Metadata : Material of the 1897 all-empire Russian census in Courland, Vitebsk and Livonia governorates
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:
- 2706
- Title:
- Material of the 1897 all-empire Russian census in Courland, Vitebsk and Livonia governorates
- Title (official language):
- Krievijas 1897. gada tautas skaitīšanas materiāli Kurzemes, Vitebskas un Vidzemes guberņā
- Creator/accumulator:
- Provincial, district and city census commissions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Date(s):
- 1895/1914
- Date note:
- Predominantly 1896/1897
- Language:
- Russian
- Latvian
- German
- Extent:
- 257 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
- The collection consists of the various records of the 1897 census commissions in the Courland, Vitebsk and Livonia governorates. The collection includes: detailed instructions for conducting the census; completed census forms; correspondence between the authorities on the preparations for the census and on the results of the census; lists of census takers, etc. Many of the census forms in the collection were filled out by Jews and contain data for studying the genealogy of Jewish families and the composition of the Jewish population in the Courland, Livonia and Vitebsk governorates. The forms (of Jews and non-Jews alike) are located in the collection within districts, cities and settlements, neighbourhoods and streets. In the census forms, nationality was based on the declared mother language of the respondents. The forms contained the following columns: names, sex, relation with respect to the head of the family or household, age, marital status, social status (estate of the realm, rank or title), place of birth, place of registration, usual place of residence, notice of absence, faith, mother language, literacy, place of study, primary employment and secondary profession.
- Archival history:
- After World War II the materials from the Tsarist period, were part of the Central State Archive of the Latvian SSR. In 1962 it was decided to reorganise the archive and it was renamed the Central State Historical Archives of the Latvian SSR. The materials predating the period of Soviet rule were deposited in this archive, predecessor of the current State Historical Archive.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- In 1896 provincial, district and city census commissions were formed under the Ministry of Internal Affairs to conduct the all-empire population census of 1897. Chairmen of the provincial commissions were governors. The main duties of the provincial, district and city census commissions included: divide districts and cities into local census sections; elect the managers of the census sections; define the number of a census takers in each section; provide a census taker with necessary instructions and forms; resolve arising misunderstandings, conflicts, and consider complaints of violations during the census. The commissions were abolished in 1897 after the census ended.
- Subject terms:
- Census
- Census records
- Genealogy
- Finding aids:
- The collection is freely accessible online through the Latvian State Historical Archives’ digital project Raduraksti (registration required).
- 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:
- 2706
- Title:
- Material of the 1897 all-empire Russian census in Courland, Vitebsk and Livonia governorates
- Title (official language):
- Krievijas 1897. gada tautas skaitīšanas materiāli Kurzemes, Vitebskas un Vidzemes guberņā
- Creator/accumulator:
- Provincial, district and city census commissions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Date(s):
- 1895/1914
- Date note:
- Predominantly 1896/1897
- Language:
- Russian
- Latvian
- German
- Extent:
- 257 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
- The collection consists of the various records of the 1897 census commissions in the Courland, Vitebsk and Livonia governorates. The collection includes: detailed instructions for conducting the census; completed census forms; correspondence between the authorities on the preparations for the census and on the results of the census; lists of census takers, etc. Many of the census forms in the collection were filled out by Jews and contain data for studying the genealogy of Jewish families and the composition of the Jewish population in the Courland, Livonia and Vitebsk governorates. The forms (of Jews and non-Jews alike) are located in the collection within districts, cities and settlements, neighbourhoods and streets. In the census forms, nationality was based on the declared mother language of the respondents. The forms contained the following columns: names, sex, relation with respect to the head of the family or household, age, marital status, social status (estate of the realm, rank or title), place of birth, place of registration, usual place of residence, notice of absence, faith, mother language, literacy, place of study, primary employment and secondary profession.
- Archival history:
- After World War II the materials from the Tsarist period, were part of the Central State Archive of the Latvian SSR. In 1962 it was decided to reorganise the archive and it was renamed the Central State Historical Archives of the Latvian SSR. The materials predating the period of Soviet rule were deposited in this archive, predecessor of the current State Historical Archive.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- In 1896 provincial, district and city census commissions were formed under the Ministry of Internal Affairs to conduct the all-empire population census of 1897. Chairmen of the provincial commissions were governors. The main duties of the provincial, district and city census commissions included: divide districts and cities into local census sections; elect the managers of the census sections; define the number of a census takers in each section; provide a census taker with necessary instructions and forms; resolve arising misunderstandings, conflicts, and consider complaints of violations during the census. The commissions were abolished in 1897 after the census ended.
- Subject terms:
- Census
- Census records
- Genealogy
- Finding aids:
- The collection is freely accessible online through the Latvian State Historical Archives’ digital project Raduraksti (registration required).
- 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
