Gutsherrschaft

In European history, Gutsherrschaft refers to a system of large landed estates prevalent in eastern Germany and other parts of eastern Europe, particularly from the 16th century onwards. This system differed from the Grundherrschaft (land ownership) common in western Europe.

Under Gutsherrschaft, the estate was divided into the landlord's demesne, from which the landlord took the entire harvest, and peasant farms. The peasants, along with their children, were legally bound to the soil as serfs, obligated to provide labor for the demesne. This system emerged partly due to landlords needing to increase income amidst rising cereal prices and a shortage of labor. They used their influence over weak governments to enact legislation that bound peasants to the land and imposed heavy labor services, a phenomenon sometimes termed the "second serfdom". This contrasted with western Europe, where landlords had more options, including seeking professions or capital, and where princes often protected peasants from gentry encroachment.1