[bodhiandphysics]

It really depends where. England ended serfdom in the 14th century, and in much of western europe (Italy notably, but also Scotland and Spain) serfdom never really developed. In central and eastern europe, peasants were ensurfed into the 19th century, though in most places this was an imposition in the 16th - 17th century. It's also important to remember that peasants weren't a homogenous group. There were rich peasants and poor peasants, often in the same village, and they lived different lives.