Part III: Credit 



GERMANY. 



I'RUSSIAN LKGISI ATION AvS TO TITE " RENTENGtJTER " 

 AND ITvS RESULTS FROM 1891 TO 1914. 



SOURCES : 



S TATISTISCHF, KoRRKSPONDENZ. Berlin, iyJ5. 



Darmstakdtkr (Dr. I'.) : Die liutstehuug <ler Kentcngulsgesctz;.'cbi.iiK {'J hi Origin of the 

 Legislation a% to the <•■ liintengiUcro). Berlin, 1915. 



The first attempts at Prussian colonization go back to the first half of 

 the nineteenth century. In 1835 Von Landenburg, the chief of the domain, 

 divided irto parcels and sold two domains in the district of Grimmen. The 

 purchase price was paid in cash or by redemption in thirty years. In the 

 following years, from 1840 to 1852, the Prussian State parcelled and sold 

 to the peasants twenty-seven domains, but the conditions of purchase 

 were less favourable than the earlier ones to the buyers who were obliged 

 to pay one fourth of the price in cash and the remainder within a period 

 of from three to five years. Since 1852 this sale of State property has 

 ceased. 



About the middle of the nineteenth century, on 2 March 1850, the Ren- 

 tenhanken, of which the aim was the financial liquidation of feudal agrarian 

 relations, were formed. The business of these banks was as follows: they 

 paid to feudatories in ca.sb the price of lands ceded to the peasants, who 

 were obliged to repay this price to the banks by the method of redemption 

 in thirty years. 



In forming these banks the Prussian government hoped that they would 

 also undertake colonization, that is to say buy large properties and resell 

 them to the peasants in parcels. This hope was disappointed : the bank:' 

 capital was in.su fhcicnt for the business of colonization and the delay of 

 thirty years was too short. 



The second half of the nineteenth century was marked in Germany by 

 a strong current of emigration and this decided the Prussian government 

 to take up anew the question of colonization . A proposed law was presented 

 to the parliament in 1868 ; and henceforth until 1891 the matter was 



