Births out of wedlock in Bohemia from a long-term perspective

Ludmila Fialova, Charles University, Prague

Illegitimacy in Bohemia was suspiciously low, about 5 per cent since mid 17th to the beginning of the 19th century. The level decreased 1-2 % all over rural regions alike in towns, higher was only in the centre of the country and first of all in Prague. In the course of the 19th century new differentiation had arose as the regions inhabited by German population had been showing twice or thrice size than Czech regions (except Prague with much more higher degree of illegitimacy). These differences disappeared only with the resettlement of German population from Bohemia after 1945. During 1950-1990 the level of illegitimacy was about 5 % without important regional differences. In the course of last decade the situation rapidly changed. However, increasing proportion of children born out of wedlock and its regional differences indicates totally different features, approaching (in some aspects) situation in West Europe.