History of Migration
This personal summary is based on the lectures and PowerPoint presentation of the History of
Migration course, taught by Bart Lambert. Copyright on original texts, images, and diagrams rests
with the respective authors and rights holders.
Table of Contents
1. Lesson 1: Introduction (p. 2)
1) Why study migration? (p. 2)
2) Why study migration history? (p. 2)
3) What and types? (p. 2)
4) Historiography of Migration as (Sub)Discipline (p. 4)
2. Lesson 2: Centres of globalising economy – late medieval Bruges and 16th century Antwerp
(p. 6)
1) Historical contexts (p. 6)
2) Migration Circuit I: Merchants (p. 6)
3) Migration Circuit II: Craftspeople (p. 7)
4) Other migration circuits (p. 10)
3. Lesson 3: Crossing the North Sea: ‘Dutch’ Emigrants in Late Medieval and Tudor England (p.
11)
1) Studying emigration (p. 11)
2) Late Medieval and Tudor England (p. 11)
3) ‘Dutch’ immigrants (p. 13)
4) Female immigrants (p. 14)
5) Relations with local population (p. 14)
6) Denization – immigrants becoming English (p. 15)
7) Protestant refugees in England (p. 15)
4. Lesson 4: After the Heyday: migration in the Southern Low Countries during the early modern
period (p. 16)
1) Southern Low Countries at end of 16th century (p. 16)
2) Immigrants in Antwerp in 18th century (p. 17)
3) Brussels in 18th century (p. 18)
4) Development of agrarian capitalism (p. 18)
5) Immigrants and welfare (p. 19)
5. Lesson 5: The Jump-Start of the Golden Age? Emigrants from the Southern Low Countries in
the Dutch Republic (p. 21)
1) Migration from South to North (p. 21)
2) Evidence of emigration (p. 22)
3) Evidence of immigration (p. 24)
4) Size of migration (p. 24)
5) Migration and the economic boom of Amsterdam (p. 24)
6) Cultural impact of migration (p. 26)
7) Immigrants from the Southern Low Countries in Germany (p. 27)
6. Lesson 6: Migration and urban change: Antwerp and Brussels in the ‘Long Nineteenth
Century’ (p. 28)
1
, 1) The Urban Boom of the ‘Long Nineteenth Century’ (p. 28)
2) Migration and Industrial Boom Towns (p. 29)
3) Population growth in Antwerp (p. 29)
4) Brussels in the ‘Long Nineteenth Century’ (p. 31)
5) Foreign migration and language (p. 33)
7. Lesson 7: Go West – Belgium and the EU Migration to America (p. 33)
1) Intro: 19th-century mass migration (p. 34)
2) Actors and reasons (p. 35)
3) Shipping lines as key actors (p. 37)
4) European-American mass migration ends (p. 39)
8. Lesson 8: Creating the Alien: Migration Policy in Belgium (1830–1940) (p. 39)
1) Concepts and political context (p. 40)
2) Alien policy in 1830 (p. 40)
3) Stronger role of the Sûreté Publique (p. 41)
4) Migration policy in 1860 (p. 42)
5) Changes in expulsion policy (p. 44)
6) Membership criteria and naturalisation (p. 44)
9. Lesson 9: War Refugees and Economic Migrants: Migration in the ‘Age of Catastrophe’ (p. 45)
1) World War I and Belgian refugees (p. 46)
2) Post-War Belgium (p. 47)
3) Foreign miners and recruitment (p. 47)
4) Jewish immigration (p. 48)
5) Migration policy 1918–1940 (p. 48)
6) Great Depression of the 1930s (p. 49)
7) Response to the Jewish refugee question (p. 49)
10. Lesson 10: Guest Workers and Expats: Migration in Post-War (II) Belgium (p. 50)
1) Migration circuit after World War II (p. 50)
2) Colonisation and decolonisation (p. 52)
3) European integration (p. 53)
2
,Lesson 1: Introduction
Purpose of course:
Give historical overview of most important migratory movements in Southern Low
Countries/present-day Belgium from Late Medieval Period until today
See how historians and other scholars have explained migration patterns in different periods
Geographical/chronological focus:
- Starting in late medieval 14/15th centuries:
Earlier than in many other overviews of migration
Because of emergence of ‘state’ & administrative revolution: for first time written source
material to study migration more systematically
Does not mean that large-scale migration is not significant before!
