mapping the Market. The Credit Transactions of Antwerp's Business Community in the 19th Century.
Abstract
The financing of business in the nineteenth century did not necessarily require bank credit. Loans also flowed through alternative channels from lenders to borrowers. This pilot project investigates for Antwerp the size of the market for bank credit and non-bank credit throughout the 19th century. We place these credit transactions in the city's geography to examine how supply and demand found each other.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Gelderblom Oscar
- Co-promoter: Deloof Marc
- Co-promoter: Peeters Ruben
- Co-promoter: van Kooten Rogier
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project