1. Definition
The French term petite bourgeoisie (English lower middle class[es]; German Kleinbürgertum; see 4.2. below) came into use in the early 19th century. For the period from the early 19th to the early 20th century, it denotes primarily the segment of the European bourgeoisie made up of craftsmen, tradesmen, innkeepers, low-level civil servants, and (in part) skilled factory workers. There were two defining factors for membe…