Recently considerable interest has developed about the degree to which
anthropological approaches to kinship can be used for the study of the
long-term development of European history. From the late middle ages to
the dawn of the twentieth century, kinship - rather than declining, as
is often assumed - was twice reconfigured in dramatic ways and became
increasingly significant as a force in historical change, with
remarkable similarities across European society. Applying
interdisciplinary approaches from social and cultural history and
literature and focusing on sibling relationships, this volume takes up
the challenge of examining the systemic and structural development of
kinship over the long term by looking at the close inner-familial
dynamics of ruling families (the Hohenzollerns), cultural leaders (the
Mendelssohns), business and professional classes, and political figures
(the Gladstones)in France, Italy, Germany, and England. It offers
insight into the current issues in kinship studies and draws from a wide
range of personal documents: letters, autobiographies, testaments,
memoirs, as well as genealogies and works of art.