Everything remains in the family. A history of inheritance since 1800
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| free admission |
| Duration: 120 min |
| German |
| Ground Floor, Hall 3 |
| Part of: Lecture series Family Matters |
Societies of the 20th and 21st centuries are, at their core, societies of inheritance and family. An individual’s prospects of wealth and social status have been, and remain, heavily dependent on their familial background. A central factor in this was the deeply rooted conviction among the population that property should primarily be passed on to the next generation within the family. Consequently, the transfer of assets always raised the question of who actually belonged to the family and on what basis these individuals’ inheritance rights were established.
In his lecture, Jürgen Dinkel traces the history of inheritance in the transatlantic space since approximately 1800. He demonstrates how governments, families, and individuals repeatedly negotiated the transfer and distribution of estates, thereby also renegotiating their understanding of family and specific familial constellations. Ultimately, instances of inheritance represented moments that generated, updated, or even challenged the social fabric of the family.
Participants
Jürgen Dinkel is a Heisenberg Professor of Global History of Modern Times at the University of Leipzig.
Prof. Dr. Daniel Tyradellis (Humboldt University of Berlin)
Dr. Alia Rayyan (Humboldt University of Berlin)
Dr. Laura Goldenbaum (Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss)
Jürgen Dinkel is a Heisenberg Professor of Global History of Modern Times at the University of Leipzig. His research focuses on the history of inheritance and bequest, colonialism and decolonization, and the Global South. He is currently writing a short history of gratitude.
Recent Publications:
All remains in the Family: Inheritance and Property in Germany, Russia, and the United States since the 19th Century (Industrielle Welt, Bd. 104)
Acknowledgments: The History of Academic Gratitude, in: Bulletin of the German Historical Institute, Washington D.C. 76 (Fall 2025), pp. 87–110.
“The Rich Uncle from America”: Transnational Inheritance Transfers between the United States, Germany and Russia, 1840s–1980s, in: Law and History Review, Vol. 43, Issue 3, 2025, pp. 535–556.
The lecture series is being held as part of a collaboration between all institutions of the Humboldt Forum.
Head Curator for the Programme year 2025-26: Dr. Laura Goldenbaum
