Metadata : Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs (Jelgava)
Collection
- Country:
- Latvia
- Holding institution:
- Latvian State Historical Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Latvijas Valsts vēstures arhīvs
- Postal address:
- Slokas iela 16, Rīga, LV-1048
- Phone number:
- +371 20 017 505
- Country:
- Latvia
- Holding institution:
- Latvian State Historical Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Latvijas Valsts vēstures arhīvs
- Postal address:
- Slokas iela 16, Rīga, LV-1048
- Phone number:
- +371 20 017 505
- Reference number:
- 421
- Title:
- Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs (Jelgava)
- Title (official language):
- Kurzemes guberņas Pilsētu lietu komisija (Jelgava)
- Creator/accumulator:
- Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs
- Date(s):
- 1877/1915
- Language:
- Russian
- Extent:
- 3,345 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains papers relating to a wide range of issues discussed in the Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs in 1877-1915. The range of such issues included, for instance, supervision of trade, taxation, education, construction of buildings, financial, transport, elections to municipal authorities and others.
Several dozen files in the collection contain Jewish-related materials. Some of these files contain petitions from the municipal authorities in the Courland governorate addressed to the Courland Governor and the Russian central authorities for permission not to expel the non-resident Jews from these cities. In 1893-1894 such petitions were received from the Mayors (gorodskoi golova) of Libava, Friedrichstadt, Bauska, Tuckum as well as on behalf of the Libau Stock Exchange Committee. As a justification of the petitions, it was stated that these Jews have lived there for considerable time, owned real estate and commercial enterprises. Although the petitions were supported by the Courland Governor they were rejected by the Minister of the Interior (for example: inventory 1, file 54).
An important part of the collection is papers related to the communal life of the Jews, which make it possible to study the difficulties that the Jews faced in their interaction with the local authorities. Among such materials are petitions and complaints of Jewish communities and individuals concerning the obstacles related with the kosher slaughter. Such documents also allow us to look at internal conflicts within Jewish communities. For example, in 1899 Hazenpot Rabbi Leopold Lewenshtern complained that the high City Board official, together with the board of the local synagogue, not only supported his opponent during the elections to the post of rabbi, but then also threatened Lewenshtern with dismissal, insulted him, and hindered his activities (inventory 1, file 1123). The collection also contains documents related to the tax-farming of korobka (a tax on kosher meat) and materials that enable us to study the economic activities of the Jews. Among such materials are petitions and complaints of Jewish entrepreneurs and traders. For example, a file from 1896 includes the petition of Tal Levin, a tavern keeper from Sasmaken, to allow him to stay at the tavern in 1897 (inventory 1, file 626). Among other files relating to the economic activities of the Jews there is a file that mentions the transfer of control rights on the ferry on the Dvina river in Jakobstadt to the Jews (inventory 1, file 184) and a file that mentions the ban on Jewish shopkeepers in Goldingen to bake and sell bread (inventory 1, file 433) in 1894.
Materials in the collection contain vital data on the Jews in the Courland governorate such as lists of Goldingen Jews (inventory 1, file 779) from 1896. Jewish-related records also refer to cases regarding the issuing documents and metric extracts to Jews, and to the complaints of Jews against municipal authorities regarding taxation. A valuable part of the Jewish-related papers relates to the political history and the rights of Jews to be appointed or elected as deputies of city councils. For instance, these materials include lists of Jews eligible to be appointed deputies of city/town councils (inventory 1, file 3; inventory 2, file 483) and statements of the Jewish deputies of the Libava Duma about their resignation from the post in 1905 (inventory 2, file 505). Such a resignation was part of a political campaign that took place all over the country during the First Russian Revolution when Jews refused to appoint delegates to city deputies’ posts as a protest against the denial of the rights of Jews to choose their own representatives at the local and nationwide levels.
- Archival history:
- During the 19th century most of the Courland governorate records were kept in Jelgava (Mitava) castle. In the 1920s these materials were consolidated into the newly organised Latvian State Archive which existed throughout the interwar period.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs was formed in accordance with the 1870 reform of the city government in order to supervise the activities of city self-government bodies such as city councils and city boards. The commission was chaired by the governor and included senior officials of Courland local administrative and judicial authorities. In practice, this reform and especially the subsequent municipal reform of Alexander III in 1892 expanded the powers of the governors and the municipal authorities' dependence on them with the chairman having the deciding vote if the votes were deadlocked. Moreover, if the governor disagreed with the decision of the majority of the members of the commission, he had the right to suspend the execution of such a decision.
