From the benefice to the fief. A comparative analysis of Saxon and Bohemian sources from the 10th to 14th century

This book builds on an ongoing debate within Czech medieval studies that began in the 19th century. At its core is a dispute over the nature of the medieval Přemyslid state. A key point here is the importance of the feudal system in relations between the Přemyslid sovereigns and the elites, specifically whether feudal relations actually existed in the Czech lands. The issue of “Lehnswesen” is thus a thread that ties the questions about the Přemyslid lands to recent discussions about feudal relations within medieval studies in Western Europe. This work uses a semantically-focused analysis of two bodies of sources to give perspective on the establishment, functioning, and spread of the feudal system. It is based on a select set of sources from an area in Upper Saxony around Harz. The analysis focused on Latin terminology mainly preserved in documents from about the 10th to the early 14th centuries that have a particular relationship to the feudal system (beneficium, feudum, vasallus, homagium/hominium, consilium et auxilium, fidelitas etc.). It focused on terms that appeared in the documents, the composition of what the documents call estates, their holders and the rights, duties, and other characteristics arising from their bestowment. The image of the feudal system the analysis produced was subsequently used as a reference point for an identical analysis of Bohemian sources.