- Southern Low Countries, after 1830 Belgium:
Migration is global phenomenon, but case study that is representative of other regions
Attention for continuity over centuries
1. Why study migration?
According to the UN: migration = cross-cutting issue, relevant to
all SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals)
Overcome them to ensure peace/welfare (ex: hunger
might cause migration)
Constant media attention
Subject of political debate: has caused several governments to
collapse
2. Why study migration history?
Migratory movements are important as Historical Events (ex: 16th century: 20% of the
Southern Low Countries moved to the Northern Low Countries)
A historical perspective on migration gives us insight in contemporary events: media uses
things such as “largest refugee movements since WOII”
BUT (bigger) migration movements have happened in the past; looking at regulations
in the past can inspire us today
3. What and types?
Migration = people moving from one place to another with the purpose of staying there for a
substantial period of time
Different types of migration:
Immigration emigration
International migration internal/domestic migration
Rural-urban migration, inter-urban migration
Permanent migration temporary migration (example: seasonal migration)
Voluntary migration forced migration
3
,18 types of migration:
Migration = people moving from one place to another with the purpose of staying there for a
substantial amount of time
Emigration = process where people leave their own country (people going out)
Immigration = process of entering another country (people coming in)
Someone moving from Netherlands to another country is a emigrant for Netherlands; and for
the other country an immigrant
International migration = movement of people across national borders
Internal/domestic migration = movement of people within the borders of their own country
Rural-urban migration = movement of people from countryside to cities
Inter-urban migration = movement of people between different cities or urban centres
Permanent migration = people moving to a new country with the intention of settling there
indefinitely, not returning to their home country
Temporary migration = people moving to another country with the intention to return home or move
elsewhere after a limited period (example: seasonal migration)
Voluntary migration = individuals choose freely to migrate
Forced migration = movement of people compelled to leave their homes due to threats like conflict,
violence, persecution…
Career migration = movement of people specifically to find or perform employment
Chain migration = process where migrants move to places where they have friends/relatives; because
these friends/relatives have info about opportunities abroad; provide material, psychological support
Net migration = difference between the number of people entering an area (immigrants) and the
number of people leaving it (emigrants) during a given period
Gross migration = total movement of people to and from an area, or the sum of all immigration and
emigration
Return migration = movement of people back to their country or place of origin after living elsewhere
Undocumented migration = people entering or staying in a country with no legal authorization
Horizontal migration = migration between similar places (ex: inter-urban)
Vertical migration = migration between places of different levels (ex: rural-urban)
4
,4. Historiography of Migration as (Sub)Discipline
= tradition of study of migration in social sciences, demography
only more recently in history, since 1990s: fall of Berlin wall etc
Trying to explain why people in the past have migrated and why other not
1) Neoclassical model: structural inequalities
= things not being equal for large parts of certain groups opportunities are simply not the same
everywhere
Relationship between push and pull:
Push – reasons to leave: few jobs, war, famine (hongersnood), natural disasters…
Pull factors – reasons to go somewhere: better health care, job opport., education, safety…
for migration to be successful you need to have a balance between the two (often only push)
Problems:
Not everyone can take advantage of pull factors in the same way: social customs, exclusion of
certain groups
Does not explain selectivity: some people leave while others don’t, while pull factors are the
same; some go to specific places, others don’t, while the pull factors are the same
2) Social networks
Chain migration: people move to places where they have friends or relatives info about
opportunities abroad; provide material or psychological support
Migration attracts more migration migrants in one country can be relatives to other
Connection between tows/villages of origin and towns/villages of destination
Problems:
Broader than just friends and relatives: non personal organisations, firms/placements
agencies; solitary, non-network migration
What matters is migration information
Explains connection between migration and distance: transport costs + info availability
Still does not explain selectivity of migration
3) Individual and household characteristics
- Not every individual/household has the same possibilities
- Differences in economic/social position determine:
Exposure to shocks (example: different effects of rising food prices for farmers and labourers)
Transferability of resources: labourers have less to take with them than farmers
Investment costs: cost of move in relation to what they will gain
Access to migration information, reach of social network: for example someone with a high
social status will have more access to
Integration of the 3 models?
