How Much Did Wives Matter? The Role of Spouses and In-Laws in the Socio-Political Careers of Romanian Politicians in Transylvania (1861–1918)
How Much Did Wives Matter? The Role of Spouses and In-Laws in the Socio-Political Careers of Romanian Politicians in Transylvania (1861–1918)

Summary/Abstract: This study analyzes to what extent the social status of the wives of Romanian politicians in Transylvania, their matrimonial alliances and religious denomination influenced the rise and political-cultural behavior of their spouses in the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The analysis focuses on the wives of Romanian Greek Catholic deputies who served in the Diets of Transylvania (1863–1866) and, subsequently, in the Hungarian Parliament between 1861 and 1918. Starting from the latest European historiographic research on the impact of socio-economic and cultural factors on individual social mobility, we aim to achieve several objectives. First, we want to identify the socio-economic background of the Greek Catholic Romanian deputies’ wives and to see whether this actually played a decisive role in their husbands’ affirmation either as individuals or as members of various decision-making groups. Second, based on a few case studies, we aim to detect the family networks created through matrimonial alliances and the extent to which they contributed to the rise and consolidation of these politicians’ careers. We will also try to understand the ways in which the religious denominations of the deputies’ wives may have influenced the social, political and cultural conduct of their husbands. Last but not least, we aim to discuss a few aspects of these women’s marital behavior, including their role in the couple.

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