Krzysztof Ślusarek

Minor gentry in Galicia – the problem of social identity

Research into the social relations in villages where there were noble villages proved that in the 19th century minor gentry was an in-between stratum, which no longer belonged to landed gentry (since they did not own enough property), but at the same time could not be classified as peasants (since they possessed coats of arms). This situation caused numerous new conflicts. For example, in many Galician noble villages there were clashes between the minor gentry and the landed gentry. Landed gentry regarded minor gentry as a quarrelsome and insubordinate element. Many land owners would have gladly treated their poorer fellows as serfs; they would have also been willing to impose on them the obligations of serfdom. Minor gentry, mindful of the danger they faced, wished to distinguish themselves from peasants in every way available. This was a site of very serious conflicts. Given the smallness of their “fortunes,” minor gentry did not differ from peasantry in terms of material wealth. However, they tried to distinguish themselves through their customs, their dress, managing style and, above all, the emphasis on the tradition of possessing coats of arms.
 

Peasant social life in western Lesser Poland in the age of agrarian reforms at the turn of the 18^th century

The article discusses some of the aspects of the broadly understood social life of peasantry in western Lesser Poland at the turn of the 18th century, which was a period of dynamic geopolitical and social changes brought about by, among others, the Partitions of Poland, as well as social and legal reforms introduced at the time. Special attention was given to the following issues: relations within the peasant community, peasants’ participation in the village self-government and their attitude towards the clergy, as well as the matter of the social awareness, religiousness and customs and traditions of peasants. Of course, the study does not fully explore the problems, but it points at issues that need to be further examined within systematic research.