= more recent approach works like a funnel:
5
,Within group of people affected by push factors and attracted by pull factors (1), those with most
access to migration information (2) and with most favourable individual and household characteristics
(3) are most likely to migrate
6
,Lesson 2: Centres of globalising economy – late medieval Bruges and
16th century Antwerp
Short summary from lesson I:
Centres of global trade; attract merchants but also craftspeople and wage workers from all
over Europe, refugees; exploration of migration circuits; regulation of immigrants
A forgotten chapter in the history of migration:
Young subfield: interest in past of migration is only very recent (1990s)
Still a assumption that migration is predominantly modern phenomenon, triggered by the
Industrial Revolution (focus on 20th century)
1. Historical contexts
Historical context – Bruges:
End 13th century: people transfer their goods overland starts to change because there is an
increase of warfare to trade overland becomes very dangerous
Bruges becomes very important: was very accessible from the sea – situated between Italian
city states and Scandinavian countries
Smaller cities like Bruges become meeting places for traders from all over Europe those
changes bring on many migrants
End of 15th century the important cities in Flanders fall out because of political instability
and environmental problems
Historical context – Antwerp:
Antwerp was very good accessible (thru the Schelde) + wasn’t affected by political
disturbance wasn’t in Flanders
So it takes over the role of Bruges as a meeting place for traders + becomes migrat. hotspot
Second half of 16th century: increasing impact of religious warfare (Protestants vs Catholics)
1585: Fall of Antwerp, foreign merchants leave Spanish prince conquered Antwerp and
imposed Catholicism; Protestants migrated to northern low countries (AMS = meeting point)
2. Migration Circuit I: Merchants1
Migration circuit: people move to certain place with specific push, pull factors + social groups
Important role of merchants: their migration helped cities become global centres
No consistent recordings of the numbers people don’t have to register
For Bruges (1440) they were some sort of recordings: a writer tells that there are 136 from
German Hansa; 40 Milanese, 40 venetians…; 40 Castilians; unspecified numbers Catalans…
Antwerp (1500-1520): 1227 Germans, 261 Italians, 247 French… more then in Bruges
1 a person or business that sells goods or services for profit, acting as a trader or retailer.
7
,Types of Migration:
Temporary, seasonal migration: short term presence during commercial seasons (most of the time
after the winter – March till late September; roads are inaccessible etc)
Merchant companies with network of permanent agencies all over Europe = career migration
Predominantly young single men
Pull factors are most important; push factors less: there is something in Antwerp, Bruges that
they don’t have in their own country
Spread of migration information through organisational networks
A bit of longer-term integration:
Intermarriage, remain permanently: some merchants married local women and stayed there
permanently
Specific for certain groups – example: Adornes family (from Genoa) in Bruges; became
mayors and built Jerusalem church
Genoa had weak government: merchants networked on their own; stimulation of
integration
Venetians: strong government – merchants worked for their government, no need to
network and live with the locals
Attitudes of local authorities and population
Very strong bargaining position: brought something to the city, that locals didn’t have
Treated very respectfully: ‘in the interest of the good course of trade’
Receive privileges: agreements about rights and responsibilities
Have right to organise themselves as nations
Had the right to build their own nation house
Had chapels in the city churches
No need for registration
only a few traces of popular hostility (volksvijandigheid)
3. Migration circuit II: Craftspeople2
These people were registered
Community got self-governance: could make their own laws, elect their major
Need for citizenship to enjoy certain rights
Engage in certain occupations, above all those organised by guilds, not needed for
trade
Be judged only by court of city
Political rights
How can citizenship be acquired?: acquired by birth, marriage or purchase (one monthly
wage of skilled craftsman – 1416)
Attractive for longer-term/permanent, male immigrants
Recorded in separate registers and in city accounts
2 a person who is skilled at making things by hand (tailors, shoemakers…).
