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19th Century Marriage

Anton Johann Gross-Hoffinger was a German doctor and author of the 1847 publication, "The Fate of Women and Prostitution." As part of his research for the book, the good doctor conducted a survey of 100 married couples across economic lines. The results were intended to support Gross-Hoffinger's theory that prostitution needed less broad social reform than the institution of marriage. Iwan Bloch, a pioneering sexologist, used the survey 50 years later to back up his belief that conventional marriage did not easily or often result in happiness.

Marriage as an Economic Trap

Bloch, a dermatologist by education, was on a crusade to promote so-called free love. He believed that 19th century marriage, across the socio-economic strata, was a restrictive institution that was driven by economic dependency. Women, often but not always, got the short end of the stick. The traditional social mores of the time encouraged covert sex with prostitutes and mistresses and contributed to the exploitation of female domestic workers. In other words, according to both Gross-Hoffinger and Bloch, infidelity drove the unhappy marital bus. Unhappy unions were tolerated because women, in particular, had very little recourse as far as securing a stable income.

The Statistics

It is easy to see why Bloch was so eager to use Gross-Hoffinger's research. The numbers hardly supported the concept of marriage as the key to happiness back in the day. The breakdown of the 50 couples came to this:

  • Unhappy: 48
  • Indifferent: 36
  • Unquestionably happy: 15
  • Virtuous: 1
  • Virtuous and orthodox: 0

Furthermore, 14 marriages were "Intentionally immoral," and 51 were "dissolute and libertine," with none "altogether above suspicion." While "libertine" may be defined by some as "free-thinking," it is used in this research to describe a man who is sexually immoral or irresponsible. Promiscuous men were most frequently referred to as "dissolute." Licentious wives earned the name "Messalina," after the third wife of the Roman emperor Claudius, who killed her for marrying a lover while he was away.

Poor Health

Not only were the majority of couples unhappy, they suffered physically. Many of the men and women showed signs of syphilis. Children were frequently "scrofulous," or infected with a form of lymphatic tuberculosis. Everyone seemed exhausted. As income decreased, the incidence of physical violence increased. Interestingly, ill health did not always correlate to unhappiness. There are several accounts of couples who were equally dissolute, who reportedly enjoyed a peaceful union. One entry read: "56. Happy marriage. The husband is a worn-out debauchee, the wife a worn-out prostitute. Both incurably ill, for the same reason."

Poverty and Marriage

Gross-Hoffinger's research shows contradictory results as far as the effects of poverty on marital bliss. For example, number 86 states, "Marriage happy, inconsequence of great poverty," while couple number 89 reads, "The marriage unhappy inconsequence of great poverty." A union between a thief and a prostitute seemed to work for both of them. Other couples who operated below the social radar fared less well, with frequent brawls, stints in the poor house, and considerable child mortality.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The authors apparently both felt that what minimal happiness they witnessed among the polled was due largely to the wife turning a blind eye toward infidelity. The survey itself, in list form, does not identify what exactly the researchers meant by happiness. In some cases, it seems to be freedom from economic worry. In other instances, independence appears to have something to do with it. A few of the happier couples seemed philosophical about the entire journey. For one couple, contentment did not depend on an absence of strife, but on a willingness to participate. Number 100 is described as follows: "A happy pair, who had endured all the severe trials of life, had forgiven each other everything, and never abandoned one another, a virtuous marriage in the noblest sense."

Category: Wedding Planning

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