Polish landed gentry
Encyclopedia
Polish landed gentry
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, "land") historically was a social group of hereditary landowners who held manorial estates. Historically ziemiane consisted of hereditary nobles and landed commoners. The Constitution of 1496 restricted the right to hold manorial lordships to the hereditary nobility proper only. So the non-noble landed gentry had to either sell their estates to the lords or seek a formal ennoblement for themselves. A rare exception were the burgesses of certain specially privileged "ennobled" royal cities who were titled "nobilis" and were allowed to buy and inherit manorial estates and exercise their privileges (such as jurisdiction over their subjects) and monopolies (over distilleries, hunting grounds, etc.). Thus, in the Nobility Commonwealth
there was almost no landed-gentry in the narrow, English meaning of the term, i.e. commoners who own land estates. With the Partitions
these restrictions were loosened and finally any commoner could buy or inherit a landed estate. This made the XXth cent. Polish landed gentry consist mostly of hereditary nobles but also of gentry in the narrow sense.
Although the March Constitution of Poland
(1921) abolished the legal class of hereditary nobility
, the social group of nobility
remained socially recognized and gentry
remained both an economic and social reality, similarly to other European countries.
At the end of World War II
, by the Polish Land Reform (1944) carried out by the Polish Committee of National Liberation
this group was eliminated. Many gentry families, especially those descended from hereditary nobles or Jewish landowners, but also the landed gentry of commoner origin were eliminated by the Germans and Russians even earlier during the War.
With the liquidation of the People's Republic of Poland
(1989) the Polish landed gentry became politically active, struggling for restoration of land ownership or at least compensation. In this respect of note are attempts to delegitimize the land reform of 1944.
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
' onMouseout='HidePop("72645")' href="/topics/Ziemia">ziemia
Ziemia
Ziemia is a historical unit of administration in Poland. In Polish the term is not capitalized ....
, "land") historically was a social group of hereditary landowners who held manorial estates. Historically ziemiane consisted of hereditary nobles and landed commoners. The Constitution of 1496 restricted the right to hold manorial lordships to the hereditary nobility proper only. So the non-noble landed gentry had to either sell their estates to the lords or seek a formal ennoblement for themselves. A rare exception were the burgesses of certain specially privileged "ennobled" royal cities who were titled "nobilis" and were allowed to buy and inherit manorial estates and exercise their privileges (such as jurisdiction over their subjects) and monopolies (over distilleries, hunting grounds, etc.). Thus, in the Nobility Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
there was almost no landed-gentry in the narrow, English meaning of the term, i.e. commoners who own land estates. With the Partitions
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
these restrictions were loosened and finally any commoner could buy or inherit a landed estate. This made the XXth cent. Polish landed gentry consist mostly of hereditary nobles but also of gentry in the narrow sense.
Although the March Constitution of Poland
March Constitution of Poland
The Second Polish Republic adopted the March Constitution on 17 March 1921, after ousting the occupation of the German/Prussian forces in the 1918 Greater Poland Uprising, and avoiding conquest by the Soviets in the 1920 Polish-Soviet War. The Constitution, based on the French one, was regarded as...
(1921) abolished the legal class of hereditary nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, the social group of nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
remained socially recognized and gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
remained both an economic and social reality, similarly to other European countries.
At the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, by the Polish Land Reform (1944) carried out by the Polish Committee of National Liberation
Polish Committee of National Liberation
The Polish Committee of National Liberation , also known as the Lublin Committee, was a provisional government of Poland, officially proclaimed 21 July 1944 in Chełm under the direction of State National Council in opposition to the Polish government in exile...
this group was eliminated. Many gentry families, especially those descended from hereditary nobles or Jewish landowners, but also the landed gentry of commoner origin were eliminated by the Germans and Russians even earlier during the War.
With the liquidation of the People's Republic of Poland
People's Republic of Poland
The People's Republic of Poland was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1990. Although the Soviet Union took control of the country immediately after the liberation from Nazi Germany in 1944, the name of the state was not changed until eight years later...
(1989) the Polish landed gentry became politically active, struggling for restoration of land ownership or at least compensation. In this respect of note are attempts to delegitimize the land reform of 1944.