Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Demesne
(1,467 words)

1. Definition and legal nature

The term demesne (from Latin, dominicus, French demeine or domaine; “owned by a master, lord,” “property of a lord”) appeared in 18th century Germany in the form Domäne to describe the sum of property and rights pertaining to a manorial estate. It derived from the Cameralists' academic dispute over the financial bases of manorialism, which led them to draw a systematic distinction between manorial and sovereign income (Ca…

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Ebert, Jochen, “Demesne”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_018400>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170626



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