Inequality in pre-industrial Luxembourg (1766-1842): comparing the effects of the end of feudalism in rural and urban areas

Sonia Schifano; Tiago Ferreira Flores; Antoine Paccoud

doi:10.36253/979-12-215-0667-9.17

Inequality in pre-industrial Luxembourg (1766-1842): comparing the effects of the end of feudalism in rural and urban areas

Sonia Schifano, Tiago Ferreira Flores, Antoine Paccoud

Urban Development & Mobility

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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Abstract

This paper uses the land distribution derived from the Maria Theresa cadastre in Luxembourg from 1766 and a land registry of 1842 to compare wealth inequality in Luxembourg City and Dudelange, a rural municipality in the south of the country. The Gini coefficients for the two areas show a big difference in inequality. In 1766, Dudelange, with a Gini coefficient of 0.84, seems to be much more unequal than Luxembourg City that registers a Gini coefficient on land distribution of 0.53. The inequality analysis in 1842 shows a reduction in the inequality estimates mainly driven by the abolishment of the feudal taxes and a reduction in the inequality gap between Luxembourg City and Dudelange. When looking at social mobility, however, the results for the two places are quite similar.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	La mobilità sociale nelle società preindustriali: tendenze, cause ed effetti (secc. XIII-XVIII) / Social mobility in pre-industrial societies: tendencies, causes and effects (13th-18th centuries)
Editors	Angela Orlandi
Publisher	University of Florence
Pages	357-375
Number of pages	19
ISBN (Electronic)	979-12-215-0667-9
ISBN (Print)	979-12-215-0666-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.36253/979-12-215-0667-9.17
Publication status	Published - 5 Aug 2025

Publication series

Name	Datini Studies in Economic History
ISSN (Print)	2975-1241
ISSN (Electronic)	2975-1195

Keywords

Social mobility
Inequality
luxembourg
Pre-industrial
Wealth
Land
Housing

Access to Document

10.36253/979-12-215-0667-9.17Licence: CC BY

Datini publishedFinal published version, 651 KBLicence: CC BY

2 Active

HIST_PROP: Histoire des inégalités immobilières et foncières au Luxembourg
Paccoud, A. (PI)
Chambre des Salariés au Luxembourg (C.S.L.)
1/01/25 → 31/12/28
Project: Research
D4H: Data Science of Digital History
Gathmann, C. (PI), Omrani, H. (CoI), Paccoud, A. (CoI), Fickers, A. (Partner PI), Clavert, F. (CoI), Zaagsma, G. (CoI), Pruski, C. (Contracting Partner), Düring, M. (CoI), Schafer, V. (CoI), Takats, S. (CoI), Binsfeld, A. (CoI), van der Torre, L. (CoI), Schommer, C. (CoI), Bouvry, P. (CoI), Theobald, M. (CoI), Loukas, A. (CoI), Leiva, L. (CoI), Uhrmacher, M. (CoI), Ferreira Flores, T. (CoI), Di Salvo, S. (CoI), Gregory, T. (CoI) & Kassem, H. (CoI)
Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg
1/09/22 → 31/08/28
Project: Research

3 Article
1 Chapter

L’histoire foncière et la question du logement à Dudelange (1824-2018) : Concentration et inégalités
Ferreira Flores, T. & Paccoud, A., 2 Jun 2025, Faire l’histoire des inégalités au Luxembourg – État des lieux des sources et perspectives. Berthereau, E. & Scuto, D. (eds.). Luxembourg: Chambre des Salariés Luxembourg (CSL), p. 14-24
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Open Access
File
Inégalités foncières : les terres toujours aux mêmes ?
Ferreira Flores, T. & Paccoud, A., 8 Jul 2024, In: Forum für Politik, Gesellschaft und Kultur. 2024, 438, 3 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
La détention foncière paysanne face à l’industrialisation : Dudelange (1824-1938)
Ferreira Flores, T. & Paccoud, A., Dec 2024, In: Mutations. 13/2025, p. 65-74
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Open Access
The distribution of land in Luxembourg (1766–1872): Family-level wealth persistence in the midst of institutional change
Schifano, S. & Paccoud, A., 1 Dec 2024, In: Journal of Economic History. 84, 4, p. 1209-1239 31 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access

