Oldbrit
Junior Member
Infidel
Posts: 67
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Post by Oldbrit on Jan 6, 2006 6:25:51 GMT -5
Originally, Slavs were called Sklavenoi by Greeks when they first appeared, and this did not mean slave. However, the word came to mean slave, probably because Slavs were frequently used as slaves, at least by the Arabs, and Ottomans, and, I believe by the Germans as well. I have no idea where the first association of Slav with slave appeared though. "Etymology: Middle English sclave, from Old French or Medieval Latin; Old French esclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, from Sclavus Slavic; from the frequent enslavement of Slavs in central Europe" I understood it was a sort of convergence/confusion/pun with esklabos - captive.
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Post by zemelmete on Jan 6, 2006 8:23:18 GMT -5
During the 18th century perhaps the most oppressed and exploited peasants in Europe were in the Belarussian-Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth. Things like fishing in the pond of the "master" were punishable by death. The situation was so bad that the serfs are even known to have escaped across the border to Russia, because serfdom there was not as bad.In Russian Empire were regions where serfs had equally bad situation, more precisely - in Livonia (nowdays Latvia and Estonia). The situation in Livonia was very complex. The first of all estonian and latvian territories were conquered by german (saxon) crusaders in 12.-13. century, which established country named Livonia. Nobility were germans which had a hold over latvian and estonian serfs. In 16. century Livonia was conquered and shared by two countries - Sweden and Poland. Though Livonia as country din't exist anymore, germans stayed there as nobility. Swedish part of Livonia had much slimmer policy towards peasants than in Polish part but serfdom still existed there. Some serfs (who were able to write) even wrote letters to swedish king, but it didn't really help and serfdom wasn't abandoned. Even more - these peasants were punished. Peasants in Polish part had much heavier situation. Everything got even worse in 17.-18. century when Russia conquered both Polish and Swedish parts. The rule of Russia , especially in 18th century, is called as "dark age" because latvian and estonians serfs had no rights at all then. Russian government supported german landlords. It is called also "time of double rule", because latvian serfs lived in Russia under german landlord rule. Only in 1835 serfdom was abandoned in Western part of Livonia and about in 1865 or 1867 (I don't remember correctly) - in eastern part of Livonia.
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