During his reign Joseph II sought to promote the peasantry. The abolition of serfdom in 1781 allowed peasants for the first time to leave farms in order to earn additional money elsewhere.
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The Habsburg dynasty: Here you can read potted biographies, examine portraits from seven centuries and dip into the historical contexts of past epochs.
Select a period in Habsburg history, from the beginnings of Habsburg rule in the Middle Ages to the collapse of the Monarchy during the First World War.