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A ''Meierhof'' or ''Meyerhof'' (from ) was a farm or building which was occupied or had been occupied by the administrator (the ''Meier'') of a noble or ecclesiastical estate.
Large landlords, especially kings and churches, had extensive networks of associated farms with a central administration. This central administration was the seat of the landlord or his local manager, the ''Meier'' (akin to a Dictionary at Burgen-Austria.com
Herrschaftliche Eigenhöfe im Spätmittelalter
Fronhöfe
Medieval Germany {{Germany-stub
A ''Meierhof'' or ''Meyerhof'' (from ) was a farm or building which was occupied or had been occupied by the administrator (the ''Meier'') of a noble or ecclesiastical estate.
Large landlords, especially kings and churches, had extensive networks of associated farms with a central administration. This central administration was the seat of the landlord or his local manager, the ''Meier'' (akin to a bailiff
A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offi ...
or factor
Factor, a Latin word meaning "who/which acts", may refer to:
Commerce
* Factor (agent), a person who acts for, notably a mercantile and colonial agent
* Factor (Scotland), a person or firm managing a Scottish estate
* Factors of production, suc ...
). The importance and size ranged from barely better than any other local farm to a big business with a number of unfree vassal farms, a manor house, several outbuildings and fenced paddocks. Often the ''Meierhof'' included a chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
or church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chris ...
for the noble. Directly owned by the ''Meierhof'' was the so-called ''Salland'' or personal land. The ''Salland'' generally consisted arable land, but could also include pastures, forests, special crops such as vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...
s and orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
s, or special facilities such as mills and fish ponds. The ''Meierhof'' also had a number of dependent peasants who were obliged to pay taxes and provide forced labor on the farm.
While the building might be leased to another tenant later, the name often remained with the building. Especially in northern Germany today, many of these buildings are still known as ''Meierhof''.
The similar ''Sedelhof'' was a tax-exempt farm building owned by a noble that was unfortified.See also
*Meier Meier may refer to:
People
* Meier, Annemarie Sylvia, German chess master
* Meier, Armin, Swiss cyclist
* Meier, Armin (actor), German actor
* Meier, Barbara, German model, most known for winning the third cycle of ''Germany's Next Topmodel' ...
a common surname in German-speaking countries
References
External links
*Herrschaftliche Eigenhöfe im Spätmittelalter
Fronhöfe
Medieval Germany {{Germany-stub