Metadata: Estate of Bezdružice
Collection
- Country:
- Czechia
- Holding institution:
- State Regional Archives in Plzeň
- Holding institution (official language):
- Státní oblastní archiv v Plzni
- Postal address:
- Sedláčkova 44, Plzeň, 306 12
- Phone number:
- 00420 377 236 263
- Web address:
- http://www.soaplzen.cz/
- Email:
- podatelna@soaplzen.cz
- Reference number:
- 20161
- Title:
- Estate of Bezdružice
- Title (official language):
- Velkostatek Bezdružice
- Creator/accumulator:
- Administration Office of the Estate of Bezdružice
- Date(s):
- 1651/1938
- Language:
- German
- Extent:
- 92.41 linear metres
- Physical condition:
- poor
- Scope and content:
- The fonds comprises records resulting from the administration of the estate of Bezdružice. With a few exceptions, all records date from the time when the estate was owned by the Lowenstein family (1712-1945). For the study of Jewish history, the following files will be of particular interest: inv. No. 114 - statement of Jewish families living on the estate from 1837; inv. No. 115 - Property, trade and other issues of Jews from 1737-1739; inv. No. 116 - Sales and Jewish houses and a list of Jews living on the estate from 1792; book No. 1806 - Jewish book of seats in the Bezdružice synagogue with records from 1841-1873; book No. 1874 - Jewish record of contracts of sale and wedding contracts from 1785-1871; book No. 1875 - book of documents of the Jewish community in Bezdružice from 1843-1856. Records related to the Jewish population can be expected in other land registers and probably among the files, too (especially in matters of lease).
- Archival history:
- Originally, the documents were stored in the administrative buildings of the estate. Later, mainly in the first quarter of the 20th century, they were moved to the chateaux of Bor which housed the central administration of the Czech estates of the Lowenstein family. In 1947, the archival records were transferred to the State Regional Agricultural Archives in Horšovský Týn, in 1959 to the Klatovy branch of the State Archives in Plzeň, and finally, in 2008, to the Klášter branch of the State Regional Archives in Plzeň.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The first record of Bezdružice dates from 1227. Around this village (since 1459 the market town) a large estate gradually arose which, until the 18th century, underwent a relatively complicated property development. Since 1712, after a number of previous owners, the estate had belonged to the family of Lowenstein, who held Bezdružice until 1945, when it was confiscated by the Czechoslovak state. Until 1850 the manorial office pursued the economic management of the estate, and on the basis of delegated powers it also functioned as the lowest instance of state administration. After 1850, the administration of the estate mainly concerned economic issues.
- Access points: locations:
- Bezdružice
- System of arrangement:
- The fonds has largely been arranged. The archival records are divided into four sections - I. Books, II. Files, III. Accounts, IV. Maps and plans.
- Access, restrictions:
- The collection is only partly accessible.
- Finding aids:
-
Bystrický V.: Velkostatek Bezdružice, 1687–1938. Inventář, Klatovy, 1963, 111 s; Bystrický V et al: Státní oblastní archiv v Plzni: průvodce po archivních fondech, svazek 3. Praha, Archivní správa Ministerstva vnitra ČSR, 1976, s. 125–130.
The inventory does not include the land books because they were added to the fonds when it had already been arranged. However, they can be searched by catalogue cards.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Jewish Museum Prague
- Author of the description:
- JMP Survey, 2015.