Metadata: Feudal Court of Läänemaa
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.863
- Title:
- Feudal Court of Läänemaa
- Title (official language):
- Lääne meeskohus
- Creator/accumulator:
- Feudal Court of Läänemaa (Wieksches Manngericht)
- Date(s):
- 1634/1925
- Date note:
- 1634/1890; 1925
- Language:
- German
- Extent:
- 4,198 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection includes a small number of Jewish-related cases (17) recorded by the Feudal Court of Läänemaa. The section of trial records (“Prozeßakten”) contains Jewish-related cases, all of them from the 19th century (the earliest case is dated 1814, the latest 1889) when Estonia was a part of the Russian Empire. One of the files (dated 1855) refers to the arrest of a Jewish resident declared to be without lawful permit (according to lists published in 1855). Some of the Jewish-related files are connected with illegal Jewish trade (1829-1870) and smuggling, particularly with itinerant pedlars (“Hausierhandels”, the case dated from 1870). Some cases of counterfeiting are mentioned as well (late 1850s-1860s). The court also recorded a large number of offences against property where Jews are mostly accused of theft (including one case of horse theft, 1889) and arson (1860-1880s).
Additional examples of Jewish-related files: Case regarding the passportless Jew Blin Itzkowisch, 1855 (inventory 1, file 1032); Investigative case against the Jew Berk Phiselewitsch Kowkin for illegal trade, 1829 (inventory 1, file 1072); Case against the Jew from Wilna [Vilnius] Schmul Mraklin for meat trade, 1850/1853 (inventory 1, file 1126); Case of investigation against the Jew Juddel Benjamin Friedmann, written in Pilten [Piltene], for peddling business, 1869 (inventory 1, file 1184); Case of investigation against the Jew Mannus Gelbert from Jacobstadt [Jēkabpils] for suspicion of arson, 1880/1881 (inventory 1, file 2160); Investigative case against the Jew Lewi Riebe for allegedly issuing fake golden coins, 1859 (inventory 1, file 2194); Case of investigation against the Jew Elias Marcus Klaus, born in Bauske [Bauska] for issuing fake credit ticket, 1864/1865 (inventory 1, file 2195); Investigation case against the Jew Gosehel Simon and Täfel Efrem for robbery and maltreatment, 1814 (inventory 1, file 2272); Investigative case against the Jews Israel Sax, Chatzki Markus and Bär Broin for suspected participation in the robbery under Schloss-Lohde organized by Strecker and Kunte, 1861/1862 (inventory 1, file 2276); Investigation case against the Jew Abraham Slutzky for fraud, 1869/1878 (inventory 1, file 863); Case of investigation against the soldier's son Feodor Andreas and the Jew Chaim Jakobson for horse theft, 1889 (inventory 1, file 2500); Investigation case against the Jewish brothers David and Abram Saffra from the Minsk Governorate for theft of goods in the kiosk of the peasant from Fickel [Vigala], 1835 (inventory 1, file 2608); Investigation case against the Jew Mendel Leib Schaemann from Tukums for theft, 1852/1853 (inventory 1, file 2739).
- Archival history:
- No information
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The feudal court of Läänemaa (during the 19th century the German name of this district was used - German: Wieksches Manngericht; Russian: Викский мангерихт) served as the lowest court and placed in Wiek Country (also known as “Haapsalu kreis” or “Haapsalu ja Lääne kreis”) in the northwestern part of the Governorate of Estonia. It dealt with civil cases of free people living (or arrested) in this area, but not with civil or criminal matters of nobles and officials (which were under the jurisdiction of the Estland Supreme Land Court). From 1630 the court dealt with both criminal and civil cases. The court was temporary dissolved in 1783-1797 and then worked until its final closure in 1889. The records start from the middle of the 17th century.
- System of arrangement:
- The collection is arranged thematically and chronologically within the sections. Jewish-related materials are found in the section of trial records (“Prozeßakten”), namely in the subsections “Offences against Public Tranquility and Discipline”, “Homeless people”, “Violations of Trade and Excise Rules. Smuggling”, “Counterfeiting” and “Offences against Property”
- 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. 151-2.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Antonina Martynenko
