The drunk and the squandering

Revocation stories of the Radovljica court circuit in the last decade of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy

Abstract

In the described period (the last decade of Austria-Hungary and the beginning of the new state) the institution of revocation was the last measure to which the authorities could have resorted with which they could deprive chronically drunk proprietors of the right to do business. Thus they could not squander all their fortune and burden the municipal public purse with the responsibility of maintaining themselves and their families. When determining this business inability, the court circuits issued interesting notes depicting how the drunkenness of proprietors (farmers) was looked upon in the society at the time. The prevailing belief at the time was, that men could drink since this was the habit in the country, and that there was nothing to worry about if they got drunk from time to time. Women, on the contrary, were reprimanded for any kind of drunkenness and had to prove themselves to be good housewives - otherwise they could have been even held responsible for drinking habits of their husbands.