8
This personal summary is based on the lectures and PowerPoint presentation of the History of
Migration course, taught by Bart Lambert. Copyright on original texts, images, and diagrams rests
with the respective authors and rights holders.
Table of Contents
1. Lesson 1: Introduction (p. 2)
1) Why study migration? (p. 2)
2) Why study migration history? (p. 2)
3) What and types? (p. 2)
4) Historiography of Migration as (Sub)Discipline (p. 4)
2. Lesson 2: Centres of globalising economy – late medieval Bruges and 16th century Antwerp
(p. 6)
1) Historical contexts (p. 6)
2) Migration Circuit I: Merchants (p. 6)
3) Migration Circuit II: Craftspeople (p. 7)
4) Other migration circuits (p. 10)
3. Lesson 3: Crossing the North Sea: ‘Dutch’ Emigrants in Late Medieval and Tudor England (p.
11)
1) Studying emigration (p. 11)
2) Late Medieval and Tudor England (p. 11)
3) ‘Dutch’ immigrants (p. 13)
4) Female immigrants (p. 14)
5) Relations with local population (p. 14)
6) Denization – immigrants becoming English (p. 15)
7) Protestant refugees in England (p. 15)
4. Lesson 4: After the Heyday: migration in the Southern Low Countries during the early modern
period (p. 16)
1) Southern Low Countries at end of 16th century (p. 16)
2) Immigrants in Antwerp in 18th century (p. 17)
3) Brussels in 18th century (p. 18)
4) Development of agrarian capitalism (p. 18)
5) Immigrants and welfare (p. 19)
5. Lesson 5: The Jump-Start of the Golden Age? Emigrants from the Southern Low Countries in
the Dutch Republic (p. 21)
1) Migration from South to North (p. 21)
2) Evidence of emigration (p. 22)
3) Evidence of immigration (p. 24)
4) Size of migration (p. 24)
5) Migration and the economic boom of Amsterdam (p. 24)
6) Cultural impact of migration (p. 26)
7) Immigrants from the Southern Low Countries in Germany (p. 27)
6. Lesson 6: Migration and urban change: Antwerp and Brussels in the ‘Long Nineteenth
Century’ (p. 28)
1
, 1) The Urban Boom of the ‘Long Nineteenth Century’ (p. 28)
2) Migration and Industrial Boom Towns (p. 29)
3) Population growth in Antwerp (p. 29)
4) Brussels in the ‘Long Nineteenth Century’ (p. 31)
5) Foreign migration and language (p. 33)
7. Lesson 7: Go West – Belgium and the EU Migration to America (p. 33)
1) Intro: 19th-century mass migration (p. 34)
2) Actors and reasons (p. 35)
3) Shipping lines as key actors (p. 37)
4) European-American mass migration ends (p. 39)
8. Lesson 8: Creating the Alien: Migration Policy in Belgium (1830–1940) (p. 39)
1) Concepts and political context (p. 40)
2) Alien policy in 1830 (p. 40)
3) Stronger role of the Sûreté Publique (p. 41)
4) Migration policy in 1860 (p. 42)
5) Changes in expulsion policy (p. 44)
6) Membership criteria and naturalisation (p. 44)
9. Lesson 9: War Refugees and Economic Migrants: Migration in the ‘Age of Catastrophe’ (p. 45)
1) World War I and Belgian refugees (p. 46)
2) Post-War Belgium (p. 47)
3) Foreign miners and recruitment (p. 47)
4) Jewish immigration (p. 48)
5) Migration policy 1918–1940 (p. 48)
6) Great Depression of the 1930s (p. 49)
7) Response to the Jewish refugee question (p. 49)
10. Lesson 10: Guest Workers and Expats: Migration in Post-War (II) Belgium (p. 50)
1) Migration circuit after World War II (p. 50)
2) Colonisation and decolonisation (p. 52)
3) European integration (p. 53)
2
,Lesson 1: Introduction
Purpose of course:
Give historical overview of most important migratory movements in Southern Low
Countries/present-day Belgium from Late Medieval Period until today
See how historians and other scholars have explained migration patterns in different periods
Geographical/chronological focus:
- Starting in late medieval 14/15th centuries:
Earlier than in many other overviews of migration
Because of emergence of ‘state’ & administrative revolution: for first time written source
material to study migration more systematically
Does not mean that large-scale migration is not significant before!
