had been significantly improved. This opened new markets for Ebringen's wine and led to a higher income for Ebringen's winegrowers. In 1777, the Austrian government introduced compulsory schooling in Anterior Austria and its dependent territories, also in Ebringen. On 1 July 1782 Johann Adam von Posch, Governor of Anterior Austria, abolished the right of the local authorities to the first instance of jurisdiction (judicium primae instantiae) and established a new common law system, the Vorderoesterreichische Landrechte. In Ebringen this act abolished the declaration of submission of 1715. On 20 December 1782 villeinage was abolished in Anterior Austria. As in 1782 most forms of socage had been long transformed into monetary and natural levies, the local administration defined them now as local taxes, levies and compulsory service, so the effect of this reform was more psychological. The St Gall authorities in Ebringen tried to ignore all these special decrees from Vienna and Freiburg as well as they could. 1788/89 Prince-Abbot Beda Anghern sent four leading opponents - Ildefons von Arx, Gerald Brandenberg, Ambrosius Epp and Pankraz Vorster - to Ebringen. This act was formally only a relocation, as Ebringen was the seat of a governor, but because of Ebringen's distance from St Gall it was in fact an exile. Gerald Brandenberg became governor. Pankraz Vorster bought back the Schoenberghof from the Zimmermann family and built a new dairy farm in the meadows above Ebringen. Ildefons von Arx became parish priest. In 1792 he wrote the first book on the history of Ebringen - a main source of this article. In 1795, Gerold Brandenberg became Governor of Rorschach and Beatus Schumacher became the new - and last - St Gall Governor of Ebringen. Schumacher was previously Governor of St Gall and lost this position through mismanagement. Although he retained his title, this was a relegation. As Governor of St Gall he was the most important governor, in Ebringen he only represented the abbot in a distant outpost and did not really rule, as he also lost the responsibility for economic affairs. In 1796, Pankraz Vorster was reconciled with Beda Anghern and returned to St Gall. After Anghern's death Vorster succeeded him as Prince-Abbot in June 1796. In September 1796 Ildefons von Arx also returned to St Gall. In 1798, the rule of the Princely Abbey of St Gall collapsed in Switzerland. On its former territory the new canton of Saentis was established.