Abolition of serfdom in Poland

Abolition of serfdom in Poland occurred over a period of time. At the end of 18th century a reform movement in Poland resulted in the Constitution of May 3, 1791 which took the peasantry under protection of state (the Constitution was later overthrown by Russia). Full abolishment was enacted by the Proclamation of Połaniec but it was also short-lived as Poland was parted by her neighbours. In the 19th century various reforms on Polish territories were taking place at different paces in the Austrian partition, Prussian partition and the Russian partition. Serfdom was abolished in Prussia in 1807, in Austria in 1848, in Russia in 1861, and in Congress Kingdom of Poland, in 1864.

After the First Partition of Poland of 1772, Polish peasants who found themselves in the Austrian borders noticed some changes, particularly after the Serfdom Patent of 1781. The reformed serfdom granted peasants hereditary ownership of land, they could not be removed from the land without a court order, the serfdom was limited to three days a week, the serf children could seek education outside agriculture, and the government control and administration was extended to the serfs. But still peasants could not buy the lands on their own.

The Polish peasants who found themselves in the Prussian borders noticed some small improvements, as the peasants couldn't be removed from land without a court order; they had the right to buy themselves out of serfdom, and send children to education aimed at attaining positions outside agriculture. German colonists were however given preferential treatment compared to Polish peasants. Either way, the Prussian reforms were not going as far as the Austrian ones. On the other hand, they were later discriminated because of their nationality (e.g. Drzymała's wagon and the German Kulturkampf measures).

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