Fehér György szerk.: A Magyar Mezőgazdasági Múzeum Közleményei 1992-1994 (Budapest, 1994)

11. Nemzetközi Gazdaságtörténeti Kongresszus, 1994., Milánó (llth International Economic History Congress) - FÜLÖP ÉVA MÁRIA: Changing forms of employment at the landed-property of Benedictine Monastery of Tihany (Hungary) after the liberations of serfs (1848-1949)

CHANGING FORMS OF EMPLOYMENT AT THE LANDED PROPERTY OF A BENEDICTINE MONASTERY IN HUNGARY AFTER THE LIBERATION OF SERFS A case-study of Benedictine Abbey of Tihany (1848-1949) Éva Mária Fülöp The economic history of large domains is extremely important concerning the agricultural development of Hungary. This type of landed-properties was the most significant one in the pre-war period of our country. The period we are dealing with includes the capitalist development of Hungarian agriculture: the emancipation of serfs, the transition to capitalism and the modernisation of the agricultural technique as result of the developing capitalism, finally the attempt accommodating the changed conditions between the two world wars. As for the age of capitalism in Hungary a great part of the written materials were destroyed after the World War II and so there are monographs only about a very few landed-properties. In the above mentioned period there were five Benedictine monasteries in Hungary, their economic and administrative centre was in the Arch-Abbey of Pannonhalma. Fortunately, the five Benedictine monasteries had their archives in the arch-abbey being protected in 1945 by the Red Cross. Moreover the Benedictine order was not suppressed by the state in the post-war period — for this reason its monasteries have an almost complete written material about the whole financial, economic and administrative management of their estates. The landed-property of the Order was about 60 thousand cadastral yokes (1 yoke is a cadastral measure equalling about 0.76 hectares). This landed-property as a trust was the base to maintain the monasteries and religious houses for the members of the Order teaching in their 8 grammar schools their 2 high-schools (for theology and a teacher's training institute) as well as 36 vicarages and chapels and some elementary schools. Among the abbeys Tihany had the largest estate with 16 thousand cadastral yokes situated on the northern and southern shore of lake Balaton. We have the basic economic records of their management including the number of employees (officiates, oeconomici, servitor es), their salaries, payment in kind and it is possible to investigate their living, housing and sanitary conditions. The order had a very comprehensive and advanced pension regulation and they helped their farm-managers' children with education financially. At the beginning of the above mentioned period there are the laws of 1848: the emancipation of serfs. The agricultural cultivation of the abbey was continued in farmsteads since then. The main task was to provide the necessary labour power. (That was why motorization became important, too.)