- Southern Low Countries, after 1830 Belgium:
Migration is global phenomenon, but case study that is representative of other regions
Attention for continuity over centuries
1. Why study migration?
According to the UN: migration = cross-cutting issue, relevant to
all SDG’s (Sustainable Development Goals)
Overcome them to ensure peace/welfare (ex: hunger
might cause migration)
Constant media attention
Subject of political debate: has caused several governments to
collapse
2. Why study migration history?
Migratory movements are important as Historical Events (ex: 16th century: 20% of the
Southern Low Countries moved to the Northern Low Countries)
A historical perspective on migration gives us insight in contemporary events: media uses
things such as “largest refugee movements since WOII”
BUT (bigger) migration movements have happened in the past; looking at regulations
in the past can inspire us today
3. What and types?
Migration = people moving from one place to another with the purpose of staying there for a
substantial period of time
Different types of migration:
Immigration emigration
International migration internal/domestic migration
Rural-urban migration, inter-urban migration
Permanent migration temporary migration (example: seasonal migration)
Voluntary migration forced migration
3
,18 types of migration:
Migration = people moving from one place to another with the purpose of staying there for a
substantial amount of time
Emigration = process where people leave their own country (people going out)
Immigration = process of entering another country (people coming in)
Someone moving from Netherlands to another country is a emigrant for Netherlands; and for
the other country an immigrant
International migration = movement of people across national borders
Internal/domestic migration = movement of people within the borders of their own country
Rural-urban migration = movement of people from countryside to cities
Inter-urban migration = movement of people between different cities or urban centres
Permanent migration = people moving to a new country with the intention of settling there
indefinitely, not returning to their home country
Temporary migration = people moving to another country with the intention to return home or move
elsewhere after a limited period (example: seasonal migration)
Voluntary migration = individuals choose freely to migrate
Forced migration = movement of people compelled to leave their homes due to threats like conflict,
violence, persecution…
Career migration = movement of people specifically to find or perform employment
Chain migration = process where migrants move to places where they have friends/relatives; because
these friends/relatives have info about opportunities abroad; provide material, psychological support
Net migration = difference between the number of people entering an area (immigrants) and the
number of people leaving it (emigrants) during a given period
Gross migration = total movement of people to and from an area, or the sum of all immigration and
emigration
Return migration = movement of people back to their country or place of origin after living elsewhere
Undocumented migration = people entering or staying in a country with no legal authorization
Horizontal migration = migration between similar places (ex: inter-urban)
Vertical migration = migration between places of different levels (ex: rural-urban)
4
,4. Historiography of Migration as (Sub)Discipline
= tradition of study of migration in social sciences, demography
only more recently in history, since 1990s: fall of Berlin wall etc
Trying to explain why people in the past have migrated and why other not
1) Neoclassical model: structural inequalities
= things not being equal for large parts of certain groups opportunities are simply not the same
everywhere
Relationship between push and pull:
Push – reasons to leave: few jobs, war, famine (hongersnood), natural disasters…
Pull factors – reasons to go somewhere: better health care, job opport., education, safety…
for migration to be successful you need to have a balance between the two (often only push)
Problems:
Not everyone can take advantage of pull factors in the same way: social customs, exclusion of
certain groups
Does not explain selectivity: some people leave while others don’t, while pull factors are the
same; some go to specific places, others don’t, while the pull factors are the same
2) Social networks
Chain migration: people move to places where they have friends or relatives info about
opportunities abroad; provide material or psychological support
Migration attracts more migration migrants in one country can be relatives to other
Connection between tows/villages of origin and towns/villages of destination
Problems:
Broader than just friends and relatives: non personal organisations, firms/placements
agencies; solitary, non-network migration
What matters is migration information
Explains connection between migration and distance: transport costs + info availability
Still does not explain selectivity of migration
3) Individual and household characteristics
- Not every individual/household has the same possibilities
- Differences in economic/social position determine:
Exposure to shocks (example: different effects of rising food prices for farmers and labourers)
Transferability of resources: labourers have less to take with them than farmers
Investment costs: cost of move in relation to what they will gain
Access to migration information, reach of social network: for example someone with a high
social status will have more access to
Integration of the 3 models?
