Citizenship Terms
Alan Miller
the terms 'gemeindsmann', and 'beysass' as they applied in the 18th century.
These words are used to describe the fathers in birth registrations, in
church records in the town of Griesheim, Hessen.
Many thanks,
Alan
Bernd J. Kaup
firstly you have scrupelously to define the political area: Hessen is
not such a definition and secondly the time: 18th century is not such a
definition.
In general: both term do not refer to citizenship but to residence. A
Gemeindsmann has permanent residence in the town, a Bei(y)saß(sse) has
temporary residence only.
A citizen is called Bürger. The citizenship (Bürgerrecht) is granted by
the town cuncil to such persons who have shown that they can contribute
to the welfare of the town, either because the have ground property and
money or because the are renown masters of their profession.
In the late 19th early 20th centuries the Bürgerrecht gave the right to
participate in elections, to become jury member, to marry without
permission of the authorities etc. and the duty to pay taxes. Thus one
became citizen upon request when having a standing in profession thus
beeing able to feed wife and children and to pay taxes.
mfg
bjk
Joan Lowrey
>In general: both term do not refer to citizenship but to residence. A
>Gemeindsmann has permanent residence in the town, a Bei(y)saß(sse) has
>temporary residence only.
>A citizen is called Bürger. The citizenship (Bürgerrecht) is granted by
Questions:
1.If a man is shown in a record as a Gemeindsmann (not "Gemeindsmann und
Bürger"), can we conclude that he is not a citizen?
2. If he is not a citizen can we conclude that he is poor and/or not a
master in his trade?
3. Could a man be a Bürger in one town and a Gemeindsmann in another? Or
would he be just a Bei(y)saß(sse) in the other?
4. Could a man be a citizen in more than one town at the same time? If
not, are there records to show when he requested his citizenship in a town
be ended?
5. Was there a requirement that qualified residents become
citizens? Surely the town would want all able men to be citizens so they
would pay taxes.
Thank you,
Joan Neumann Lowrey
Bernd J. Kaup
>
> >In general: both term do not refer to citizenship but to residence. A
> >Gemeindsmann has permanent residence in the town, a Bei(y)saß(sse) has
> >temporary residence only.
> >A citizen is called Bürger. The citizenship (Bürgerrecht) is granted by
>
> Questions:
>
> 1.If a man is shown in a record as a Gemeindsmann (not "Gemeindsmann und
> Bürger"), can we conclude that he is not a citizen?
yes
>
> 2. If he is not a citizen can we conclude that he is poor and/or not a
> master in his trade?
yes, unless he is quite young, in some areas younger than 30 years, in
others 25 years.
>
> 3. Could a man be a Bürger in one town and a Gemeindsmann in another? Or
> would he be just a Bei(y)saß(sse) in the other?
no, not really, when he left the hometown he lost all acquired rights
there and had to acquire new ones in his new residence. Because of this
basics, a ruler would order for refugees (for religous or political
reasons)a privileged status (see the towns and villages founded in
Germany by Huguenot refugees). In other cases one would leave because a
certain status e.g. of a military officer would be granted to him in his
new residence (see the hundreds of german officers in the russian army
of the Czar).
>
> 4. Could a man be a citizen in more than one town at the same time? If
> not, are there records to show when he requested his citizenship in a town
> be ended?
no, maybe that some noble people were regarded citizens of more than on
town but normally the simple fact of leaving made the citizenship
expire.
>
> 5. Was there a requirement that qualified residents become
> citizens? Surely the town would want all able men to be citizens so they
> would pay taxes.
the paying of taxes was the duty of the citizens in the later 19th and
early 20th century.
Earlier the citizenship was more or less a question of excellent
reputation, which however comprised a good standing moneywise.
Taxes at that times (prior to 1840) were not worthwile, the poor had to
work for the town or the landowner, if not living in a town (so called
Hand-und Spanndienste = personal services and provision of resources
like horses, carts) and those who could affort it would pay for the
living of those working.
mfg
bjk
Bernd J. Kaup
>
> There is a small dictionary online
> (http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/uni/gli/veroeff/serquell/seriellequellen.htm)
> with short (realy short) information about historical terms. It's in
> German, I'm afraid.
> They state about "Beisitz" or "Beisaß", that someone lives in rented
> accomodation. It is not necessarily the only accomodation he has.
>
> Regards
> Sylvia
es gibt für die meisten historischen Begriffe keine allgemein gültige
Definition, geschweige denn eine Übersetzung. Eine genaue Definition
erfordert die Kenntnis des Umfeldes, insbesondere des lokalen
Sprachgebrauches, der Zeit, der politischen Konstellation. Man kann
daher in Beantwortung einer Frage in dieser Gruppe nur vage bleiben und
den großen Zug darstellen, das kann sich im Einzelfall als falsch
herausstellen.
mfg
bjk
Joan Lowrey
helpful and informative.
