Manorialism and Rural Subjection in East Central Europe, 1500–1800
Edgar Melton
INTRODUCTION The early modern era was a watershed in the agrarian history of east central Europe. Throughout fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, most peasants Elbe paid rent or tribute cash kind. Then, however, process that began slowly late accelerated rapidly after 1500, seigniors embarked on massive transformation economy, converting their estates into market-oriented manorial economies based compulsory labor services they were able to impose village subjects. Among territorial princes, ecclesiastical property owners, urban corporations, landed nobility. After latter played dominant role establishing both economy harsh forms rural subjection accompanied it. more than century research, Europe remains controversial theme European history. Manorialism (often termed “the second serfdom”) lands developed vivid contrast West, where its strict had largely disappeared by Middle Ages. Many scholars have seized these divergent paths development as primary explanation for Europe's relative backwardness. Robert Brenner, example, expresses this view when he argues serfdom destroyed possibility balanced economic growth thus consigned region “to backwardness centuries.”