serfdom in the Holy Roman Empire

Serfdom in the Holy Roman Empire was a system where peasants, called serfs, were tied to the land they worked on. They had to serve a landowning noble and couldn't freely leave or choose their work. In exchange, they received protection and the right to farm a small piece of land for their family. This system was part of medieval Europe's social structure, creating a hierarchy where serfs depended on their lords for security, while lords benefited from the labor and resources of the serfs, maintaining a largely agrarian economy.