Germany Funerary Customs and Practices: Difference between revisions

After the 30 Years War, the German population decreased by almost thirteen million. The majority of the people at that time were mostly female. As a result, in 1650 a law was created which allowed men to have two wives. This law was set up for 10 years and men who had assets and didn't marry were punished. The purpose, of course, was to re-populate the land. This information is from the Bavarian area of Nuernberg.  

In areas of Germany e.g. Lippe, the farms were held in the Family name and passed on to the oldest son leaving the remaining sons without a farm. There were occasions where the oldest/only child was a girl. She would seek out a male, who would not inherit their Family farm, to marry on condition that he would change his last name to her Family name thus she got to keep the Family farm and her husband now had a farm. This custom was not uncommon in other areas and countries where land passed by custom to oldest son.