Duties of the estate manager in a magnate’s latifundium in the first half of the 18th century

In old Poland, the manor along with its supporting facilities was considered a well-functioning estate and one of the most important organisational forms of noble society. New approach to the research based on the magnate’s latifundium presents prof. Urszula Kicinska in her newest article “Duties of the estate manager in a magnate’s latifundium in the first half of the 18th century: The example of the court of Elżbieta Lubomirska Sieniawska, Castellan of Kraków”.

As Author writes “the structure of people employed in the estate included court officials and estate administrators, whose duties included among others: overseeing the economy in individual estates, controlling the actions of lower farm officials, settling finances with sub-stewards and leaseholders, collecting taxes, and depositing them into the general coffers of their employer. Furthermore, which became the core of these enquiries, their duty was to supervise the rather frequent construction and renovation works taking place in the individual farms. It was the responsibility of the manager to procure building materials, bring in specialists, and supervise the work. In this context, it is interesting to examine the participation of administrators in these tasks and to show what characterised, if at all present, their own initiative in this area”.

FULL ARTICLE (LINK)