Informatiestromen en de herkomstgebieden van migranten in de Nederlanden in de Vroegmoderne Tijd

Abstract

PDF In numerous case studies it has been argued that the origin of migrants and their professional specialisation are intimately linked up. However, from these wellknown examples it should not be concluded that regional specialisation is the only or even the main factor accounting for the clustering of the origins of migrants and the direction of migration streams. In this paper it is demonstrated that many towns attracted migrants of both sexes and with very different professional backgrounds from a limited number of areas. In these cases it was not regional specialisation in the areas of origin, but the diffusion of information among migrants and potential migrants in these areas that accounted for the marked clustering of places of origin. Long standing (trading) contacts and easy access by land and water go a long way in explaining the direction of the information flows and the precise location of the areas of origin.