Stavnsbånd

The Stavnsbånd was a serfdom-like institution introduced in Denmark in 1733 in accordance with the wishes of estate owners and the military.

Demand from Denmark's traditional export countries was falling, and people were migrating to the cities, which meant that it was difficult to man the estates.

Norway had its own system of serfdom, while a somewhat similar institution, the vistarband, existed in Iceland (also part of the Danish-Norwegian realm) from 1490 to 1894.

[2] The autocracy in Denmark was so well-developed at this time that the Danish state had become less dependent on estate owners as local administrators.

By 1848, the introduction of military conscription meant the final transformation of the stavnsbånd, since men could now legally reside in any district they wanted.

The stavnsbånd was abolished, on 20 June 1788. The picture shows the last page of the document with King Christian VII 's signature. The document is found in the National Archives of Denmark .