A Remembrance of the Past; Building for the Future." ~ Eve Eckert Koehler
Remembering Our Danube Swabian Ancestors
Agriculture
by
Christian
Welker, Jr.
by Dr. Viktor Pratscher
Translated by Brad Schwebler
The
history of agriculture for the Germans of Feketitsch begins with the year
1817-18, as our farmers gradually migrated to Feketitsch.
They did not come to Feketitsch directly from the Empire, but from
surrounding German settlement communities where as German settlers they were
immediately made residents, or their descendants had already tried their luck
here as independent farmers.
There
were also here, just like the farmers, "Urbarial-Untertanen?"
(cultivating subjects?).
What
is an "Urbarium"? Or what
do we understand by the name "Urbarial-Untertan"?
Urbarium,
which is the lawful relationship between the village inhabitant and the lords of
manors which existed in the Hungary of that time up to 1836. - According to this
Urbarium the "Untertanen", and the Germans of Feketitsch at the time,
had to give up one tenth of the control of their whole "Fechsung?",
and this part with their own wagons and coverings were guided onto the ruler's
stepping ground and the rulers allowed them to leave the field with their
particulars.
Besides
the fruit offerings the Urbarial farmer also had to give up a tenth of his
cattle and poultry, which he had bred himself, as well as eggs, bed feathers,
butter, lard, and grapes supplied to the rulers.
After
this Urbarial law the "Robot", that is the work for the Lords without
reason, also had to be achieved and admittedly one session of field from 80 to
100 square fathoms had to be worked by the small homeowner up to 18 days a year
and by the proprietor up to 12 days a year.
In
contrast the rights existing according to Urbarial law since 1796 were conceived
exclusively for the rulers. - This law contained the rights in 15 points
together and according to the following order:
1) Restriction of the permissiveness; which meant so much that no "Untertan"
was allowed to leave his seat and wander away without consent from his Lord, and
with this his whole family was bound to the ground.
2) The Lord of the manor also acted as the primary authority in the
jurisdiction over civil matters.
3) At village judge elections the Lord of the manor had the right to
select three candidates, from which the community could then elect the judge.
4) The exclusive right to alcohol from the bar was also determined by the
Lord, and even the production of spirits and beer belonged in the realm of the
rulers.
5) Only the Lord of the manor has the right to sell fresh meat.
6) The hunting rights also belonged to the Lord of the manor alone, that
is, only the Lord of the manor had the right right to hunt on his whole
property.
7) Only the Lord of the manor alone had exclusive rights to fishing.
8) Only the Lord of the manor had the right to burn bricks and roof tiles
on his properties.
9) Only the Lord of the manor had the right to erect mills, including
horse, water, wind, and oil mills, as well as hemp graters.
10) Only the Lord of the manor had the right to levy market and stall
fees on his properties.
11) The right to transfer with the "Pletten?" over the river in
areas which touched on properties of the Lord of the manor was also only the
right of the Lord of the manor alone.
12) Forest rights, as well as the "Rohrung" (reed) rights,
(except for individual little areas which belonged to the Urbarial fields or the
"Hutweide" (border meadow), also belonged only to the Lord of the
manor. Even the "Knoppern"
harvest, as well as the "Eichelmaßt?", only the Lord of the manor had
the right to give it away.
13) Small general stores, as well as vaults, only the Lord of the manor
had the right to open on his properties.
14) Pasture rights: The Lord of the manor had the right to let his cattle
graze everywhere.
15) Property rights: The Lord of the manor was always the staid owner of
everything and allowed his "Untertanen" to leave without any
compensation whatsoever.
It
would certainly not be without interest, especially for the next generation, to
know that the tithing was not actually carried out.
The
word "Zehent" (tenth) should merely say: handing in output, today
known as tax, it may not be taken in the sense of the word because the rulers
did not receive a tenth, but rather a seventh part of the "Fechsung?"
and to be precise this happened in the following grain:
When
the farmer was finished with the removal, he was not allowed to take the grain
away from the field until it was taxed by the authorities of the ruler.
The official of the ruler, or one of his "Ispane?", came to the
"Hotter", but usually August passed first (one can determine himself
how much grain is to be taxed from the agreement based on the relationship of
the weather to the quantity, but especially if it suffered in quality).
The "Panduren?" guided the way, stood still at each piece of
land, asked the farmer how many "Kreuze" he had, calculated from it
how much belonged to the ruler, the 7th part, then the farmer was given a note
showing the amount of Kreuze paid, and then the Panduren drove away to the
second piece of field where he waited for the next farmer at the end of his
field. To check the amount of
Kreuze given by the farmers the "Ispan" brought some mounted "Roboter?"
with him from another village who did spot checks here and there to count the
Kreuze again. He made certain with
these riders which farmers did not make their Kreuze payment.
If the farmer had more Kreuze than he had given to the "Ispan",
he was punished with 12 lashes with the cane, which was then annotated at the
place and position by the "Pan
duren" who was present.
After
tithing to the ruler's "Ispan" the farmer had to start at the end of
his field and load each seventh "Kreuz" of yield and drive to the
ruler's place. On the "Tretplatz?"
(threshold) the farmer handed over his goods to the "Ispan" who
received a note from the "Roboter" who double checked the sheaves and
if the number on the note matched, the sheaves were properly placed on the sheaf
slide, which was an open sided barn, by the "Roboter". The
small homeowner and proprietor were received as well. The double checker of the sheaves established a small number
the farmer should take, so 12 beatings would be given again, and the missing
sheafs had to be made up for later. Before
the tithing the farmer was not allowed to drive away until all the rulers had
been introduced.
When
the fruit was presented to the ruler on the ruler's threshold the "Austreten?"
(stamping out) had begun. The "Austreten" was awarded to the
"Robot" or the "Teilaustreten?"
In the second half of the last century the fruit left by the farmers from
Kula or Old Sivac still had to be transferred to the ruler's storehouse.
In
a similar fashion the tithing was carried out with the grain (Halmfrüchtenernte)
harvest and the farmer's other plants, so that at the time, as well as in the
first half of the 19th century, the farmer had to pay taxes in money instead.
This is usually the case today, and the offerings to the ruler or to the state
were accomplished with natural produce, and this with his coverings still had to
be supplied to one other community.
Source:Die
Deutschen der Gemeinde
Feketic-Feketitsch by
Dr. Viktor Pratscher, 1936. Herausgegeben vom Festausschusz der Gedenkfeier.
