[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Germans Migrating to Volynia

[Otto]

On Apr 18, 2010, at 7:36 PM, joepessarra wrote:

> " 1861: Tsar Alexander II granted freedom to serfs, the peasants who  
> worked
> for large farms. As a result, some of the nobility started selling  
> land, and
> a large-scale migration of Germans into the area took place.”
>
> Joe in Texas


One must be specific in differentiating between the term "serf" and  
"peasant."
Only the serfs could be given their freedom.
A serf was part of a system of slavery. The term serf is derived from  
the Latin "Servus."
A serf was a modified slave under the old Feudal System that grew out  
of  agricultural slavery in the late Roman Empire and spread through  
Europe during the 900's ce. Serfs, under law, were classified as  
"chattel", i.e. cattle, and could be sold or loans obtained on them.  
Manors formed the basic unit of society at the time and serfs were  
owned by the nobility. A serf's personal property would revert to the  
Manor upon death. A noble was responsible for the feeding, health and  
protection of his serfs. Many nobles lacked what we may consider  
nobility.

Feudal had a stronghold in Central and Eastern Europe.

In the census of 1857, 23.1 million serfs existed in Russia.
The Russians liked Alexander ll. Need we ask why?

Peasants were free people but poor, yet independent. They could sell  
day labor or needed to rent land from a noble and often times  
supplement it with free labor. When crops failed they were on their  
own. When feudalism ended and nobles had to free their serfs, they had  
to then hire a labor force or rent or sell their land (they in turn  
were vassals of the royalty).  Many peasants whose only choice had  
been to rent could now choose to buy their own little acre. Peasants  
could begin cottage industries or become landless craftsmen  
specializing in a trade... the little shoemaker or carpenter for  
example.

The two classes are often spoken of disparagingly yet if one was not  
of the nobility or royalty. . . what remains. . .?

At times the peasants would find survival more difficult than the  
serfs did because they were on their own under the big sky.
Jokingly I liken serfs and peasants to todays standards of corporate  
employees with percs versus self-employment with feast or famine on  
ones plate.

. . .   Otto
          " The Zen moment..." wk. of January 01, 2010-
                   _____________________________________
                   "Satisfaction . . . lurks in the answers."