Pankrti

In ancient Bohemia (roughly modern-day Czech Republic), the Pankrti (sometimes spelled Pankhart) were a class of people considered outside the established social order. They were often described as vagrants, criminals, and social outcasts. The precise legal and social status of the Pankrti is debated and information is fragmented across historical sources.

While not strictly slaves or serfs, they occupied a position at the bottom of the social hierarchy, lacking the rights and protections afforded to other social classes. The Pankrti were often associated with marginal occupations and were subject to harsher punishments than other citizens. Their existence highlights the complexities of social stratification in medieval and early modern Bohemian society.

Historical records indicate that the term Pankrti was applied to a diverse group, encompassing individuals engaged in various illicit activities, those lacking fixed residences, and those who for whatever reason were deemed undesirable by the authorities. They were often viewed with suspicion and faced societal prejudice. The treatment of the Pankrti reflects the efforts of the ruling classes to maintain social control and suppress perceived threats to order. The term eventually evolved to encompass, in some contexts, the broader meaning of "scoundrels" or "villains," indicating a shift in perception from a specific social group to a more general negative descriptor. The historical understanding of the Pankrti continues to be refined by ongoing research into Bohemian legal and social history.