Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe.

A serf is a laborer who is bound to the land. Serfs differ from slaves in that serfs cannot be sold apart from the land which they work. Serfdom is the forced labour of serfs, on the fields of the priviliged land owners, in return for the right to work on their own fields. Typically, when serfdom prevailed, the land itself could not be sold because it was associated with political powers (just as the Queen of Great Britain cannot sell Great Britain). Instead, the land was transferred via war, marriage, and the like. Download high resolution version (1440x1040, 37 KB)Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. ... Download high resolution version (1440x1040, 37 KB)Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. ... The word slave has at least two meanings: People who are owned by others, and live to serve them without pay. ... Unfree labour is a generic or collective term for forms of work, especially in modern or early modern history, in which adults and/or children are employed without wages, or for a minimal wage. ... Wars are often illustrated by arrows representing the movement of armies. ...

Serfdom

Serfdom involved not only work on fields, but various agricultural-related works, like forestry, transportation (both land and river-based), work in craft and manufactures. Depending on region specifics, serfdom might have been merged or exchanged for various form of tax. Landowners varied: in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth land was owned by nobility, Church and monarchs, serdom was most limited on the royal territories. The amount of serdom required varied, for example in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 13th century it was few days a year, in 14th century, one day per week, 4 days in 17th century and 6 days in 18th century. Manufacturing is the transformation of raw materials into finished goods for sale, or intermediate processes involving the production or finishing of semi-manufactures. ... A tax is an involuntary fee paid by individuals or businesses to a state, or to functional equivalents of a state, including tribes, secessionist movements or revolutionary movements. ... Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... A church building is a building used in Christian worship. ... A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

History of serfdom

Serdom evolved in the eastern and western part of the Roman Empire. The invading Germanic tribes for the most part displaced wealthy Romans as the landlords but left the system itself intact, and this arrangement provided most of the agricultural labor throughout the Middle Ages. Parts of Europe, including much of Scandinavia, never adopted feudal institutions, including serfdom. In the Western Europe, the rise of powerful monarchs, towns, and an improving economy weakened the manorial system through the 13th and 14th centuries, and serfdom was rare following the Renaissance. However, in Eastern European countries like Prussia, Austria, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russian Empire, rulers strengthened serfdom in the seventeenth century, so that nobility-owned estates could produce more grain for the profitable export market. In many of these countries, serfdom was abolished during the Napoleonic invasions of the early nineteenth century. But in Russia serdom retained the practice until February 19, 1861 (Russian Serfdom Reforms). Roman Empire between AD 60 and 400 with major cities. ... The term Germanic tribes applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Scandinavia is the cultural and historic region of the Scandinavian Peninsula. ... Western Europe is distinguished from Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... (13th century - 14th century - 15th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400. ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance -French Renaissance -German Renaissance -English Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Eastern Europe is, by convention, that part of Europe from the Ural and Caucasus mountains in the East to an arbitrarily chosen boundary in the West. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (German: Preußen or Preussen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: Prūsai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad exclave of Russia and... Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of Russian history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... An assortment of grains The word grain has a great many meanings, most being descriptive of a small piece or particle. ... The Napoleonic Wars lasted from 1804 until 1815. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Economic development The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were times of crisis for Russia. ...

see also

• indentured servant
• folwark
• Russian serfdom
• Shoen - Japanese serfdom
• Manor