The Peasants of Ottobeuren, 1487-1726: A Rural Society in Early Modern Europe (Past and Present Publications)

Focusing on the lands of the Benedictine monastery of Ottobeuren and based on a mass of archival data, this study presents a detailed reconstruction of peasant society in early modern Germany. It argues that the German rural economy performed much better than has previously been believed. The Ottobeuren peasantry generated large agricultural surpluses, became progressively more active in land and credit markets, and traded in ever wider circuits of commerce. Their peasant society is shown therefore to have been stable economically, and surprisingly resilient to war, plague and famine. The Peasants Of Ottobeuren Offers A New Perspective On One Of The Enduring Problems Of Early Modern European History: The Possibilities For Economic Growth And Social Change In Rural Society. Based On The Records Of The Swabian Benedictine Monastery Of Ottobeuren, The Book Underscores The Limitations Of The Traditional Narrative Of A Sixteenth-century Boom Which Foundered On The Productive Rigidities Of The Peasant Economy And Then Degenerated Into Social Crisis In The Seventeenth Century. Population Growth Did Strain Resources At Ottobeuren, But The Peasantry Continued To Produce A Sizable Agricultural Surplus. More Importantly, Peasants Reacted To Demographic Pressure By Deepening Their Involvement In Land And Credit Markets, And More Widely And Aggressively Marketing The Fruits Of Their Labor. Marriage And Inheritance Underwent A Similar Process Of Commercialization Which Made Heavy Demands On The Peasantry, But Which Produced A Degree Of Social Stability Through The Devastations Of War, Plague And Famine.--jacket. Govind P. Sreenivasan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 358-372) And Index. The Peasants of Ottobeuren offers an interesting perspective on one of the enduring problems of early modern European history: the possibilities for economic growth and social change in rural society. Based on the voluminous records of the Swabian Benedictine monastery of Ottobeuren, this study underscores the limitations of the traditional narrative of a sixteenth-century boom which foundered on the productive rigidities of the peasant economy and then degenerated into social crisis in the seventeenth century. Population growth did strain resources at Ottobeuren, but the peasantry continued to produce substantial agricultural surplus. More importantly, peasants reacted to demographic pressure by deepening their involvement in land and credit markets, and more widely and aggressively marketing the fruits of their labour. Marriage and inheritance underwent a similar process of commercialization which made heavy demands on the peasantry, but which maintained a degree of social stability through the devastations of war, plague and famine. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Figures 12 Maps 15 Tables 16 Acknowledgements 18 Note on weights, measures, and currencies 19 Introduction 23 1. Right and might (c. 1480鈥揷. 1560) 31 2. The discrete society (c. 1480鈥揷. 1560) 73 3. A crisis of numbers? (c. 1560鈥揷. 1630) 129 4. Integrity and the market (c. 1560鈥揷. 1630) 177 5. Living on borrowed time (c. 1560鈥揷. 1630) 226 6. To empty and to refill (c. 1630鈥揷. 1720) 302 Conclusion 365 Bibliography 380 ARCHIVAL SOURCES 380 PUBLISHED PRIMARY SOURCES 384 SECONDARY SOURCES 384 Index of places 395 General index 398 The most detailed reconstruction to date of peasant society in early modern Germany, focusing on the lands of the Benedictine monastery of Ottobeuren. Based on a mass of archival data, the book argues that the German rural economy performed much better than has previously been believed History does not record when Anna Maier was born; neither does it record when she died.