Women and Credit in the Upper Rhine Region

Abstract

While most research on early modern credit focuses on men, a micro-historical perspective on eighteenth-century credit and capital markets in the small town of Emmendingen, situated in the Upper Rhine region, demonstrates that it was in fact the entire population that participated in local and regional credit networks. Lending and borrowing frequently took place among family members, neighbors, and business partners. Women from all walks of life and from various religious backgrounds played significant roles in these credit networks. While larger, mortgage-backed loans were recorded more systematically, debit lists in Emmendingen wills show that payments for labor services were often deferred, and even servant maids could have significant claims against other townspeople.