Agriculture past and present

This region is farmed today as it was in yesteryear, but the living conditions for farmers have changed fundamentally. When the Stuchs family come along in the 12th century as the lords of Trautmannsdorf, Bavarians, Franks, Swabians and Saxons settle in the area. Götzendorf, Arbesthal, Sarasdorf and Stixneusiedl also come under their rule. The lords pass out the land as feudal tenure to the settlers. There are “full vassals” or farmers with 30 yokes of arable land, “half vassals” with 18 yokes, “quarter vassals” with 9 yokes and cottagers or day labourers who are not farmers but keep small animals or grow fruit and vegetables in their garden. Rye, oats, barley and millet are the preferred crops. Viticulture becomes more important from the 14th century on.

The farmers were obliged to give a tenth of their crops, the tithe, back to the lords. They also had to work on the lords’ fields and meadows for free. This was referred to as “robot” and included the following duties: 3 days’ ploughing and tilling the herb garden in spring, bringing in cereals and hay in summer and taking 4 carts of firewood from the Leitha mountains to the castle in autumn and winter. In addition chickens, small animals, cheese and so on had to be handed over to the castle kitchens at Christmas, Easter and Whitsun. In return the lords not only let the farmers use the land but were obliged to take in their subjects (and their chattels) and to protect them in times of war.

It was not until the 1848 revolution that tithe and robot were abolished and the farmers had control of their own land, although they still have to pay taxes today.