# Serfdom abolished in Galicia (1848)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1848-serfdom-abolished-in-galicia
Location: Galicia

To pre-empt the revolutionaries, the Austrian governor abolished serfdom and labour services in Galicia, a measure soon extended across the Habsburg Monarchy. Within the broader Partitioned Poland period: Without a state, Poles preserved their nation through uprisings, emigration, Romantic literature, 'organic work' and modern political movements, while facing Russification and Germanisation. At this point in the timeline (1848), the governing authority was Nicholas I (King of Poland (Tsar of Russia)). Crowned King of Poland in Warsaw in 1829; declared deposed by the Sejm in 1831, he crushed the November Uprising and revoked Polish autonomy. Serfdom abolished in Galicia mattered because it changed the rights and daily lives of large parts of society. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Serfdom abolished in Galicia mattered because it changed the rights and daily lives of large parts of society.

Ruler at the time: [Nicholas I](https://poland-history.com/rulers/nicholas-i)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Serfdom in Poland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serfdom_in_Poland)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Serfdom abolished in Galicia](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Serfdom+abolished+in+Galicia)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland (1795–1918) (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_(1795%E2%80%931918))