Czech Republic Land Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Foreign Language Title
This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying the title in the language of the records (German or Czech) here.

Collection Time Period
This collection of land records cover the years 1450-1850.

Record Description
Czech land books include declarations of land ownership, land transfers, and land inheritances. The Czech name of land records has varied over time; however, the ones listed in this collection are named gruntovní knihy. These books initially were kept at the landholder level, later at village level, then at farm level and finally by a district administrator and his scribe. Land registers are written mostly in German and some in Czech.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found on most land records include: (Bold) A list of serfs with land rights, including their ages and type of obligations toward the estate owner. They include residences and often relationship to previous landholder. Later records include lists of all the inhabitants of the estate, testaments, debts, orphan matters, mortgages, marriage contracts, inheritance, and other matters. Records describe changes in ownership of properties, succession of farmstead holders, prices and payments of property and goods.

How to Use the Record
These records can enhance the effective use of church records. They establish residence, ages, and relationships which are valuable for pedigree links.

Record History
These records provide lists of serfs with land rights, with ages and amount of obligations of the peasant toward the estate owner. They include residences and often relationship to previous landholder. Later records include lists of all the inhabitants of the estate, testaments, debts, orphan matters, mortgages, marriage contracts, inheritance, and other matters. The land books [pozemkové knihy] recorded landholders and land lease titles and date from about 1600. The oldest land books [pozemkové knihy] listed the location of the property along with the financial obligations of the landholder to the estate owner. Buildings on these lands were often listed by type in land books (cottage, blacksmith’s forge etc). Starting in the mid 1600s, some records began differentiating by categories of farmers. These categories were: sedlak (serfs who did not own their land), chalupnik (gardeners who owned their domicile and a small amount of land surrounding it), and zharadnik (cottagers who owned somewhat larger tracts of land). After the thirty years war killed many people, everyone tried to get more land and gardener and serf classes decreased. Land registers are in the custody of Regional State Archives.

Why This Collection Was Created
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Record Reliability
The completeness of these records depended on the talents and inclination of the record keeper.

Related Web Sites
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Related Wiki Articles
Czech Republic Land and Property

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection
Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023.
 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71.
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol,

Sources of Information for This Collection
Czech Republic. Regional Archive of Opava. Land Records, 1450-1850.

We welcome your assistance in adding source citations for individual archives when collection data was collected from various sources or archives. The format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Another interesting fact what the land registers referring about, is problem of the escaping peasants. It happened sometimes that the holder left his farmstead and escaped to another domain. It was mainly for the debts but sometimes also for too high number of obligation in drudgery or for confessional oppression.