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300 Years of Housing Wealth Mobility: The City-State of Basel, 1500–1800

Author

Listed:
  • Jonas M. Geweke

    (University of Zurich)

  • Niccolò G. Armandola

    (University of Zurich)

  • Paul Goetz

    (University of Zurich)

Abstract

A lack of research on preindustrial wealth mobility has hindered our understanding of the extent and mechanisms through which preindustrial wealth was transmitted across generations. This paper studies homeownership and housing wealth mobility in the city-state of Basel (1500–1800). Using a database of over 40,000 father–son pairs, we apply linear probability and rank-rank regression models to find homeownership and housing wealth persistence across six generations. We identify three transmission mechanisms: direct inheritance, assortative mating, and political officeholding. Finally, we observe higher mobility rates in the sixteenth century compared to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas M. Geweke & Niccolò G. Armandola & Paul Goetz, 2026. "300 Years of Housing Wealth Mobility: The City-State of Basel, 1500–1800," Working Papers 0312, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    • Handle: RePEc:hes:wpaper:0312
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • N33 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • R31 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Housing Supply and Markets
    • N93 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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