Keep it in the family. Wealth in times of family changes

The dissertation explores the intricate interplay between wealth and family dynamics across human life courses, motivated by recent shifts in wealth distribution and demographic trends in Western countries. A comprehensive framework is introduced, delineating the examination of wealth accumulation and distribution within and across families. Via conceptual, theoretical, and empirical work, this dissertation seeks to advance the understanding of the wealth-family nexus from a comparative and historical perspective, with a focus on post-war European countries. To achieve this, cross-sectional (GESIS Panel) as well as prospective (SHARE) and retrospective (SHARELIFE) longitudinal large-scale survey data are analyzed. The first chapter explores the heterogeneity of wealth accumulation trajectories across ten European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland), adopting a categorical approach to wealth ownership. The second chapter examines the context-specificity of the relationship between family life course trajectories and subsequent wealth accumulation across Scandinavian (Denmark and Sweden), Continental (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and Switzerland), and Southern (Greece, Italy, Spain) European countries, situating it within the broader discourse on family change. The third chapter delves into population heterogeneity in norms concerning family estate division among siblings in Germany.