Magistrat of Viljandi

Collection

Scope and content:: The Magistrat (municipal authority) of Viljandi, the chief local government body, was responsible for the whole range of municipal issues: finances, trade, welfare, justice and security (the latter from the mid-18th century). Accordingly, the papers of the Magistrat archive reflect various aspects of the city's life from the 15th century until the 1890s. During this period the city was under the rule of the Livonian Order, Poland, Sweden and finally Russia (from 1710).

More than 70 files in the archive of the Magistrat, originating from the years 1845-91, include Jewish-related materials: a file from 1845 mentions the banning of Jewish merchants from the local fairs; files from 1874-88 include data on the formation of a Jewish community in Viljandi; and lists of members, papers on the establishment of a prayer house and data on the Jewish street are available (in EAA.1002.1.616 and elsewhere).

The Jewish-related materials are most frequently found in the judicial files of the Magistrat, including charges of assaults, theft and other offences, as well as and data on verdicts related to the Jewish residents. A Jewish-related adoption file from 1883 can be also found among the papers. The judicial files include names, addresses and other information on Jewish residents of Viljandi (merchants, watchmakers, hatters, roofers, tailors and tinsmiths are mentioned).

Archival history:: After the liquidation of the Magistrat, its papers were kept at the city archive of Viljandi. In 1946 they were transferred to the Estonian Historical Archives.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Magistrat of Viljandi existed from the 14th century and continued to function until its abolition in 1889-1891 as part of the reorganisation of local government in the Baltic region of the Russian empire.

Subject terms:: Antisemitism; Antisemitism--Antisemitic legislation; Crime; Jewish community; Jewish community records; Legal records; Residency issues of Jews; Statistics

System of arrangement:: The collection consists of two inventories, arranged in chronological-thematic order.

Access, restrictions:: The collection is open for reference at the Estonian Historical Archives, Tartu.

Finding aids:: Finding aids in Russian and Estonian are available at the Estonian Historical Archives.

For further reference see: Центральный государственный исторический архив Эстонской ССР. Путеводитель, Москва, Тарту 1969, 92-93; Ajalooarhiiv, Arhiivijuht III, Vabad ühendused. Ettevõtted. Kollektsioonid. Tartu, 2010, 421-422.

Basic data on the collection is available at the web portal of the National Archives of Estonia: http://ais.ra.ee, Detailotsing – Leidandmed – EAA.1002.

Yerusha Network member:: Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People

Author of the description:: Tatjana Schor, Historical Archives of Estonia, and Alex Valdman, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2015