▁the ▁man orial ▁courts , ▁elimin ated ▁t ith es ▁and ▁man orial ▁dues , ▁and ▁fre ed ▁those ▁who ▁still ▁remained ▁bound ▁to ▁the ▁land . ▁However , ▁the ▁dec ree ▁was ▁mostly ▁symbol ic , ▁as ▁w ides p read ▁pe asant ▁revol ts ▁had ▁effectively ▁ended ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁system ▁before hand ; ▁and ▁ownership ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁still ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁land l ords , ▁who ▁could ▁continue ▁collect ing ▁r ents ▁and ▁enfor cing ▁ten ant ▁contract s . ▁ ▁In ▁German ▁history ▁the ▁em an cip ation ▁of ▁the ▁ser fs ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 0 – 1 8 3 0 , ▁beginning ▁with ▁Schles wig ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 0 . ▁Pr uss ia ▁abol ished ▁ser f dom ▁with ▁the ▁" Oct ober ▁Ed ict " ▁of ▁ 1 8 0 7 , ▁which ▁upgrad ed ▁the ▁personal ▁legal ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁pe asant ry ▁and ▁gave ▁them ▁ownership ▁of ▁half ▁or ▁two - third s ▁of ▁the ▁lands ▁they ▁were ▁working . ▁The ▁ed ict ▁applied ▁to ▁all ▁pe as ants ▁whose ▁hold ings ▁were ▁above ▁a ▁certain ▁size , ▁and ▁included ▁both ▁Crown ▁lands ▁and ▁noble ▁est ates . ▁The ▁pe as ants ▁were ▁fre ed ▁from ▁the ▁oblig ation ▁of ▁personal ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁lord ▁and ▁annual ▁dues ; ▁in ▁return ▁land own ers ▁were ▁given ▁ownership ▁of ▁ 1 / 3 ▁to ▁ 1 / 2 ▁of ▁the ▁land . ▁The ▁pe asant ▁owned