Metadata: Kaunas United Chamber of the Civil and Criminal Court
Collection
- Country:
- Lithuania
- Holding institution:
- Kaunas Regional State Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Kauno Regioninis Valstybės Archyvas
- Postal address:
- 44248, Maironio g. 28B, Kaunas 44249
- Phone number:
- +370 (837) 323 111
- Web address:
- https://www.archyvai.lt/lt/kaa_naujienos.html
- Email:
- kaunas@archyvai.lt
- Reference number:
- I-78
- Title:
- Kaunas United Chamber of the Civil and Criminal Court
- Title (official language):
- Kauno jungtiniai civilinio ir baudžiamojo teismo rūmai
- Creator/accumulator:
- Kovno (Kaunas) United Chamber of the Civil and Criminal Court
- Date(s):
- 1808/1884
- Language:
- Russian
- Extent:
- 55,555 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection consists of the Kaunas United Chamber of the Civil and Criminal Court records, including the Chamber courts' minutes, journals and various judicial materials on criminal, political and civil cases. The collection contains numerous Jewish-related records in which the Jews were both accused and/or victims. These papers clarify the relationship between Jews and non-Jews.
Materials on criminal issues contain cases regarding murders, robberies, violence, theft, smuggling, distribution of counterfeit money and falsifying documents. For example, the collection holds a case from 1877 in which Berka Langman was charged with theft (inventory 3, file 126). In 1878 Shevel Gelman from Voinuty in the Rossieny district was charged with smuggling (inventory 3, file 235). The file from 1872 deals with document fraud related to Nahman Blintser and Haim Krai’s conscription into the army (inventory 3, file 23). An additional file from 1875 is also mentioned in connection with the military service of Jews. David-Nota Taits was charged with desertion (inventory 3, file 77). Documents on charges of Jews for political and administrative offences include, for instance, a case from 1878 regarding Isaak Beder from Taurogen (Taurage) who resisted authorities (inventory 3, file 194), and a case regarding Iosel Milner from Skavdvili (Skaudvile) in 1880 who was accused of armed resistance (inventory 3, file 222). The collection also includes an indictment from 1879 for abuse of power against deputies of the Zheimiai Jewish community – Iudel Ebelshtein, Movsha Karmel and Abram Safranovich (inventory 3, file 211).
Among judicial inquiries dealing with civil cases are numerous documents relating to economic life and activity of the Jewish population. The collection contains documents concerning disputes on owning properties, lands, debts collection, on inheritance rights of Jews, and papers on violations of contracts. For example, a file from 1883 mentions the collection of debts from Eliash Bloch and Anna Dembo (inventory 2, file 8990). Quite a few files pertain to judicial inquires submitted by the landowner Prince Bogdan Oginsky against Jews. These documents may indicate the nature of the relationship between the landowner and Jews. A file from 1875-1876 deals with a lawsuit filed by Bogdan Oginsky against Leiba Furosh (inventory 2, file 425). In 1874, there was also a judicial inquiry between Prince Oginsky and the Jewish community of Retov regarding rights on a home (inventory 2, files 262 and 285). A file from 1878 includes papers regarding the lawsuit filed by the Princes Bogdan and Michael Oginsky against Baruh Genuhovich regarding a tavern (inventory 1, file 3210).
The collection also includes a file on a dispute between Jewish farmers Itsik Nahmanovich and others with Berka Kruk (inventory 2, file 115). A file dated 1873-1874 deals with the ownership rights of Nodel Mosenzhnik on shops in the town of Suboch (Subacius) (inventory 1, file 1079). In addition, the collection includes materials that may be used for genealogical research. For example, a file from 1872 includes a list of recruits of Sedy in Telshi district (inventory 3, file 24), and a file from 1877 contain lists of Jewish families in the town of Keidany (inventory 3, file 174).
- Archival history:
- Information about the history of the collection is not available.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- According to the judicial reform of 1864, the Kaunas United Chamber of the Civil and Criminal Court was introduced by merging the two separate departments that had operated until then: the Chamber of Criminal Court and the Chamber of Civil Court. It was the instance for appellations, i.e. the second instance court, as well as the first instance court for various political cases. In the 1860s, 1870s and the early 1880s, the Kaunas United Chamber of the Civil and Criminal Court became the highest court instance in the entire Kaunas Governorate.
- System of arrangement:
- The collection consists of nine inventories arranged in thematical-chronological order. Some inventories are for civil and others are for criminal records. There is also a separate inventory for materials on wills and inheritance cases.
- Finding aids:
- Detailed inventories are available on the website of the Lithuanian Chief Archivist Service.
- Links to finding aids:
- https://eais-pub.archyvai.lt/eais/faces/pages/forms/search/F3001.jspx
- 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, 2020