Metadata: Feudal Court of Harjumaa
Collection
- Country:
- Estonia
- Holding institution:
- Historical Archives of Estonia
- Holding institution (official language):
- Eesti Ajalooarhiiv
- Postal address:
- Tartu, Nooruse 3, 50411
- Phone number:
- +372 738 7521
- Web address:
- www.ra.ee
- Email:
- tartu@ra.ee
- Reference number:
- EAA.861
- Title:
- Feudal Court of Harjumaa
- Title (official language):
- Harju meeskohus
- Creator/accumulator:
- Feudal Court of Harjumaa (Harrisches Manngericht)
- Date(s):
- 1618/1890
- Language:
- German
- Extent:
- 4,856 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection includes 15 cases in which Jews were tried in the Feudal Court of Harjumaa between 1824-1884. During this period, the Court was affiliated with the Russian Empire and was called by its German name “Harrisches Manngericht” (Russian: Гарриенский мангерихт). The court dealt with civil and crime matters of non-noble persons. All Jewish-related cases belong to the section “Court records of criminal proceedings” (“Gerichtsakten der Kriminalsachen”). In several cases, Jews were accused of bribing border guards or custom officers (three cases dated 1842-1855). In another case, Leib Hirschowitsch Buch (1855-1856) was arrested by border guards and escaped using force. Violence is also mentioned in two other Jewish-related cases: in 1884 Leiser Eisigmann was accused of causing injury and in 1878 a Jew and a peasant were suspected of using poison. The largest part of Jewish-related cases in this collection relate to offences against property where Jews were accused of counterfeiting, illegal trade and smuggling. In one of these cases, a Jewish resident was declared to be without lawful permit (this court record is dated approximately 1847-1861).
Additional examples of Jewish-related files: Investigative case concerning the violent release from the hands of the border guard of the Jew Leib Hirschowitsch, 1855/1856 (inventory 1, file 861); Case of investigation against the Jew Lewin Ephraim Urdank for the intended bribery of the board guard, 1855 (inventory 1, file 2275); Criminal cases of investigation against the Jew Elias Markus Klaus and Hirsch Hirschowitsch on suspicion of knowingly falsifying credit cards, 1858 (inventory 1, file 2461); Case of investigation against the Jew Itzig Josselowitsch Rieb for passportlessness, 1847/1861 (inventory 1, file 2641); Case of investigation against the Jew Menasse Land for smuggling, 1857 (inventory 1, file 2674); Investigative case of the Jew Jankel Rosenberg, who was brought with goods by the trading supervisor Strecker, 1862 (inventory 1, file 2689); Criminal case against the Jew Leiser Eisigmann for wounding Chain Grossmann, 1884 (inventory 1, file 2998); Criminal case against the Jews Simon Moschewitsch and Peretz Aronowitsch for illegal trade, 1824 (inventory 1, file 2581); Criminal cases against the Jew Jossel Judetowitsch Leiserowitsch, under the name of Marcus Löwenthal for fraudulent acts, 1858 (inventory 1, file 2676); Case of investigation against the Jew Elja Hilkowitsch Towmann for intended bribery of the guard Parfen Davidow, 1842 (inventory 1, file 2270); Criminal case of investigation against the Jew Lewin Redmitsky seized with goods, 1864 (inventory 1, file 2698).
- Archival history:
- No information
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The feudal court of Harjumaa (Estonian: Harju meeskohus, German: Harrisches Manngericht, Russian: Гарриенский мангерихт) served as the lowest court of Harjumaa (Harrien county) which is situated in Northern Estonia with the capital in Tallinn (formerly known as Reval or Revel’). Together with other Estonian feudal courts (Estonian: Meeskohus, German: Manngericht), the feudal court of Harjumaa was active from the mid-14th century, however the court records start from 1665. The court was adjourned from 1783-1797, but after that operated until its closure in 1889.
- Access points: locations:
- Tartu
- Subject terms:
- Crime
- Legal matters
- Residency issues of Jews
- Smuggling
- Trade and commerce
- System of arrangement:
- The collection is divided into thematic sections arranged chronologically. Jewish-related court recordings are found in the section “Court records of criminal proceedings”, particularly in the subsections “Crimes and offences against state and municipal administration (Conflicts between border guards and peasantry)”, “Malfeasances (Bribes to border guards and custom officers)”, “Crimes and offences against property” (subsections: “Counterfeiting”, “Crimes and offences against welfare and morality”, “Illegal trade and smuggling”), “Crimes and offences against life, health and honor of private persons” (subsections “Injuries” and “Murders”).
- Finding aids:
- General data on the collection is available on the web page of the Historical Archives of Estonia. The collection is also described briefly in: Baltic Connections: Archival Guide to the Maritime Relations of the Countries around the Baltic Sea. Leiden, Boston, 2017. Vol. 1. P. 150-1.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Antonina Martynenko