- System of arrangement:
- The collection consists of two inventories.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Ilya Vovshin, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2018
- Reference number:
- 421
- Title:
- Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs (Jelgava)
- Title (official language):
- Kurzemes guberņas Pilsētu lietu komisija (Jelgava)
- Creator/accumulator:
- Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs
- Date(s):
- 1877/1915
- Language:
- Russian
- Extent:
- 3,345 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains papers relating to a wide range of issues discussed in the Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs in 1877-1915. The range of such issues included, for instance, supervision of trade, taxation, education, construction of buildings, financial, transport, elections to municipal authorities and others.
Several dozen files in the collection contain Jewish-related materials. Some of these files contain petitions from the municipal authorities in the Courland governorate addressed to the Courland Governor and the Russian central authorities for permission not to expel the non-resident Jews from these cities. In 1893-1894 such petitions were received from the Mayors (gorodskoi golova) of Libava, Friedrichstadt, Bauska, Tuckum as well as on behalf of the Libau Stock Exchange Committee. As a justification of the petitions, it was stated that these Jews have lived there for considerable time, owned real estate and commercial enterprises. Although the petitions were supported by the Courland Governor they were rejected by the Minister of the Interior (for example: inventory 1, file 54).
An important part of the collection is papers related to the communal life of the Jews, which make it possible to study the difficulties that the Jews faced in their interaction with the local authorities. Among such materials are petitions and complaints of Jewish communities and individuals concerning the obstacles related with the kosher slaughter. Such documents also allow us to look at internal conflicts within Jewish communities. For example, in 1899 Hazenpot Rabbi Leopold Lewenshtern complained that the high City Board official, together with the board of the local synagogue, not only supported his opponent during the elections to the post of rabbi, but then also threatened Lewenshtern with dismissal, insulted him, and hindered his activities (inventory 1, file 1123). The collection also contains documents related to the tax-farming of korobka (a tax on kosher meat) and materials that enable us to study the economic activities of the Jews. Among such materials are petitions and complaints of Jewish entrepreneurs and traders. For example, a file from 1896 includes the petition of Tal Levin, a tavern keeper from Sasmaken, to allow him to stay at the tavern in 1897 (inventory 1, file 626). Among other files relating to the economic activities of the Jews there is a file that mentions the transfer of control rights on the ferry on the Dvina river in Jakobstadt to the Jews (inventory 1, file 184) and a file that mentions the ban on Jewish shopkeepers in Goldingen to bake and sell bread (inventory 1, file 433) in 1894.
Materials in the collection contain vital data on the Jews in the Courland governorate such as lists of Goldingen Jews (inventory 1, file 779) from 1896. Jewish-related records also refer to cases regarding the issuing documents and metric extracts to Jews, and to the complaints of Jews against municipal authorities regarding taxation. A valuable part of the Jewish-related papers relates to the political history and the rights of Jews to be appointed or elected as deputies of city councils. For instance, these materials include lists of Jews eligible to be appointed deputies of city/town councils (inventory 1, file 3; inventory 2, file 483) and statements of the Jewish deputies of the Libava Duma about their resignation from the post in 1905 (inventory 2, file 505). Such a resignation was part of a political campaign that took place all over the country during the First Russian Revolution when Jews refused to appoint delegates to city deputies’ posts as a protest against the denial of the rights of Jews to choose their own representatives at the local and nationwide levels.
- Archival history:
- During the 19th century most of the Courland governorate records were kept in Jelgava (Mitava) castle. In the 1920s these materials were consolidated into the newly organised Latvian State Archive which existed throughout the interwar period.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Courland governorate commission of municipal affairs was formed in accordance with the 1870 reform of the city government in order to supervise the activities of city self-government bodies such as city councils and city boards. The commission was chaired by the governor and included senior officials of Courland local administrative and judicial authorities. In practice, this reform and especially the subsequent municipal reform of Alexander III in 1892 expanded the powers of the governors and the municipal authorities' dependence on them with the chairman having the deciding vote if the votes were deadlocked. Moreover, if the governor disagreed with the decision of the majority of the members of the commission, he had the right to suspend the execution of such a decision.
- System of arrangement:
- The collection consists of two inventories.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Ilya Vovshin, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2018
