Changes in Property. 45 



autonomy destroyed and their economic and political 

 organizations sink into mere corporations based on 

 land tenure, which, according to Roman doctrine 

 come under the regulation of the State or Prince. 



The nobility move into the cities and leave the 

 administration of their estates to officials who are 

 constantly pressed to furnish the means for the ex- 

 travagant life of their masters. These in turn harass 

 and oppress the peasantry, who finally become bonds- 

 men, Gutshorige (bound to the glebe) and lose their 

 independence entirely. These, briefly, are the steps 

 by which the changes, social and economic, progressed. 



Reforms in this situation of the peasantry began 

 first in Prussia in 1702, when bondage was abolished 

 for all those who could purchase their houses and 

 farms from the gentry. As few had the means to do 

 so, the result was the creation of a proletariat, hitherto 

 unknown because under the old feudal system the 

 lord had to feed his impoverished bondsmen from 

 which he was now absolved. 



Changes in forest property in particular were brought 

 about by the increase of princely property through 

 the various methods of exercising the seignorage. 

 Especially after the Thirty Years' War ownerless 

 tracts falling under this right were plentiful. In 

 addition, wherever waste lands grew up to wood, 

 they were claimed by the princes: 

 "Wenn das Holz dem Ritter reicht an den Sporn 



Hat der Bauer sein Recht verlorn." 



When wood has grown up to the spur of the knight, 

 the peasant has lost his right. 



