The Piotrków Statutes () were a set of laws enacted in the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland (; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a monarchy in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, medieval period from 1025 until 1385. Background The West Slavs, West Slavic tribe of Polans (western), Polans who lived in what i ...

in 1496. King

John I Albert John I Albert (; 27 December 1459 – 17 June 1501) was King of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Roy ...

made a number of concessions to the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

, whose support he required in war. Among other things, the nobles were relieved of certain taxes and were granted exclusive rights to high Church offices. Additionally city burghers were forbidden from holding royal and national offices, while the peasants were restricted in their mobility; according to the statutes, only one peasant was allowed to leave his home village per year and only one member of a peasant family was allowed to move to the towns. The statute also removed all tariffs on internal trade along waterways.

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See also