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The Long-Term Impact of Church Activity on Social Capital: Lessons from Post-War Czechoslovakia

Author

Listed:
  • Mikula, Stepan

    (Masaryk University)

  • Reggiani, Tommaso G.

    (Cardiff University)

  • Sabatini, Fabio

    (Sapienza University of Rome)

Abstract

We exploit a historical experiment that occurred in Czechoslovakia after World War Two to study the drivers of social capital accumulation in an extremely unfavorable environment. Between 1945 and 1948, the Sudetenland became the scene of ethnic cleansing, with the expulsion of nearly three million German speakers and the simultaneous influx of nearly two million resettlers. Focusing on the areas where at least 90% of the population was forced to leave, we show that the municipalities hosting a church built before 1945 developed significantly higher social capital under the communist rule, which persisted after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The heterogeneity of effects reveals that the longer a resident pastor served in a parish, the more civic capital emerged in the municipality after the Velvet Revolution, suggesting that the social interactions facilitated by pastors were crucial in establishing the foundational layer for social capital in church-hosting communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Mikula, Stepan & Reggiani, Tommaso G. & Sabatini, Fabio, 2025. "The Long-Term Impact of Church Activity on Social Capital: Lessons from Post-War Czechoslovakia," IZA Discussion Papers 17981, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17981
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • N24 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N44 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N94 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: 1913-
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion

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