Commoner

( " Subdue, subordinate " Latin subicere ) as a subject or the subject was from the Middle Ages until the 19th century referred to a person who is subject to the dominion of another. Subjects were not personally free in full. The relationship between the subjects and his authority was legally regulated and could make very different: from more symbolic subordination over slavery through to serfdom. The philosopher Hegel determines the ratio of the social Untertans than the mean level of civilization of measures to compensate for incompatible different interests, which is somewhere between the aggressive duel and the conclusion of a binding contract.

In the Middle Ages, most peasants serfs of the landlords. But even free, such as nobles who commanded partly self subjects were, in their relation to sovereigns or to the king, by definition subjects. The rights of the authorities, however, were against him restricted. In the Roman-German Empire, the relationship between authority and subjects was legalized, more and more since the early modern period. Thus, subjects in Germany were able to contact as part of a process to subjects of the imperial courts and sue against arbitrary acts of their sovereign.

As in the age of absolutism out formed the modern state, referred to the nationals, which were subjected to a legitimate means not deductible regime ( a monarchy ), as subjects. In this sense, the subject is in contrast to the free citizens of a republic. The concept of the subject is changing after the French Revolution of subjects to free citizens.

Article 3 of the Bismarckian Reich Constitution placed the " nationals [ n] ( subject, citizen) of each state " Indigenat the whole of Germany.