Vokiečių ordino transformacija į pasaulietinę Prūsijos kunigaikštystę

LTŽvelgiant į Vokiečių ordino transformaciją link pasaulietinio tipo valstybės - Prūsijos kunigaikštystės - sukūrimo, sunku būtų įvardyti vieną ar kelis šiuos pokyčius lemiančius veiksnius. Ordino karinės nesėkmės, reformacijos idėjos neabejotinai paveikė valstybės kaitą. Pabrėžtinas ir buvusios karinės-teokratinės valstybės misionieriškas tikslas, kuris prarastas Lietuvai apsikrikštijus ir intensyviai kuriant ryšius su katalikiška Lenkija. Analizuojant valstybės institucijų, valdžios galių kaitą, peršasi išvada, kad vienu iš lemiamų valstybės kaitos veiksnių tapo visuomenės struktūriniai pokyčiai ir valdžios gebėjimas laiku atliepti juos. Ordino valdžios struktūra, perimta iš vienuolijų brolijų, tiko teokratinei valstybei, tačiau pasirodė visiškai netinkama, kai visuomenė tapo sekuliaresnė ir ėmė formuotis luomai, reiškiantys savo politines teises į valstybės valdymą. [Iš teksto, p. 353-354]

ENIn this chapter, Gintaras Šapoka examines the transformation of the Teutonic Order into the secular Duchy of Prussia. This transformation was determined by the gradual formation of a specific structure of the Order’s management and society in the process of its expansion into the lands of the Prussian tribes. In it, interest groups gained legal and economic powers that could limit the decision-making of the grand masters. German historiography emphasizes that the expansion of the Order in the lands of the Prussian nation took place by including the local population in the structure of the government and the new society being created, in such a way that the enslaved met the economic and other social needs of the Order. Most importantly, the native population was not exterminated, driven out, or physically destroyed; they were incorporated into the management system of the Order, subordinating the society of the local population to the interests of the Order. Through the efforts of the Order, the process of differentiation by wealth and the introduction of feudal relations took place, in which three population groups of Prussian society were formed. They were separated according to the type and size of the landholding managed: 1. Great free persons. They had not only personal independence, but also controlled large plots of land, estates, and villages. Their main duty was to participate in the Order’s military campaigns.2. Small free persons. They were personally independent and owned plots of land of 20-30 ha each. Such Prussians were free from obligations, but in exceptional cases paid obligations in kind or money. They performed military service: they were lightly armed horsemen and had to defend the Order’s estates, take care of its fortifications, and build and repair them. 3. Captive peasants. They managed plots of land up to 20-30 ha, paid dues and taxes, and were obliged to participate in the protection of the Order’s territory and the construction of defensive fortifications (Boockmann, 1992). A similar system of involvement was being developed in the local government. The order did not destroy the former structure of the Prussian territorial government, but introduced the institute of “kamerer” into it. Gradually, a new, ordinal network of “kamerer” neighborhoods emerged from the former Prussian territorial divisions. The local governor of such a neighborhood became a land kamerar (Germ, landkdmer- er), who was appointed from the most powerful families of the local population. Land kamerars did not become feudal county governors or new lords, as the Order took them into service as administrators of local lands. They were the managers of the lands of the Order, performing administrative, police, and fiscal functions and administering the military forces. They did not have complete feudal autonomy. This is evidenced, for example, by Article 101 of Prussian law, which refers to the income of the kamerer being hidden from the ruler (Germ, herrschaft). [From the publication p. 589]