Health, Social Care and Old Age Provisions in Medieval and Early Modern Leiden
(2026) p.212-239- Abstract
- By the end of the eighteenth century, Leiden was a very unhealthy city where life was characterised by disease and untimely death – in particular young children – mainly because of high population density and unhygienic conditions. Morbidity and a high mortality rate gave city life a specific dynamic: many children grew up without one or both parents present, while many elderly men and women had trouble finding the support networks they needed to help them during their final years. The absence of family was not only caused by high death rates, but also by high migration rates: newcomers to Leiden had usually left their family support group behind. For these reasons inhabitants could not always rely on family, and therefore also depended in... (More)
- By the end of the eighteenth century, Leiden was a very unhealthy city where life was characterised by disease and untimely death – in particular young children – mainly because of high population density and unhygienic conditions. Morbidity and a high mortality rate gave city life a specific dynamic: many children grew up without one or both parents present, while many elderly men and women had trouble finding the support networks they needed to help them during their final years. The absence of family was not only caused by high death rates, but also by high migration rates: newcomers to Leiden had usually left their family support group behind. For these reasons inhabitants could not always rely on family, and therefore also depended in times of need on a ‘mixed economy of welfare’ consisting of friends, mutual-aid societies, charities and commercial organisations. This chapter provides an overview of the development of social care in medieval and early modern Leiden, with special focus on the eldercare provided to the most vulnerable inhabitants. Particular attention will go to the many hofjes that were founded by benefactors to provide housing for older men and women, which were built around an inner courtyard. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/70566fa5-3c3b-43b4-b608-36e06826d111
- author
- Zuijderduijn, Jaco LU ; Looijesteijn, Henk and Walhout, Evelien
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- host publication
- A Companion to Medieval and Early Modern Leiden
- editor
- Schmidt, Ariadne and van Steensel, Arie
- pages
- 212 - 239
- publisher
- Brill
- ISBN
- 9789004734227
- DOI
- 10.1163/9789004734227_009
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 70566fa5-3c3b-43b4-b608-36e06826d111
- date added to LUP
- 2025-11-24 18:21:34
- date last changed
- 2025-11-26 16:23:49
@inbook{70566fa5-3c3b-43b4-b608-36e06826d111,
abstract = {{By the end of the eighteenth century, Leiden was a very unhealthy city where life was characterised by disease and untimely death – in particular young children – mainly because of high population density and unhygienic conditions. Morbidity and a high mortality rate gave city life a specific dynamic: many children grew up without one or both parents present, while many elderly men and women had trouble finding the support networks they needed to help them during their final years. The absence of family was not only caused by high death rates, but also by high migration rates: newcomers to Leiden had usually left their family support group behind. For these reasons inhabitants could not always rely on family, and therefore also depended in times of need on a ‘mixed economy of welfare’ consisting of friends, mutual-aid societies, charities and commercial organisations. This chapter provides an overview of the development of social care in medieval and early modern Leiden, with special focus on the eldercare provided to the most vulnerable inhabitants. Particular attention will go to the many hofjes that were founded by benefactors to provide housing for older men and women, which were built around an inner courtyard.}},
author = {{Zuijderduijn, Jaco and Looijesteijn, Henk and Walhout, Evelien}},
booktitle = {{A Companion to Medieval and Early Modern Leiden}},
editor = {{Schmidt, Ariadne and van Steensel, Arie}},
isbn = {{9789004734227}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{212--239}},
publisher = {{Brill}},
title = {{Health, Social Care and Old Age Provisions in Medieval and Early Modern Leiden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004734227_009}},
doi = {{10.1163/9789004734227_009}},
year = {{2026}},
}