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Abstract
Research on the intergenerational inheritance of occupational attainment has been restricted to sons for a long time. This is remarkable, given the ubiquity of historical settings where female labor force participation was high. This study of civil marriage certificates in nineteenth-century West Flanders investigates a comprehensive sample covering the economic activities not only of fathers and sons but also of mothers and daughters. We find that daughters were more mobile than sons. Daughters, however, enjoyed less growth in terms of intergenerational mobility against the background of a slowly industrializing economy.

After World War I rent control became a cornerstone of housing policy in many European countries, resulting in quantity constraints on the demand for housing. The theory on complete demand systems provides a framework for analyzing the effects of these policies on consumption. As a test case, a demand model is estimated to calculate virtual rent prices for interwar Belgium. The results are well in line with historical evidence, providing insight into the extent of rationing Simulations with the demand model show that the severe rent restrictions especially favored expenditures on food.

The ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, both located in close proximity of each other in the Low Countries and sharing virtually the same hinterland, have been eagerly competing for market shares since the late nineteenth century. This intense struggle strongly influenced the development of both competitors. This volume offers a virtually complete survey of existing economic as well as historical research into the development of the seaports of Antwerp and Rotterdam (1870-2000). It contains new contributions on three themes: port throughput, port authorities and port users. Each of these topics is discussed from a local and international point of view. The problem-oriented approach results in a fascinating comparative and multidisciplinary study. Since new research results have been combined with established theories, the volume is a major reference and provides the ideal platform for further research