Property Conditions. 207 



1. Development of Forest Property. 



As in Austria, private ownership of forest property 

 is largely preponderant, while state property is small. 



In ancient Gaul, the Romans found the forest out- 

 side of holy groves as communal property. After 

 the conquest, all the unseated lands, especially the 

 extensive mountain forests, were declared either State 

 or imperial property more than half the whole terri- 

 tory and were managed as res publica by the ad- 

 ministrators of public affairs. And while later, with 

 the advent of the German hordes, property conditions 

 shaped themselves somewhat according to their ways, 

 the influence of the Roman law and institutions were 

 never quite eradicated. 



The country, outside of the public property, was 

 by the Romans divided into communities, called 

 fundus, each placed under a Gallic seigneur (eques), a 

 former chief, now proprietor, his tribesmen and the 

 remnants of the earlier sessile population becoming 

 serfs. One-third of the fundus was handed to the 

 serfs as their property and divided among them the 

 first private property ; another third was retained 

 by the seigneur and utilized by means of the service 

 of the serfs (corvees), but usually also burdened by 

 rights of user on their part; and the last third became 

 common property of the community at large. There 

 remained, however, here and there, also, some of the 

 original free communes or Mark (vicus), so that five 

 different property classes were in existence. 



The 5th century saw the Teutonic tribes, Suevi, 

 Alani, Vandals and Burgundians, overwhelm the 



