Landesshtat

from German Landesstaat), a system of class institutions of the dvorianstvo (nobility or gentry) in the Baltic region. The landesshtat consisted of the landrat collegium; the landtag (an assembly of the nobility), which gathered once every three years; executive bodies of the landtag, including a nobility committee in Estonia Province and a nobility convention in Livonia Province; and institutions of the dvovianstvo in the provinces. The landesshtat evolved in the 17th century and took full shape after the unification of the Baltic region with Russia. The landesshtat was based on the privileges of the German nobility, which provided broad autonomy for landowners with respect to central authority and the supremacy of the landowners over the peasant masses. Abolished during the administrative reforms of 1783–87, the landesshtat was restored under Pavel I in 1796. It was abolished for good in 1920.