Metadata: Cartulary series - Ad Caesarem
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:
- Oberösterreichischer Geheimer Rat - Kopialbuchserie Ad Caesarem
- Title:
- Cartulary series - Ad Caesarem
- Title (official language):
- Kopialbuchserie Ad Caesarem
- Creator/accumulator:
- Upper Austrian (Second) Privy Council
- Date(s):
- 1665/1783
- Language:
- German
- Extent:
- 157 volumes/books
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection “Ad Caesarem” (also called “Ad Imperatorem, Ad Imperatricem”) of the Privy Council, held by the Tyrolean regional archive of Innsbruck, is a non-Jewish assemblage with a large and significant number of Jewish-related documents. The collection covers the period 1665–1783 and includes transcriptions of the original records in the record series “Outgoing records to the territorial Serenity”. These records are outgoing reports addressed to the superior administration offices in Vienna for discussion of territorial matters and decisions or further actions [q.v. Beimrohr, Das Tiroler Landesarchiv und seine Bestände, 90]. The records are transcribed chronologically by year, month and day. The cartularies contain alphabetical indexes, in which can be found references to Jewish entries in the books.
Jewish references giving insight into administration procedures and the business lives of Jewish people as their obligations in Tyrol and Vorarlberg can be found in almost every book. Due to the extent of this collection, only a selection of the Jewish-related material is presented here. For 1675–80 there are references to Abraham Navarro of Bolzano, Isaac Levi, Jacob and Ester Gözl (related to the May family of Innsbruck), Abraham Ulma of Pfersee in Augsburg, Emanuel Isaac Levi and Consola May.
A record issued in February 1675 states that Isaac Levi asked the authority of Innsbruck and the magistrate of Bolzano to confirm his Sensaria at the market in Bolzano, where he wished to work as a money changer and trader. It can be assumed from the documents that Jewish traders and intermediaries, as well as Christian traders, had to ask annually for permission to work at the markets of Bolzano, and that the mercantile magistrate had authority to choose negotiators and traders. Levi’s petition was refused, and he was told to resubmit his request the following year. Abraham Navarro was another negotiator and trader who asked for permission to work at the market in Bolzano, according to a record of February 1676.
A document issued in February 1676 states that Jacob Gözl, who was staying in Innsbruck, was ordered to leave the city within three days. He asked the authority for permission to stay for a further three weeks to finish his business and repay his creditors. The authority of Innsbruck forwarded the request to Vienna. In the same year, Gözl’s wife Ester asked the administration of Innsbruck to confirm safe conduct for her husband to conclude his business transactions and regulate his assets and liabilities. The authority of Innsbruck asked the offices in Vienna in for advice on this procedure.
A record of 1677 concerns the confirmation of a licence to bear guns in the market for Abraham Ulma of Pfersen (Pfersee/Augsburg). It appears that the Ulma family enjoyed a certain status in the area, but bearing guns was considered dangerous for Jewish people as the travelling soldiery (“Soldateska”) were suspicious of them. The licence was confirmed at Ulma’s own risk.
A record of 1677 concerns the Jewish businessman Emanuel Isaac Levi and his intermediary services in Bolzano. The document states that his “Sensaldienst” was refused by the authority. He complained unsuccessfully against the decision, the officials of Bolzano responding that there were already three Jewish and only two Christian intermediaries. It is also stated that in general, it would be better if there were only Christian intermediaries. The officials in Bolzano used these statements to justify their decision to the authority of Innsbruck.
Books from 1780–85 mention the Jewish businessman Jonathan Uffenheimer and Mayr of Hohenems. A document of 1781 refers to Uffenheimer’s business purposes in a request for the establishment of a cotton factory in Vorarlberg, specifically in Bludenz, Feldkirch and Bregenz. Trading with Switzerland in cotton fabrics and yarn was a significant business at the time, and the file states that Switzerland bought fabrics in Vorarlberg and traded in the Netherlands, Venice and Genoa. Uffenheimer wished to strengthen the local cotton production by trading in Bludenz, Feldkirch and Bregenz, and suggested prohibiting the sale of cotton to Switzerland. The authority of Innsbruck saw merit in his suggestions and wrote to the Habsburg emperor for a decision.
A document of 1781 concerns Jewish people in Innsbruck. According to a decree of May 19, Jewish people should be integrated into society as “useful members”, by which the authority intended to reduce Jewish usury and deception. The authority did not anticipate resistance from the Jewish population, which at the time was small (although no figure is recorded).
According to reports from territorial offices at the time, Jews were located only in Innsbruck and Bolzano as traders. The offices of the city council report that in 1781 Lazarus Uffenheimer lived in Innsbruck with his five children. Gabriel Uffenheimer of Frankfurt was tolerated with many attendants. The liquidation of Gabriel Uffenheimer’s salt business is also briefly mentioned. It is stated that Gabriel’s attendants traded as peddlers, so it can be assumed that Gabriel Uffenheimer suffered an economic loss concerning the salt business. The record also mentions that one of his attendants was married and resided in Innsbruck.
A document of 24 December 1781 includes a report of the Gubernium concerning the number of Jewish people in Tyrol, their business practices and in which villages they lived.
Heinrich Hendle is recorded as being married and living with three attendants in Bolzano. He was not a trader, but was in close contact with Jewish people, who were economically influential. Information regarding tolerance of Jewish people in general and about fees such as the tolerance tax and “Leibzoll” or “Leibmaut” is also present. The collection also contains a record issued on 17th December 1873 dealing with the Jewish community in Hohenems. The text states that the provincial governor of the confederation in Rheintal (“Eidgenossenschafts-Landvogt im Rheintal”) used illegal force against the Jewish community in the context of a dispute between the protected Jew Herz Löw Lämle of Hohenems and Moritz Freund of Altstetten before the Swiss court.
Each cartulary has an alphabetical index, containing Jewish references under I, J and Y, and can be ordered by specifying the required dates. For an overview of the content, they should be considered alongside other collections of the Second Privy Council.
- Archival history:
- This collection was transferred to the Tyrolean Regional Archive according to the regular document transfer process stipulated by national archival regulations.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The Privy Council established by Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol in c.1564 was succeeded by the Second Privy Council, which was established in Innsbruck in the early 17th century with the assistance of Maximilian III, the governor of Tyrol and Anterior Austria from 1602–1619. Like the earlier Privy Council, this commission of loyal councillors was the highest administration and judiciary authority in Tyrol and Anterior Austria until 1749. The Upper Austrian government as administrative body and the chamber for financial matters were subordinated to this commission. In 1749, the administrative triad of Privy Council, government and chamber was abolished in the administrative reforms of Maria Theresa and replaced by the comprehensive authority “Repräsentation und Kammer” (Representation and chamber) [q.v. Beimrohr, Das Tiroler Landesarchiv und seine Bestände, 88–89; q.v. Repertory B. 701/8].
- Access points: persons/families:
- Gözl, Ester
- Gözl, Jacob
- Hendle, Heinrich
- Levi, Emanuel Isaac
- Levi, Isaac
- May, Consola
- Navarro, Abraham
- Uffenheimer, Gabriel
- Uffenheimer, Jonathan
- Ulma, Abraham
- System of arrangement:
- The collection is arranged into book-like cartularies with alphabetical indexes.
- Access, restrictions:
- The collection is publicly accessible.
- Finding aids:
- Volume indices, Rep. B 701/8
- Yerusha Network member:
- Jewish Museum Hohenems
- Author of the description:
- Rebecca Muršec; Tyrolean Regional Archive Innsbruck; 2018
