Piaseczno w połowie XIX wieku — procesy ludnościowe w małej społeczności

Abstrakt

Piaseczno in the mid-19th century — population processes in a small community

The source analysis in question concerns the Register of Residents of the Town of Piaseczno in Mazovia, compiled in 1842–1852. The main objective has been to identify the causes of dynamic changes in the structure of the local community. In his studies, the author has been able to distinguish three important demographic phenomena: increase in the number of residents, high speed of migration processes, and transformations of the local religious-ethnic structure. Most of these tendencies have been observed within a separate group of domestic servants. This has enabled the author to formulate a thesis whereby service was an element of the life cycle, preceding the establishment of households. The population growth and the transformations in the religious-ethnic structure may have been caused by an influx of migrants from the neighbouring villages as well as an influx of Jews. The large number of various workshops in the town attracted young people wanting to change their social status by learning a trade, and Jews, most of whom were craftsmen.