The Fertility Decline in Munich, 1850-1914: A First Look from Individual-Level Data

John Brown, Clark University
Timothy Guinnane, Yale University

The population registration data for the city of Munich (the Polizeimeldeboegen, or PMBs) contain information on every person born in the city or who moved there during the period 1850-1914. Using a new sample of nearly 5000 couples, we present preliminary evidence on the fertility transition in that city: when it began, what form it took, and the roles of religion, migration, and socio-economic status in the pace of fertility decline.