Serfdom in Medieval Germany

Our ancestors in Schmerlecke lived as free farmers until the time of Charlemagne, cultivating agriculture and raising livestock, in enclosed settlements. During the Saxon Wars (772-804), Emperor Charlemagne subjugated the population living here and confiscated their farms and estates. Through him or his successors, these properties then passed to secular or ecclesiastical noblemen. Thus, the three acres of imperial land that Louis the Pious, a son of Charlemagne, gave to Count Rihdac on April 1, 833, must have been owned by former free farmers of the village of Schmerlecke. The lords claimed not only the land but also ownership rights over the defeated person and their descendants. They thus became serfs or vassals. If they wanted to leave the farm, be it to marry on another farm, to study, or to learn a trade, they had to buy their freedom, thus receiving a charter of freedom.

The lord could dispose of his serfs as he pleased, meaning he could sell, exchange, or give them away. They were also not allowed to own any property. Upon the death of the serf, the entire estate went to the lord. However, this practice was largely avoided in his own interest, as the farms would then become economically incapable. Often, the lord contented himself with the best head of cattle (the best head of cattle of each breed) as his inheritance. The poor, those without a farm or cottage, were inherited entirely by their lords. Although the farmer had no right to the farm, it was natural for the children to be involved in the transfer of the farm.

As a rule, the eldest son became the successor; a division among all children was out of the question. This son had to negotiate with the lord of the manor regarding the takeover of the farm. If he was physically and mentally capable, he was admitted as the successor. For this favor, he had to pay a large sum of money. Only after he had taken over the farm did he usually marry. However, this also required permission (marriage consent) to ensure that no incompetent or even disreputable person came onto the farm. Upon transferring the farm, the young farmer received a charter listing all the properties belonging to the farm. He was not allowed to sell or pawn any of it.

Anyone who failed to perform their duties and pay taxes and violated their duties to the lord of the manor was expelled from the farm (abgemeiert) and thus often plunged into poverty. With the implementation of the Frohnhof system, the church and the nobility became the largest landowners in the former Saxon region over time, and the majority of the population found themselves in a miserable situation. The most difficult duty that burdened the peasants from then on was the surrender of a portion of all their produce (grain, livestock, and garden produce). Since Christianization, there was also a "tithe" of everything produced on the farm. Added to this was the grain for the priests' maintenance. Furthermore, the farmer was obliged to provide his lord with draft services, using his horses, and the smaller farmhands were obliged to perform manual labor (such as mowing, threshing, etc.). Sons and daughters were subject to compulsory domestic service, i.e., they had to serve him as farmhands and maids for at least a year without pay. In addition to all these dues, there was the burden of taxes levied by the father of the land, the Elector of Cain. Over time, there were no longer any free farmers in the village; each farm was dependent on the owner.

Serfdom in Germany involved a heavy burden of payments and services. These payments varied by region and time but were designed to keep the serf tied to the land, providing the lord with labor, produce, and money.

Key Types of Payments & Obligations

1. Labor Services (Corvée/Robot):
Serfs spent significant time (e.g., 3 days a week, sometimes more) working the lord's personal fields.
This included plowing, sowing, weeding, and harvesting the lord's crops.

2. Payments in Kind (Produce):
A portion of the serf's own harvest, often the best wheat, went to the lord.
Specific goods like oats (Foddercorn), fish (Fishsilver), or wool (Woolsilver) could be required.

3. Fees & Monopolies (Banalities):
Mill, Bakery, Winepress Fees: Serfs had to use the lord's facilities and pay a cut (e.g., 10%) for grinding grain or baking bread.
Chevage: A fee to move or live outside the manor.
Merchet/Leirwite: Fees for marriage (especially to an outsider) or fines for sexual offenses.
Gersum/Heriot: A death/inheritance tax to the lord when a serf died.

4. Cash Payments:
Taille/Tallage: An annual tax levied by the lord, often based on land value.
Wardpenny/Malt Silver: Payments to cover watchmen or local malt production.

5. Church Dues:
The obligatory 10% tithe (a portion of produce) went to the local church