自上而下变革:德国农民土地确权

A Top-down Reformation:Land Ownership Establishment of German Peasants

如果说英国圈地运动属于自下而上、原创性的土地确权运动,那么,政府主导的自上而下的土地确权,德意志独具特色。由于普鲁士在近代德意志邦国中特殊的历史地位,也由于它源于多种文化传统的“复合体”特征,该文从普鲁士出身和变迁谈起,指出它与“容克”贵族、与“农奴制再版”等近代德国重要历史现象的内在联系,以及普鲁士如何给德国农民土地确权打上深刻的烙印。以普鲁士为先导,德国于19世纪初期启动土地变革,历经半个多世纪,农民普遍地获得属于自己的土地,同时实行经济补偿原则,较大程度地减少和规避社会动荡,降低改革成本,使变革有序推进。土地变革释放出社会活力,普鲁士迅速崛起,并建立起统一的“德意志帝国”。然而,某些成功的制度变革不意味着改变了观念和深层次的权利关系,正是在这一点上普鲁士模式被认为有着“致命的缺陷”。

Compare with the bottom-up and original land ownership establishment in England,the government-led and top-down land ownership establishment in Germany is unique.Because of Prussia's special historical status in territorial states of Germany in modern times,and because of its composite characteristics which originated from multi-cultural traditions,this article starts from Prussia’s origin and change,points out the intrinsic connection with the important historical phenomena of modern Germany,such as“Junker”and the“neo-serfdom”,and how Prussia imprinted a deep mark on the land ownership of German peasants.With Prussia as the guide,the territorial states of Germany started their land reforms in the early 19th century.After more than half a century,peasants generally possessed their own land,while the implementation of the principle of economic compensation,to a greater extent reduced and avoided social unrest,reduced the cost of reform,and promoted the reform developing orderly.The land reformation released social vitality,and Prussia rose rapidly and established a unified“German Empire”.However,it should be noted that some successful institutional changes did not imply the changes in perceptions or deep-seated rights relations,which was also the“fatal flaw”of Prussian model.