The Unwanted Child

by Harrington, Joel F.

• ISBN13: 9780226317274
• ISBN10: 0226317277
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-12-01
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

The baby abandoned on the doorstep is a phenomenon that has virtually disappeared from our experience, but in the early modern world, unwanted children were a very real problem for parents, government officials, and society.The Unwanted Childskillfully recreates sixteenth-century Nuremberg to explore what befell abandoned, neglected, abused, or delinquent children in this critical period. Joel F. Harrington tackles this question by focusing on the stories of five individuals. In vivid and poignant detail, he recounts the experiences of an unmarried mother-to-be, a roaming mercenary who drifts in and out of his children's lives, a civic leader handling the government's response to problems arising from unwanted children, a homeless teenager turned prolific thief, and orphaned twins who enter state care at the age of nine. Braiding together these compelling portraits, Harrington uncovers and analyzes the key elements that link them, including the impact of war and the vital importance of informal networks among women. From the harrowing to the inspiring,The Unwanted Childpaints a gripping picture of life on the streets five centuries ago.

Author Biography

Joel F. Harrington is Assistant Provost for International Affairs and associate professor of history at Vanderbilt University. His books include Reordering Marriage and Society in Reformation Germany.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. ix
Note on Usage	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
The Unmarried Mother	p. 21
The Absconding Father	p. 73
The Beleaguered Magistrate	p. 127
The Street Orphan	p. 177
The State Wards	p. 229
From Micro- to Macro-: Individuals and the Big Picture	p. 277
The Findelkinder Database	p. 303
Known Infanticides in Nuremberg, 1384-1806	p. 305
List of Abbreviations	p. 312
Notes	p. 313
Bibliography	p. 419
Index	p. 431
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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