Metadata: Trial records - Series II
Collection
- Country:
- Austria
- Holding institution:
- Tyrolean Regional Archive
- Holding institution (official language):
- Tiroler Landesarchiv
- Postal address:
- Michael-Gaismair-Straße 1; 6020 Innsbruck
- Phone number:
- 0043 512 508 3502
- Web address:
- https://www.tirol.gv.at/kunst-kultur/landesarchiv/
- Email:
- landesarchiv@tirol.gv.at
- Reference number:
- Oberösterreichische Regierung - Prozessakten - Reihe II
- Title:
- Trial records - Series II
- Title (official language):
- Prozessakten - Reihe II
- Creator/accumulator:
- Austrian Superior Government
- Date(s):
- 1545/1785
- Date note:
- ca. 1550-1780
- Language:
- German
- Extent:
- 137 fascicles
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection “Trial records” is a non-Jewish collection with a significant number of Jewish-related records. It is divided into two main series called “Trial records – Series I” and “Trial records – Series II”, which are related to each other. (It is unknown why they were divided by Tyrolean archivists.) Series I covers the period from 1528 to 1779, whereas Series II covers the period from ca. 1550 to ca. 1780. Both series are structured into different series, where each series consists of a fascicle with various records relating to one case. One may find trial records about legal matters concerning private or civil law. Additionally, there are documents about legal controversies, for example matters of inheritance or financial matters, such as outstanding payments. The index to this collection is repertory B 131, in which one may find Jewish-related references. Unfortunately, there is no register to this collection.
Similar to the related collection “Trial records – Series I”, this collection deals with files concerning disagreements between individuals about property, trading goods, financial transactions, debts and matters of inheritance. One may find documents about members of the Jewish business family May, such as Abraham, Michael and Marx May. Most of these files deal with financial controversies between individuals in case of private law.
NB: The repertory B 131 is the index to this collection, but there is no register. There are position numbers next to the entries, which are needed to consult the relevant fascicle or document in the archive.
- Archival history:
- This collection was transferred to the Tyrolean Regional Archive as part of the regular document transfer process stipulated by national archival regulations.
- Administrative/biographical history:
-
The creator of the collection “Trial records – Series II” was the Austrian Superior Government as the highest administrative authority in Tyrol and Further Austria, established by emperor Maximilian I in the year 1490. In the second half of the 16th century and at the beginning of the 17th century this authority was subordinated to the Privy Council, but equivalent and related to the Austrian Superior Chamber.
The commission of the Austrian Superior Government, consisting of twelve councillors, was responsible for the judiciary and administration of Further Austria, which was the collective name for the early possessions of the Habsburgs in Vorarlberg in western Austria, in parts of Switzerland, Swabia in south-western Germany, in the Alsace region in eastern France, Baden-Württemberg and Belfort in eastern France. There were administrative bodies in the western part of Further Austria which were subordinated to the Austrian Superior Government in Innsbruck, while the eastern part was directly administrated by the Government itself. This authority was not only the highest administrative agency, as mentioned above, but also the highest judicial agency and was responsible in matters of fief in Tyrol and Vorarlberg as well. In 1749 the main jurisdictions of the Government shifted to the new institution called “Representation and Chamber” (“Repräsentation und Kammer”) until it was dissolved a few years later in 1782. (Cf. Beimrohr, Das Tiroler Landesarchiv und seine Bestände, 68-70; Köfler, Verwaltungsgeschichte Tirols, https://www.tirol.gv.at/fileadmin/themen/kunst-kultur/landesarchiv/downloads/verwaltungsgeschichte.PDF)
- Access points: persons/families:
- May
- May, Abraham
- May, Marx
- May, Michael
- System of arrangement:
- The collection “Trial records" is divided into two series: Series I and Series II.
- Access, restrictions:
- Public access
- Finding aids:
- Finding aid: Rep. B 131 (Index).
- Yerusha Network member:
- Jewish Museum Hohenems
- Author of the description:
- Rebecca Muršec, November 2017
