Working Paper: NBER ID: w18813
Authors: Nico Voigtländer; Hans-Joachim Voth
Abstract: We analyze under which conditions intermarriage can be used as an indicator of tolerance, and whether such tolerant attitudes persisted in Germany during the last century. We find strong evidence for the persistence of tolerant attitudes towards intermarriage with Jews. At the same time, our empirical analysis also cautions against using intermarriage as a simple proxy for tolerance: The size of Jewish communities in the early 20th century is an important confounding factor.
Keywords: intermarriage; tolerance; antisemitism; Germany
JEL Codes: N44; Z1
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| historical intermarriage rates (J12) | contemporary attitudes towards intermarriage with Jews (J15) |
| historical antisemitism (B15) | historical intermarriage rates (J12) |
| size of Jewish communities (Z12) | historical intermarriage rates (J12) |
| size of Jewish communities (Z12) | contemporary attitudes towards intermarriage with Jews (J15) |
| historical intermarriage rates (J12) | historical antisemitism (B15) |