Cite this

Schifano, S., Ferreira Flores, T., & Paccoud, A. (2025). Inequality in pre-industrial Luxembourg (1766-1842): comparing the effects of the end of feudalism in rural and urban areas. In A. Orlandi (Ed.), La mobilità sociale nelle società preindustriali: tendenze, cause ed effetti (secc. XIII-XVIII) / Social mobility in pre-industrial societies: tendencies, causes and effects (13th-18th centuries) (pp. 357-375). ( Datini Studies in Economic History). University of Florence. https://doi.org/10.36253/979-12-215-0667-9.17

Schifano, Sonia ; Ferreira Flores, Tiago ; Paccoud, Antoine. / Inequality in pre-industrial Luxembourg (1766-1842): comparing the effects of the end of feudalism in rural and urban areas. La mobilità sociale nelle società preindustriali: tendenze, cause ed effetti (secc. XIII-XVIII) / Social mobility in pre-industrial societies: tendencies, causes and effects (13th-18th centuries) . editor / Angela Orlandi. University of Florence, 2025. pp. 357-375 ( Datini Studies in Economic History).

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Schifano, S, Ferreira Flores, T & Paccoud, A 2025, Inequality in pre-industrial Luxembourg (1766-1842): comparing the effects of the end of feudalism in rural and urban areas. in A Orlandi (ed.), La mobilità sociale nelle società preindustriali: tendenze, cause ed effetti (secc. XIII-XVIII) / Social mobility in pre-industrial societies: tendencies, causes and effects (13th-18th centuries) . Datini Studies in Economic History, University of Florence, pp. 357-375. https://doi.org/10.36253/979-12-215-0667-9.17

Inequality in pre-industrial Luxembourg (1766-1842): comparing the effects of the end of feudalism in rural and urban areas. / Schifano, Sonia; Ferreira Flores, Tiago ; Paccoud, Antoine.
La mobilità sociale nelle società preindustriali: tendenze, cause ed effetti (secc. XIII-XVIII) / Social mobility in pre-industrial societies: tendencies, causes and effects (13th-18th centuries) . ed. / Angela Orlandi. University of Florence, 2025. p. 357-375 ( Datini Studies in Economic History).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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AB - This paper uses the land distribution derived from the Maria Theresa cadastre in Luxembourg from 1766 and a land registry of 1842 to compare wealth inequality in Luxembourg City and Dudelange, a rural municipality in the south of the country. The Gini coefficients for the two areas show a big difference in inequality. In 1766, Dudelange, with a Gini coefficient of 0.84, seems to be much more unequal than Luxembourg City that registers a Gini coefficient on land distribution of 0.53. The inequality analysis in 1842 shows a reduction in the inequality estimates mainly driven by the abolishment of the feudal taxes and a reduction in the inequality gap between Luxembourg City and Dudelange. When looking at social mobility, however, the results for the two places are quite similar.

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PB - University of Florence

ER -

Schifano S, Ferreira Flores T , Paccoud A. Inequality in pre-industrial Luxembourg (1766-1842): comparing the effects of the end of feudalism in rural and urban areas. In Orlandi A, editor, La mobilità sociale nelle società preindustriali: tendenze, cause ed effetti (secc. XIII-XVIII) / Social mobility in pre-industrial societies: tendencies, causes and effects (13th-18th centuries) . University of Florence. 2025. p. 357-375. ( Datini Studies in Economic History). doi: 10.36253/979-12-215-0667-9.17

Inequality in pre-industrial Luxembourg (1766-1842): comparing the effects of the end of feudalism in rural and urban areas

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords

Access to Document

Projects

HIST_PROP: Histoire des inégalités immobilières et foncières au Luxembourg

D4H: Data Science of Digital History

Research output

L’histoire foncière et la question du logement à Dudelange (1824-2018) : Concentration et inégalités

Inégalités foncières : les terres toujours aux mêmes ?

La détention foncière paysanne face à l’industrialisation : Dudelange (1824-1938)

The distribution of land in Luxembourg (1766–1872): Family-level wealth persistence in the midst of institutional change

Cite this