DEMOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PARISH OF LOCHENICE, 1784-1900

This study describes the history of the parish of Lochenice from the perspective of historical demography. The parish was located in a valley on the Elbe River, and their inhabitants mainly worked in agriculture. The data are based on records from registers of births, weddings and deaths and the method of anonymous excerption was used. It is possible to observe an increase in the age of first-time spouses in the first half of the 19th century (the maximum age of men was about 29 and women about 27), followed by slight successive decreases again. The beginning of the 19th century represents the end of the mortality crisis; the last one struck the parish in 1806. But it was not the end of epidemics, and cholera, typhoid, the pox, dysentery, and rubella, etc., were common until the end of 19th century. Another cause of numerous deaths was tuberculosis. The end of the 19th century is regarded as the beginning of the demographic revolution - the rise of birth control and falling mortality rates. But in Lochenice parish there were no such trends.