Agrarian constitution of the Teutonic Order State

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The agricultural constitution of the Teutonic Order was a variant of the medieval agricultural constitution . It had peculiarities that occurred almost exclusively in the area of ​​what later became East Prussia .

The aim of the agrarian constitution of the Teutonic Order state was to exploit and control the conquered Prussia as economically as possible. Recruited settlers , most of whom came from German-speaking areas, had considerable weight in this system . The subject Prussian population was reorganized. The rural settlements, both those of the new settlers and those of the Prussians, were laid out either as villages or as individual farms. The settlers' villages became Hufenzinsdörfer, those of the Prussians called Hakenzinsdörfer.

Hufenzinsdörfer

A Hufenzinsdorf was founded according to Kulmer law . The farmers of such a village were therefore still referred to as Cologne farmers or Kölmer (Köllmer) until the late 19th century . The establishment of a Hufenzinsdorf was organized by a locator , whose rights and obligations the Teutonic Order , represented by the locally responsible Komtur , laid down as a contractual partner in a hand-held party . One of the privileges of a locator was always the choice of a piece of land that was considerably larger than that of a new settler (often four or six hooves ). Further usual regulations were the inheritance dignity and the jug justice in the new village. In addition, there could be the right to set up a mill. All of these rights brought economic benefits to the locator and his descendants. A farmer from Cologne received a piece of land the size of two hooves from his locator, that was about 33 hectares. He was personally free and could freely bequeath or sell his property. "These 'Cologne' farmers lived under conditions that were similar to those of a modern farmer." ( Hartmut Boockmann ) Each Hufenzinsdorf formed its own judicial district. The mayor of the village (i.e. the locator or his descendant) was the judge and was usually allowed to keep two thirds of the fines received, while the order claimed a third. In addition, the order received regular taxes ("interest"), which were calculated based on the number of hooves in the village.

Hakenzinsdörfer

Prussian farmers were grouped together in Hakenzinsdörfern. The hook was about 10 hectares. It was named after the traditional Prussian tool, the hook plow , which only allowed a lower daily output than the new settlers' plow. A Prussian farm was usually equipped with two hooks. Prussian peasants were personally unfree, which was shown in their obligation to work for the Teutonic Order. In contrast to the mayor of a Hufenzinsdorf, the head of a Hakenzinsdorf, often called Starost, had no court powers. The taxes ("interest") of the Prussian farmers are calculated according to the number of hooks. The center of the economy and jurisdiction of the Prussians were the so-called chamber offices, which were to be located in the administrative hierarchy of the Teutonic Order state between the Hakenzinsdörfern and the commanderies. The treasurer of such an office was, of course, usually a Prussian, who exceptionally had judicial powers over his countrymen.

Little free ones

The so-called little free ones were usually Prussians who sided with the Teutonic Order early on. Their property was usually no more extensive than that of Prussian farmers. But they were - as the name suggests - personally free, and instead of taxes they did the Order's riding service with light weapons. It was possible that a non-free Prussian farmer bought himself out and also became a little free one. What was typical of the first generation of the little free ones, however, was that their property, as a separate individual courtyard, formed a district of its own.

Great Free

The so-called great free ones were not only recruited from immigrant Germans, but also from Prussia and Poland. Their legal status was basically derived from the Kulmer Handfeste , but was not uniform. All the great freemen were obliged to perform horseback service with heavy weapons for the order. That is why their goods were often called service goods. A major difference to the goods of the little free ones was the extent of the service goods. These goods could no longer be farmed, they were already large estates. The great freemen are therefore to be compared with landlords, especially if the property was added to the ownership of villages. The great freemen were not originally nobles. In the course of time, however, they got closer to the way of life of the nobility of neighboring countries and changed their self-image. This development finally escalated in 1454 when the Prussian Confederation , in which the meanwhile trained landed gentry was strongly represented, disobeyed the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.

Between these four forms of rural settlement lay the farms, which were directly managed by the order (e.g. as the outskirts of an order castle ) and the districts of the cities, like islands.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hartmut Boockmann , East Prussia and West Prussia. Berlin: Siedler 1992, p. 128.