The Practice of Timber Granting from Lords to Peasants: A Forest-Historical Perspective of the <i>Gutsherrschaft</i> in Brandenburg-Prussia from 1650 to 1850
Takashi Iida
In early modern Brandenburg-Prussia, feudal lords (Gutsherren) were primarily the owners of both large estates that required peasant labor and forests from which they obligated to supply their peasants with life’s necessities. This paper examines practice timber granting in sovereign demesnes Kurmark Brandenburg 1650 1850. To challenge general understanding remained dependent on grants abused them until approximately 1800, this investigates increases peasants’ share building costs for farmsteads positive effects regulations eighteenth century, including self-regulation by peasants. addition, while previous studies have accentuated thefts wood after losing entitlements lords’ due reform legislation nineteenth presents cases successfully retained entitlements, gained payment grants, or afforested own land.
Agricultural History