Peasants, Lords, and State: Comparing Peasant Conditions in Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region, 1000-1750 (Northern World, 89)

Peasants, Lords, and State: Comparing Peasant Conditions in Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region, 1000-1750 compares peasant self-determination in relation to manorial and territorial power structures in Scandinavia and the eastern Alpine region between 1000 and 1750. Preface -- Acknowledgements -- List of Figures -- Notes on Contributors -- -- Part 1: Introduction -- 1 Historiographical and Methodological Reflections -- Tore Iversen and John Ragnar Myking -- -- Part 2: Comparing Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region -- 2 Slavery and Unfreedom from the Middle Ages to the Beginning of the Early Modern Period -- Tore Iversen -- 3 Leasehold and Freehold c. 1200-1750 -- John Ragnar Myking -- 4 Peasant Participation in Thing and Local Assemblies c. 1000-1750 -- Tore Iversen and John Ragnar Myking -- 5 Summary and Conclusion -- Tore Iversen and John Ragnar Myking -- -- Part 3: The Portrayal of Peasants in National Historiography -- 6 The Historian as Architect of Nations: A Historiographical Analysis of the Norwegian Peasantry as Carrier of National Ideology and Identity in the Medieval and Early Modern Period -- Helge Salvesen -- 7 The Participation of the Tyrolean Peasantry in the Government of the Country: Theory - Reality - Ideology -- Josef Riedmann -- 8 Peasant Ideology in German Historiography -- Werner Rösener -- 9 Switzerland - A 'Peasant State'? -- Stefan Sonderegger -- -- Part 4: Appendix -- The Sub-peasant Strata in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Eastern Alpine Region -- Markus Cerman and Michael Mitterauer -- Active Manorial Lords and Peasant Farmers in the Economic Life of the Late Middle Ages: Results from New Swiss and German Research -- Stefan Sonderegger -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Index Peasants, Lords, and State: Comparing Peasant Conditions in Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region, 1000–1750 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgements 10 List of Figures 11 Notes on Contributors 12 Part 1: Introduction 14 1 Historiographical and Methodological Reflections 16 Part 2: Comparing Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region 52 2 Slavery and Unfreedom from the Middle Ages to the Beginning of the Early Modern Period 54 3 Leasehold and Freehold c. 1200-1750 101 4 Peasant Participation in Thing and Local Assemblies c. 1000-1750 134 5 Summary and Conclusion 191 Part 3: The Portrayal of Peasants in National Historiography 216 6 The Historian as Architect of Nations: A Historiographical Analysis of the Norwegian Peasantry as Carrier of National Ideology and Identity in the Medieval and Early Modern Period 218 7 The Participation of the Tyrolean Peasantry in the Government of the Country: Theory - Reality - Ideology 232 8 Peasant Ideology in German Historiography 243 9 Switzerland - A 'Peasant State'? 261 Part 4: Appendix 280 The Sub-peasant Strata in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Eastern Alpine Region 282 Active Manorial Lords and Peasant Farmers in the Economic Life of the Late Middle Ages: Results from New Swiss and German Research 305 Glossary 332 Bibliography 334 Index 378 "Peasants, Lords and State: Comparing Peasant Conditions in Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region, 1000-1750 challenges the once widespread view, rooted in the historical thinking of the nineteenth century, that Scandinavian and especially Norwegian peasants enjoyed a particular "peasant freedom" compared to their Continental counterparts. Markers of this supposed freedom were believed to be peasants' widespread ownership of land, extensive control over land and resources, and comprehensive judicial influence through the institution of the thing. The existence of slaves and unfree people was furthermore considered a marginal phenomenon. The contributors compare Scandinavia with the eastern Alpine region, two regions comprising fertile plains as well as rugged mountainous areas. This offers an opportunity to analyse the effect of topographical factors without neglecting the influence of manorial and territorial power structures over the long time-span of c.1000 to 1750. With contributions by Markus Cerman, Tore Iversen, Michael Mitterauer, Josef Riedmann, Werner Rösener, Helge Salvesen, and Stefan Sonderegger"-- Provided by publisher Peasants, Lords and State: Comparing Peasant Conditions in Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region, 1000-1750 challenges the once widespread view, rooted in the historical thinking of the nineteenth century, that Scandinavian and especially Norwegian peasants enjoyed a particular “peasant freedom” compared to their Continental counterparts. Markers of this supposed freedom were believed to be peasants'widespread ownership of land, extensive control over land and resources, and comprehensive judicial influence through the institution of the thing. The existence of slaves and unfree people was furthermore considered a marginal phenomenon. The contributors compare Scandinavia with the eastern Alpine region, two regions comprising fertile plains as well as rugged mountainous areas. This offers an opportunity to analyse the effect of topographical factors without neglecting the influence of manorial and territorial power structures over the long time-span of c.1000 to 1750. With contributions by Markus Cerman, Tore Iversen, Michael Mitterauer, John Ragnar Myking, Josef Riedmann, Werner Rösener, Helge Salvesen, and Stefan Sonderegger.