Livonijos bajorų žemėvaldos pobūdis Žemaitijoje XVI a. antrojoje pusėje - XVII a. pradžioje

ENThe second half of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century is treated as the beginning of an economic upturn. The aim of the present article is to discuss how many and what families of Livonian nobility obtained land holdings in the neighbouring principality of Samogitia, as well as the nature of their landowning in the mentioned time. After the treaties in the 6th decade of the 16th century among Livonia, Lithuania and Poland, a gradual integration of Livonia into the Commonwealth of Two Nations started, which passed not only unifying administrative institutions but also by aligning the rights of the nobility. The family, clientelian or official mutual relationships struck up among Lithuanian, Livonian and Courland nobility, due to them land holdings were obtained. The article discussed the cases how the Livonian and Courland nobility obtained the land holdings. They show that it was not a mass phenomenon.The biggest part of the land holdings was obtained by the representatives of the aristocracy, not the middle or poor nobility. They were usually given for a life time of recipients (do żywota) (with the exception of Denhoff who got to manage the ownership of land altogether (na wecznost)) or by a deposit law for military and diplomatic service, often supported by the elder of Samogitia Jan Chodkiewicz. Land holdings of the Livonian and Courland nobility in Samogitia were concentrated in the northwestern region, the size of holdings ranged from a few dozen to a few hundred Valaks (or hides). Insufficient data do not allow to notice if the Livonians brought to Samogitia advanced farming techniques. New folwark estates usually were not established, often holdings became smaller over time.