Original scientific paper
The Origin of the Freemen (libertinus) in The County of Križevci
Hrvoje Petrić
Abstract
The first groups of freemen (libertinus) in the County of Križevci appear for the first time as special groups of subordinates in the sources of 1480. Their position was different from that of the later yeomen because their privileges were not heritable. The origin of the heritable freemen in the 17th century was mostly related to settlement, which means that the noblemen had to offer them a more favourable position, because there was always the possibility for them to escape to the neighbouring Slavonnia Military Frontier (Generalate of Varaždin) and become borderers. The position of the yeomen gained in some elements already by the end of the 17th century a public-legal character. The freelancers formed the military units of the nobleman and his feudal estate (banderium dominale). In war times the Croatian Parliament (Diet) passed regulations that the feudal estates on which there are freemen must give to the army a certain number of yeomen. Those yeomen participated in the war as a nobleman’s army and under the command of the officer appointed by their nobleman. The position of freemen transformed even more in the 18th century, when their original privileges were further reduced.
Keywords
the County of Križevci; 17th century; freemen (libertinus),; socioeconomic history
Hrčak ID:
2609
URI
Publication date:
20.12.2005.
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