Joan Neumann Lowrey
Stefan Koppmann
>>A citizen is called Bürger. The citizenship (Bürgerrecht) is granted by
The place I lived some years ago, was not a city but had a rank below,
called "Markt". There was also a difference between citizen (Bürger)
and other residents (Inwohner) in former times.
Owning a house in this place in Bavaria (Oberpfalz) was a strict
precondition for citizenship. If a citizen was old and sold his house
or transferred it to his son, then he lost his citizenship and became
Inwohner. The new owner normally asked for the chitzenship and it was
written down in a book, "Bürgeraufnahmebuch". This book was found in
this place some years ago. It ranges from 1644 to 1838. This kind of
books are very rare, most of them are lost.
I had a look in a transscription of this book, the standard text was
IIRC:
Date, [Name] son of [Name] acquired the house of [Name], asked
therefore for citizenship - approved ("Als Bürger an und aufgenommen")
fees, signature
>2. If he is not a citizen can we conclude that he is poor and/or not a
>master in his trade?
I think, not in general. Maybe he lived there in rented accomodation
for his trade, mining or so. Maybe he waited for the chance to buy a
house.
>
>3. Could a man be a Bürger in one town and a Gemeindsmann in another? Or
>would he be just a Bei(y)saß(sse) in the other?
Why not? He was citizen in his former city but moved to an other city
for his new business
>
>4. Could a man be a citizen in more than one town at the same time?
Why not? In this times there were no civil registrations with
connections to others. The city, where he newly acquired citizenship
did not send a message to the other city. If he still fulfilled the
preconditions the citizenship will remain.
Of course, this is more hypothetically.
>
>5. Was there a requirement that qualified residents become
>citizens? Surely the town would want all able men to be citizens so they
>would pay taxes.
Owning a house. In former time taxes based on land or houses, so this
is the same.
Maybe there are some differences depending on the law of the city
(Stadtrecht/Marktrecht).
HTH
Stefan Koppmann
Joan Lowrey
Joan Neumann Lowrey
Bernd J. Kaup
location to another was very seldom, and if it happened the people would
never return.
People just temporarily living in a town like students, apprentices for
a profession, merchants did never qualify for citizenship. They would
not be registered other than their reason of staying if they happended
to have to act officially. So one finds in deeds, certificates or other
official files the remark: merchant from xyz, apprentice of the local
master of smith-art.
I am not aware of double citizenship in those times. So is the
scientific literature.
mfg
bjk
Stefan Koppmann
>location to another was very seldom, and if it happened the people would
>never return.
Maybe I'm writing about a very special situation in my case. This
'Markt' was flowrishing for a very short time as lead mining started
there and people from regions of all germany moved there to start
mining and to get rich. Lots of them moved away again. This right was
guaranteed by the 'Pfalzgraf vom Rhein' 1569.
Well known citizen from an other city moved there to take part at this
boom. Why they should have left their posession and status, if it was
in range (20km)?
Maybe there is space for additional research in local history.
>I am not aware of double citizenship in those times. So is the
>scientific literature.
ACK.
Stefan Koppmann
Bernd J. Kaup
>
> >you may appreciate that til mid of the 19th century the moving from one
> >location to another was very seldom, and if it happened the people would
> >never return.
>
> Maybe I'm writing about a very special situation in my case. This
> 'Markt' was flowrishing for a very short time as lead mining started
> there and people from regions of all germany moved there to start
> mining and to get rich. Lots of them moved away again. This right was
> guaranteed by the 'Pfalzgraf vom Rhein' 1569.
because one normally lost the status when leaving the homestead other
than temporarily, the same status as lost was guarenteed by the rulers
of those areas/communities which mainly for commercial reasons were
interested in new settlers. Thus persons leaving for religous freedom
like the Huegonottes or protestants from Belgium or Holland got
priviledges when settling. Towns like Friedrichsdorf and Karlshafen
(Huegenot settlements), Friedrichstadt (Holland protestants), note the
fact that the name of the ruler was part of the town name were founded.
Just after the thirty years war the vasted village Niedernhausen was
refounded by priviledge of Graf Adolf of Nassau Idstein through flamish
settlers (weavers and dyers) in order to promote the trade after the
war. This was the normal way your example also ties in.
> Well known citizen from an other city moved there to take part at this
> boom. Why they should have left their posession and status, if it was
> in range (20km)?
They may have tried to gain an additional status, but is there proof
that they succeeded? Or was it that they got a new (better) status and
had to abandon the former status?
>
> Maybe there is space for additional research in local history.
you may find locally one exemption or another, but in general?
>
> >I am not aware of double citizenship in those times. So is the
> >scientific literature.
>
> ACK.
>
> Stefan Koppmann
mfg
bjk