The social strata of farmers (Zsellers) in Eastern European villages

                           It's hard to visualize even the concept of serfdom. The people in  Slovakia, Hungary and many other countries in Eastern Europe were under serfdom till 1848 ( Bosnia was the last country to abolish serfdom in 1918 ). Jabloncza was in the process of freeing itself from this model of economics after so many centuries . The changes must have rippled through the landowners as well as the former serfs, eventually setting the stage for immigration to America .

                           Written in  the Jablonca census  and church records, there are people listed with the occupation of  ZSELLER which translates to " tenant farmer " or cotter . It can mean two things if one finds an ancestor listed as a " zseller ".  I quote from Felix Game's treatise on social classes of Farmer in Austria - Hungary: " The cotter was not part of the first wave of settlers, and had to take smaller, and less well-located acreage, but had the same obligations as the tenant farmer, although in proportion to his smaller holding. Usually occupied a small building on a small parcel of land, on which he grew little beyond his family's personal use . Worked for others as day laborers, or tradesman. "  The other occurance is when they are zsellers but not on their own land, or sharing a small building with another family while working as daylaborers . Sometimes this happens with extra members of a family who with no inherited land or a newer immigrant to the village looking to work in a vineyard or farm .

                           The Keller family listed below not only had a " katona " - soldier - living  with second family in the same house at Jablonca # 77 but they worked as daylaborers . Sometimes it's written in latin as " inquilineus "

                          NOTE : For anyone interested in Felix Game's research or his great articles, they are still posted at http://www.felix-game.ca/. He was a favorite of mine at the Hungary List.