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Emancipation of the Peasantry in Lower Austria: The Economists’ Views, the Role of the Estates, and the Revolution of 1848

In: The Liberation of the Serfs

Author

Listed:
  • Günther Chaloupek

    (Chamber of Labour)

Abstract

Emancipation of the peasantry in Austria started during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, and was completed by the revolution of 1848. In a gradual process, peasants’ obligations and the lords’ powers were reduced in several waves of agricultural reforms, which are described in the contribution. The contemporary Austrian economists Joseph von Sonnenfels and Joseph Kudler argued that restrictions of personal liberty of peasant were considered obsolete for philosophical and political reasons, forced labour and incomplete property rights had a negative impact on the productivity of the agricultural sector. For similar reasons, critical attitudes towards the existing system of land tenure became more widespread among the noble landowners of Lower Austria after 1830. The Estates’ proposals for reform were neglected by the Austrian government. The completion of the emancipation of the peasantry had to wait for the revolution of 1848. The abolition of the system of land tenure was finally achieved by one of the last decrees of the short-lived parliamentary assembly which gave full property rights to the peasants while partial compensation was provided for noble landowners. Agricultural reform survived the political backlash of the counterrevolution and was swiftly implemented thereafter.

Suggested Citation

  • Günther Chaloupek, 2012. "Emancipation of the Peasantry in Lower Austria: The Economists’ Views, the Role of the Estates, and the Revolution of 1848," The European Heritage in Economics and the Social Sciences, in: Jürgen Georg Backhaus (ed.), The Liberation of the Serfs, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 19-31, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:euhchp:978-1-4614-0085-1_5
    DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0085-1_5
    as

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