Marriage without Contracts in Romanian Society
(18th and 19th Centuries)
Marriage without Contracts in Romanian Society
(18th and 19th Centuries)
Author(s): Constanţa GhiţulescuSubject(s): History
Published by: Centrul de Studiere a Populaţiei
Keywords: dowry family; gift; inheritance; kinship; marriage; patrimony; strategy; woman
Summary/Abstract: The present paper is an attempt at assessing the importance of dotal documents in the reconstruction of matrimonial practices. Nuptial contracts proper were not used in old-regime Romanian society. The reforms and modernising programs of the 19th Century did not introduce the use of nuptial contracts, but expanded the format of dowry documents. Initially a simple, basic inventory, the dowry paper expands into a number of ‘rubrics’ meant to strengthen its legal value in court hearings, but also to clarify a series of other aspects such as the price of items and lands, the confirmation of the son-in-law, the agreement of the parents, the authentication by a juridical instance, etc. - additional features which were meant to protect a woman’s wealth.
Journal: Romanian Journal of Population Studies
- Issue Year: 2/2008
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 5-18
- Page Count: 13
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF