The local St Gall authorities, headed by the governor, were the supreme local executive, representing both the secular and ecclesiastical power. They were appointed directly by the Abbey of St Gall, independently from the Austrian government. The citizens were until 1782 de jure serfs of St Gall. During the second St Gall rule this meant, that the people had to pay local taxes instead of a corvée of three days per year, as corvée labour wasn't very efficient. Other forms of socage were still in use. In official documents the term Leibeigener (serf) was more and more replaced by Burger (citizen).
