Metadata: Karpiai family documents
Collection
- Country:
- Lithuania
- Holding institution:
- Vilnius University Library
- Holding institution (official language):
- Vilniaus universiteto biblioteka
- Postal address:
- Universiteto g. 3, 01513, Vilnius
- Phone number:
- +370 5 268 7100
- Web address:
- https://biblioteka.vu.lt
- Email:
- mb@mb.vu.lt
- Reference number:
- F8
- Title:
- Karpiai family documents
- Title (official language):
- Karpių giminės dokumentai
- Creator/accumulator:
- Vilnius University library
- Date(s):
- 1500/1927
- Language:
- Polish
- Russian
- Latin
- Lithuanian
- Extent:
- 4,333 processed items
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection consists of documents that are mostly related to the administrative, judicial and economic activities of Karpiai (Polish: Karp) family from the 16th to the first half of 20th century. Most Jewish related documents are loan confirmations, debts registers, lease contracts, court summons or court cases regarding debts and their fiscal ties with other groups.
The documents contain information about the following Jewish communities: Joniškėlis (Johaniszkiele), Linkuva (Linków), Švobiškis (Szwabiszki), Vabalnikas (Wobolniki), Pumpėnai (Pompiany), Šeduva (Szadów), Pasvalys (Poswol), Naciunai (Naciuny), Pakalniškės (Pakalniszki). This collection provides information about the Karpiai family policy towards Jewish communities that settled in their estate. In several documents the members of Karpiai family or their deputies are directly participating in court cases which involves Jews from their estates. Some of the documents relate to the lease of various objects such as inns, forgeries, residential buildings, etc.
The oldest Jewish related document consists of a court summons for Hendrik Cedrowkski, the Starodub cup-bearer, to bail over his peasant, who was accused of killing Berel, a Jew from Švobiškis [F8-1879]. The file from 1773 consists of Upytė’s court summons addressed to Hendrik Cedrowski, ordering him to appear before Upytė castle court, to resolve the matter over the debts of his peasant to the Jew of Linkuva [F8-1875]. The document from 1772 consists of a decree of Upytė castle court regarding the conflict between Henrik Cedrowski and Povilas Karpis for the murder of arendarz Berk from Švobiškis [ F8-1876]. The file from 1811 consists of a decree of the supreme court of Vilna governorate which resolves the case of a gang of Jewish robbers, giving the penalty for such crimes as stealing horses and burning buildings [F8-3371]. The document from 1845 contains information about the Jewish communities of Joniškelis, Vabalnikas, Pumpėnai, and Šeduva. The elders of the aforementioned Jewish communities present permissions, which allow for certain Jews to live in an estate owned by Eustachijus Karpis [F8-195]. The file from 1846 contains a lease contract, by which Troki land court president Ksaver Podberski and judge of Wilikomierz land court Antoni Rudamina lease a tavern in the town of Musnininkai to the Jew Ruwka Joselowicz. [F8-3207]. The file from 1846 contains testimony, by which the elder of Pasvalys Jewish community, Szolom Fridman, confirms that rabi Zaide belongs to Pasvalys Jewish community, even though in the population census survey he was registered as a member of Joniškėlis Jewish community [F8-198]. The file from 1862 contains an agreement by which the Jew Jankel Kieturacki promises to deliver 400 poods of plaster to the manor of Alančiai, paying 30 kopeks for each pood [F8-3092]. The file from 1863 contains contracts on buildings lease to the Jews in the town of Musninikai [F8-3195]. The file from 1874 contains a complaint by the advisor of Felicijus Karpis complaint to the Naciūnai district board, informing them that the Jews of Linkuva are secretly trading alcohol. [F8-2317]. The file from 1879 contains the agreement by which the board of the heirs of Pranciskus Karpis agrees to lease a forge at Pakalniškės for 4 years to Josel Zuskin [F8-1116]. The file from 1889 contains a request by the Jewish community of Joniškelis to the head of bojars of Panevėžys district, requesting permission to buy out their used land plots according to the law of free people [F8-199]. The file from 1891 contains an agreement by which Eustachijus Karolis Karpis rents out a house in Joniškelis to Mozes Goldberg. [F8-200].
- Archival history:
- The collection was created by Vilnius University Library, Department of Manuscripts.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Karpiai family came to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the beginning of the 16th century and its influence is most markedly observed in the 18th-19th centuries when the most famous and active members of the Karp family were active. The Karp family had two branches, Bielsk-Slonim and Joniskelis-Rekyva, which merged after the last heir of Bielsk-Slonim line when in 1787 Juozapas Ignacijus Karpis married Rozalija Karpis from Joniškelis-Rėkyva family branch. The Karpiai family estates were concentrated in Žemaitija (Samogitioa) in the northern part of Lithuania and Podlasie (Poland). The most important family centres were located in the towns/manors of Apytalaukis, Gulbinėnai, Joniškėlis, Karpiškiai, Krinčinas, Paštuva and Rėkyva. The last Karpiai family member Benediktas Jokūbas Ignacijus Karpis (Benedykt Jakub Ignacy Karp) died in 1926.
- Access points: locations:
- Joniškėlis
- Linkuva
- Pakalniškės
- Pasvalys
- Pumpenai
- Šeduva
- Švobiškis
- Vabalnikas
- Access points: persons/families:
- Fridman, Szolom
- Goldberg, Mozes
- Joselowicz, Ruwka
- Karpiai
- Kieturacki, Jankel
- Zuskin, Josel
- Finding aids:
- The main aid is the computerised catalogue of the Vilnius University library. The full catalogue is accessible in the Vilnius University library, Department of Manuscripts reading room. Some of the documents are available online
- Links to finding aids:
- https://biblioteka.vu.lt/en/
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People