Composition and functions of Prussian locators in the Varmian bishopric in the fourteenth century
- DOI
- 10.5922/vestnikhum-2024-3-5
- Pages
- 56-69
Abstract
The social institution of locators, alongside the feudal land tenure system, was one of the main methods for land development in the Teutonic Order’s state. The position of a locator entailed establishing a settlement, attracting residents to its territory, and managing the social life of the new community. The formation of this group from the local population during the period of 1300-1370 raises the question of their status within the new social system, the key characteristics of which include their composition and functions. These aspects have been defined using typological and historical-comparative methods based on the records of the Warmian Episcopate. The records document land grants to a total of 190 locators, the majority of whom fall into two groups: those obligated to provide service and pay taxes, and those exempt from service but required to pay dues. Representatives of both groups had the right to build mills and taverns on their lands and were also responsible for allocating plots for the construction of parish churches. Their jurisdiction included both minor and major judicial powers. Throughout the period under review, the locators experienced processes of socio-economic stratification, exacerbated by the shrinking availability of free land and Lithuanian invasions. Measures to support locators (such as inheritance of their position and property through both male and female lines, as well as rights to fishing and hunting) were applied according to the situation in each estate, ensuring stable land development within the episcopate’s territory.