The common land (also: Allmande, in Switzerland common land, in Dithmar Meent; of mittelhochdt. "which all is common"; after some from "Alemannen" to derive, after others - probably rather applicable - sources with "generally" coherently, common land property, probably common property, meanness, Mark mentioned, English commons) is real property in the possession of a village community. The common land is that part of the municipal property, which does not become directly in the interest of the whole municipality denying those expenditures related, but at that all municipality members the right for use to have.

The common land consists usually of immovable property such as forest, waters for fire-fighting water supply or a municipality meadow, on which all can let their utilizable animals feast (see Alm).

Also in the national economy the term use finds: Thus thereby in the determined goods are called common land goods. Over it the theory of the Tragik that assumes common land in common lands resources are more strongly exploited, than this is economically meaningful tries to maximize there each particular its use. In practice exist however to today the forms of the cooperative, the Kibbuz, which functions against the theory.

Forms

The common land is used either by all municipality members or only by certain entitled ones individual (the material municipality or use municipality in such a way specified):

• Use by all municipality members: In the first case uses it either the whole municipality undivided or it annually after lots is lent or also annually under public authority administered and only the yield distributed.
• Use by entitled ones individual: In letztern the case those remains common land property of the Korporation, however with the characteristic that its use yard goods, contrary to the bare Katen), is entitled to not all municipality members, but only a certain number, usually the owners of certain goods (farms.

The individual use portions (municipality parts, Rechtsame, Meenten, goods, Gewalten) are to be usually regarded as of the agricultural holdings concerned. These rights to use at the Allmanden are connected with conditions of the old Mark cooperatives, which knew a sole property, but only a co-ownership due to yard possession at forest and meadow not yet to idealistic parts (and know).

History and development

In the early Middle Ages there was common land practically in each village. It decreased/went back to the common property of the old Mark cooperative, the common Mark. In Spain it gave with more progressively reconquista municipalities newly settled in the areas with free men, to whose order the neighbors together-found themselves. From this until today isolates received real property structure arose more importantly "ejido" - for surfaces (field, corridor and Waldgemeinschaften), which was cultivated and used by the municipalities in common direction.

In 15. and 16. Century were suitable in many cases the lay rulers in Germany and England the municipality surfaces on, which an important reason for the German farmer war was.

End 19. Century by the intensification agriculture was often caused a division of the common lands (mark division or Verkoppelung), which is legally nothing else as complete sale of the property of the Korporation to the municipality members.

The original right property that common land kept only very isolated in South Germany and Switzerland, while in most cases the common land changed over into the property of the singleentitled or the political municipality or into that one besondern use municipality (material, neighbour, old, Mark municipality).

Modern common lands

Alpgenossenschaften in Switzerland

In Switzerland common lands exist also today, for example in Horgen at the Zurich lake. The appropriate land surface is called common land, with clay/tone on the first syllable and without conclusion. Among other things there are many Alpweiden in the canton Uri as common lands. The farmers taken part in it have the right to let their cattle feast according to certain use rules on it. The use is assigned in accordance with so-called cow rights. A cow right means that the farmer may let a cow feast on it.

Knowledge common land

As modern common land in the transferred sense of knowledge common land today also different together used resources are regarded. In addition GNU/Linux (free software) or the Wikipedia (collectives intelligence, open content) e.g. counts the computer operating system; with the latter however a clear founding under private law is present. In this connection one speaks often also of knowledge communism.

With this form of common lands, which are based on information as resources, the common land problem comes not to carries: Information does not lose at value, if they are more frequently used. On the contrary, often information at value (or popularity) wins if it more and more spreads.

Common land in the economic science

The common land finds in the context of the use as example of a property, of whose use other potenzielle Nachfrager (also quasi-collective property) are not excludable, however the requirements for use of the Nachfrager rival. Thus it comes to a conflict, which leads to a suboptimalen use of the common land property. This is designated in the political economy with the phenomenon of the "Tragik that common land". A solution of the problem that common land exists either in national control or in the definition of vested titles (possession).

An example is the use of natural resources, at which no exclusive rights of disposal, for instance the use of the atmosphere are defined as if lower for air pollutants. The rivalry consists of the fact that dirty air represents an impairment of other users.

The term that knowledge common land (s.o.) is not correct from economical view, because knowledge represents a public property with free entrance, i.e. straight no use rivalry is present. For the property "knowledge" can result even exactly the contrary problem: If vested titles are defined here, then Nachfrager can be excluded from the use (knowledge as so-called club property). This decreases the productive employment of the knowledge. Here it can be possibly meaningful to ensure a free entrance. It is to be noted however that evenly thereby also the incentive can be impaired for the production of new knowledge.

See also

• Gemeinschaftseigentum
• Common property
• Ejido
• Private property
• Field Mark
• Precaution for existence

Literature

Common land in the Middle Ages:

• Hartmut Common land and common land abolition. Comparative studies to the late Middle Ages up to the agrarian reforms 18. /19. Century. Lucius & Lucius, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-8282-0226-8

Modern common land:

• Garret Hardin: The tragedy that common land. 1968
• Elinor east Rome: The condition that common land. Beyond of state and market. Mohr filter-hit a corner, 1999, ISBN 3-16-146916-X
• Volker grass-grumble: Free software between private and common property. Federal center for political education, Bonn 2002, ISBN 3-89331-432-6

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