Smallholding

As half peasant in the Middle Ages and refers to modern times, the owner or Lehnsnehmer on a farm that had a cropland of about half Hube available.

This Ertragsmaß - which corresponded to a square measure of five to twelve hectares depending on the region - was a family just come through and had to use it about half of its work force. The remaining work, they often hired themselves with larger farmers (all- Bauer, Huber) or at the fundamental rule.

Even smaller farms were called in the southern German -speaking countries as follows:

• Hostel ( under ½ Hube ) with sheep or goat instead of livestock; otherwise
• Bauer quarter (¼ to ½ Hube ), always additional sideline
• Smallholders ( less than ¼ Hube ); the residents of such " chaste " hired themselves eg as servants and were not allowed to marry into the peasant class
• Zulehner when the cultivated land had no buildings.

Many of these names, denominated partly different in northern Germany, are preserved in family name: Half Gebauer, Large, Huber, Hueber, Huemer, Häusler, Zulehner etc.

In Austria is also a small farmhouse - with smaller agricultural base - called Chaste, the residents as Keuschler.