urbarium

A document issued in order to regulate the relationship between landowners and serfs and the labour-force administration. Its origin is related to the break-up of the united serfdom and the societal and financial stratification of the labour force. It may contain the following type of data: the size of the landowner's property, his income, the socage population, the land they owe and the size of their animal stock, their services and other obligations. The reason for the urbarium being issued was to make the practising of rights by the landowners over their socage easier. In Hungary it began to exist from the 15th century. Before, the rights and obligation of servants were included in charters. From the second half of the 15th century agreements between landowners and serfs, any mutual connection formed between them on the basis of unwritten law and methods of using the public administration of a village or its borders were put into writing and included in written registrations that were continuously expanding.

TI