At the end of 1950's my great-grandmother was the last inhabitant of the family farm. One day she locked the door and went away never to return. When we visited the place couple of years ago, the easiest way to get there was to drive to the closest village, then proceed by foot. We had to pass through some fields, then through a forest. Finally, we've descended into a swampy gorge overgrown with vegetation. The path was barely passable. Blackberries and nettles were growing everywhere. We've walked down along the stream. We've passed the cellars, carved into soft tuff rock, that once belonged to the farm. Now they were empty, with no doors and half-filled with water. Then we have arrived at the farm itself. The stone-and-adobe walls were reduced to almost nothing. You could see them sticking out of the thicket here and there and that was it. Eerily, in this country without people, there was an improvised goat shed built out of sticks and plastic foil among the weed, leaning against the remnant of a wall. There were no goats, nor people, to be seen though.
I’m of Eastern European background and had no idea there were appreciable numbers of Protestants in Slovakia. Apparently the proportion of Protestants has fallen significantly since the 19th century, which supports your point.
It would be great to see some photos to accompany this article.
I’ve added a picture of the cellars in the tuff rock (my mother still remembers the times when they were used), I’ll check whether I can get some more.
Thank you. I’d be interested in seeing some of the home and landscapes, which sound a bit spooky in your telling. Old photos of some one child families would be even more interesting, if they could ever be found.
Is the farmland good in the area? Is it poor mountain land? I’d be curious as to whether these patterns came from abundance or scarcity.
It’s a perfect example of what Robin Hanson calls “cultural drift”, when a culture gets trapped in a maladaptive equilibrium. Each step follows logically (adaptively) from the previous one but it ends in self-destruction. Like a bird species in which males win mates by ever grander, more burdensome plumage- until they meet a shock that does them in. Think South Korea. Once as poor as central Africa, it remade itself to adapt to, and triumph in, global capitalism- but in doing so trapped itself and is heading down the path trod by those Slovak farmers.
Well, f you are running around in a Nazi uniform with a torch in hand, you deserve to be called a neonazi. Oh, and he then became a governor of one of the Slovak regions.
Come to Australia and learn that it is perfectly fine to fuck anyone you wish. Mixes up the ancestries though, all that inbreeding, marrying the 7th cousins, is lost to the pleasure of spreading the gene pool.
From what I know of my ancestors’ cultures I am glad to have little connection.
Edited to remove unsubstantiated comment about author’s views on Catholics.
How does the poster dislike Catholics? The only dislike is the reported attitudes of Slovak Protestants circa 1880-1910. Citing something is not the same as having something.
Fair point. I reread the article. He does mention Catholics as being not forward looking but otherwise they come out looking more sensible for not excessively limiting their births. I edited the comment, and noted that it had been edited.
This would be interesting if true, but it doesn’t seem like the single-child phenomenon was as widespread as you claim. In Novohrad the Lutheran population increased between 1880 and 1910, whereas if they were all having one child, it would halve.
Actually a brief search shows that it was a combination of immigration, conversion and a higher birth rate than the rest of the region that contributed. So, the article stands.
You mean AI overview told you that. I’m sure if we had evidence of over 20k immigrants to the region, or 10% of the region converting to Lutheranism, it would be easy to find.
"Higher birth rate" ?
If the article stands, it would mean Novohrad had a devastatingly low birth rate.
I’m of Eastern European background and had no idea there were appreciable numbers of Protestants in Slovakia. Apparently the proportion of Protestants has fallen significantly since the 19th century, which supports your point.
It would be great to see some photos to accompany this article.
I’ve added a picture of the cellars in the tuff rock (my mother still remembers the times when they were used), I’ll check whether I can get some more.
Thank you. I’d be interested in seeing some of the home and landscapes, which sound a bit spooky in your telling. Old photos of some one child families would be even more interesting, if they could ever be found.
Is the farmland good in the area? Is it poor mountain land? I’d be curious as to whether these patterns came from abundance or scarcity.
Very intriguing essay. Would make for an interesting novel by a budding Tolstoy.
It’s a perfect example of what Robin Hanson calls “cultural drift”, when a culture gets trapped in a maladaptive equilibrium. Each step follows logically (adaptively) from the previous one but it ends in self-destruction. Like a bird species in which males win mates by ever grander, more burdensome plumage- until they meet a shock that does them in. Think South Korea. Once as poor as central Africa, it remade itself to adapt to, and triumph in, global capitalism- but in doing so trapped itself and is heading down the path trod by those Slovak farmers.
That's curiously interesting!
Thanks for sharing :-)
I have subscribed and will be back for more stories!
The law of inentended consequences bites again.
Very interesting essay about a phenomenon I was completely unfamiliar with. Well done!
"neo-Nazi parties"
Meaning... conservatives from 20 years ago?
I wouldn't call Kotleba "conservatives from 20 years ago" unless I really wanted to make some form of left wing point.
Does this Kotleba dude have real power? Have he done anything but theatrics? "Muh 14,88 cheque" and such?
Well, f you are running around in a Nazi uniform with a torch in hand, you deserve to be called a neonazi. Oh, and he then became a governor of one of the Slovak regions.
Such a fascinating essay. I didn't know a people could do this to themselves.
Arguably, large swaths of the White race are toying with having no children whatsoever as a way to cope with anti-White propaganda.
Come to Australia and learn that it is perfectly fine to fuck anyone you wish. Mixes up the ancestries though, all that inbreeding, marrying the 7th cousins, is lost to the pleasure of spreading the gene pool.
From what I know of my ancestors’ cultures I am glad to have little connection.
Edited to remove unsubstantiated comment about author’s views on Catholics.
How does the poster dislike Catholics? The only dislike is the reported attitudes of Slovak Protestants circa 1880-1910. Citing something is not the same as having something.
Fair point. I reread the article. He does mention Catholics as being not forward looking but otherwise they come out looking more sensible for not excessively limiting their births. I edited the comment, and noted that it had been edited.
We should all take a moment to appreciate readily available birth control, safe births and if chosen safe abortion available in our life times.
It seems to only bring unhappiness and disaster when society puts controls on consenting adults.
Ahoj, Martin! Excellent read, thank you! I deeply care about Eastern Europe and articles like this why I'm on Substack (and to harass Westerners).
Are you about to resettle the farm or no?
Fascinating... any society which taxes families out of existence goes the way of the Late Roman Empire.
Fascinating!
This would be interesting if true, but it doesn’t seem like the single-child phenomenon was as widespread as you claim. In Novohrad the Lutheran population increased between 1880 and 1910, whereas if they were all having one child, it would halve.
Have you taken immigration into consideration bc birth isn’t the only way to increase populations
Actually a brief search shows that it was a combination of immigration, conversion and a higher birth rate than the rest of the region that contributed. So, the article stands.
You mean AI overview told you that. I’m sure if we had evidence of over 20k immigrants to the region, or 10% of the region converting to Lutheranism, it would be easy to find.
"Higher birth rate" ?
If the article stands, it would mean Novohrad had a devastatingly low birth rate.