Legal Regulation of Land Property Turnover in the Light of Decrees on Land Reform and Settlement on Regained Territories

Abstract

The decree of the Polish Comittee of National Liberation (PKWN) of 6th September 1944 on land reform and the decree of 6th September 1946 on the system of agriculture and settlement in the Regained Territories, are the most important legal acts that created Polish agrarian structure after the Second World War. The above-mentioned legal acts introduced the public- law model of property transfer for the land properties belonging to the State. Both decrees regulated two complexes of legal activities: taking over land properties by the state and the distribution of state-owned land properties. The State has become the owner ex lege. Pursuant to both of these both decrees, the acquisition process of the state-owned land properties by individual farmers was divided into a few phases. Both procedures were based on administrative law instruments.