Cities and Colonization. 33 



In addition to the class of peasants and barons, there 

 came into existence a third class, the burghers, when, by 

 the order of Conrad I in the beginning of the 10th cen- 

 tury, tovms were built with walls and towers for defence 

 against the encroachments of the Huns, who endangered 

 the eastern frontier Mark. In order to encourage the 

 settlement of these towns, any slave moving to town be- 

 came a freeman; gifts of land, including forest areas 

 were made to the cities, and the development of indus- 

 tries was encouraged in every way, the cities becoming 

 free republics. These cities in the later quarrels of the 

 kings with the lawless nobility were favored by the 

 former and, having become rich and powerful gave loyal 

 support with money and arms. In return for their loans 

 the forest properties of the kings were often mortgaged 

 to the burghers; and, failing of redemption, were often 

 forfeited to them. In this way and through purchases 

 the city forests came into existence. 



Still other property conditions arose when, under Otto 

 the Great (960), colonization of the eastern country be- 

 yond the Elbe was pushed. In these cases the ^lark in- 

 stitution was absent, although the colonists did often 

 become part o^sners in the king's forest, or acquired 

 parts of it as common property, or else secured rights of 

 user in the nearest royal forest. 



By the end of the period, due to these various develop- 

 ments, a great variety of property conditions in forest 

 areas had developed, most of which continue to the pres- 

 ent time, namely royal properties, which by the end of 

 the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nine- 

 teenth were in part to become state property ; princely and 

 lordly possessions under separate jurisdiction, with or 