= more recent approach works like a funnel:
5
,Within group of people affected by push factors and attracted by pull factors (1), those with most
access to migration information (2) and with most favourable individual and household characteristics
(3) are most likely to migrate
6
,Lesson 2: Centres of globalising economy – late medieval Bruges and
16th century Antwerp
Short summary from lesson I:
Centres of global trade; attract merchants but also craftspeople and wage workers from all
over Europe, refugees; exploration of migration circuits; regulation of immigrants
A forgotten chapter in the history of migration:
Young subfield: interest in past of migration is only very recent (1990s)
Still a assumption that migration is predominantly modern phenomenon, triggered by the
Industrial Revolution (focus on 20th century)
1. Historical contexts
Historical context – Bruges:
End 13th century: people transfer their goods overland starts to change because there is an
increase of warfare to trade overland becomes very dangerous
Bruges becomes very important: was very accessible from the sea – situated between Italian
city states and Scandinavian countries
Smaller cities like Bruges become meeting places for traders from all over Europe those
changes bring on many migrants
End of 15th century the important cities in Flanders fall out because of political instability
and environmental problems
Historical context – Antwerp:
Antwerp was very good accessible (thru the Schelde) + wasn’t affected by political
disturbance wasn’t in Flanders
So it takes over the role of Bruges as a meeting place for traders + becomes migrat. hotspot
Second half of 16th century: increasing impact of religious warfare (Protestants vs Catholics)
1585: Fall of Antwerp, foreign merchants leave Spanish prince conquered Antwerp and
imposed Catholicism; Protestants migrated to northern low countries (AMS = meeting point)
2. Migration Circuit I: Merchants1
Migration circuit: people move to certain place with specific push, pull factors + social groups
Important role of merchants: their migration helped cities become global centres
No consistent recordings of the numbers people don’t have to register
For Bruges (1440) they were some sort of recordings: a writer tells that there are 136 from
German Hansa; 40 Milanese, 40 venetians…; 40 Castilians; unspecified numbers Catalans…
Antwerp (1500-1520): 1227 Germans, 261 Italians, 247 French… more then in Bruges
1 a person or business that sells goods or services for profit, acting as a trader or retailer.
7
,Types of Migration:
Temporary, seasonal migration: short term presence during commercial seasons (most of the time
after the winter – March till late September; roads are inaccessible etc)
Merchant companies with network of permanent agencies all over Europe = career migration
Predominantly young single men
Pull factors are most important; push factors less: there is something in Antwerp, Bruges that
they don’t have in their own country
Spread of migration information through organisational networks
A bit of longer-term integration:
Intermarriage, remain permanently: some merchants married local women and stayed there
permanently
Specific for certain groups – example: Adornes family (from Genoa) in Bruges; became
mayors and built Jerusalem church
Genoa had weak government: merchants networked on their own; stimulation of
integration
Venetians: strong government – merchants worked for their government, no need to
network and live with the locals
Attitudes of local authorities and population
Very strong bargaining position: brought something to the city, that locals didn’t have
Treated very respectfully: ‘in the interest of the good course of trade’
Receive privileges: agreements about rights and responsibilities
Have right to organise themselves as nations
Had the right to build their own nation house
Had chapels in the city churches
No need for registration
only a few traces of popular hostility (volksvijandigheid)
3. Migration circuit II: Craftspeople2
These people were registered
Community got self-governance: could make their own laws, elect their major
Need for citizenship to enjoy certain rights
Engage in certain occupations, above all those organised by guilds, not needed for
trade
Be judged only by court of city
Political rights
How can citizenship be acquired?: acquired by birth, marriage or purchase (one monthly
wage of skilled craftsman – 1416)
Attractive for longer-term/permanent, male immigrants
Recorded in separate registers and in city accounts
2 a person who is skilled at making things by hand (tailors, shoemakers…).
8
