District Court of Brno-venkov

Collection

Holding institution:: State District Archives Brno-venkov located in Rajhrad

Holding institution (official language):: Státní okresní archiv Brno-venkov se sídlem v Rajhradě

Scope and content:: The fonds contains documents of the Civil District Court of Brno-venkov (surroundings). It is important for the Jewish history mainly due to probate and inheritance documents (call number IV, later A and then D) from 1891-1929, recording inheritance procedures after deceased persons, including those of Jewish descent, and also guardianship documents (call number VIII, later P) concerning the guardianship and the assets administration of minors, illegitimate children or people legally incapacitated due to illness or alcoholism. These documents are of great importance for the Jewish genealogy or the study of people’s social or financial situations. The relevant information may also be found in the list of deaths 1855-1880 (1) and in the list of inheritance documents from 1851-1897, or in a variety of disputes heard in this court (call number III, later C) and documents about registration of land property, especially in land books and collections of documents concerning land books.

Archival history:: The files of the fonds were kept in the building of the court. The oldest part of the fonds with the files from 1892-1897 was handed over at an unspecified time to the Moravian Provincial Archives in Brno (then the State Regional Archives in Brno) where it was arranged in 1957. In 1965, the fonds was transferred to the State District Archives Brno-venkov, based in Rajhrad, where the creator still transfers new files.

Administrative/biographical history:: The communities near the town of Brno (Brünn in German), under the 1850 Act on the New Judicial Organisation, fell under the District Court Brno which was divided into several sections: I. The town of Brno, II. Land books, III. Brno-horní předměstí (Upper Suburbs), covering the suburbs and communities north of Brno, IV. Brno-dolní předměstí (Lower Suburbs), covering the suburbs and towns south of Brno. The Municipal Delegated District Civil Court Brno-okolí (Surroundings) emerged from this court giving rise to the creator of this fonds. In 1897, it was renamed the District Civil Court Brno-okolí (Surroundings) and, in 1949, transformed into the District Court Brno-venkov (surroundings), which still exists, with only some changes of its territorial jurisdiction made in 1960. No Jewish community fell within the jurisdiction of the court before 1945 but the court had personal jurisdiction over all people of Jewish origin with the right of domicile (permanent residence) in the areas falling under the territorial jurisdiction of the court.

Subject terms:: Children; Genealogy; Land registries; Legal matters; Real estate; Vital records; Vital records--Death records; Wills

System of arrangement:: The fonds is divided into the register and auxiliary books and the files. The files are arranged according to subject call numbers. Prior to 1897, the call numbers are as follows: II - Court matters; III Litigations; IV - Inheritance files, VII - Various civil matters; VIII - Guardianship files. After 1897, the call numbers are as follows: A - Inheritance, C - Litigations; P - Guardianship.

Finding aids:: Radimský J: Okresní soud Brno - okolí 1890 - 1897. Inventář, 1957, s. 11, ev.č. 67.; Folková J: Okresní soud civilní Brno-okolí (1891) 1898 - 1923 (1929). Inventář, 2004, s. 18, ev.č. 471.; Okresní soud Brno-venkov období od zakládání nových pozemkových knih 1892 - 1897. Prozatímní inventární seznam, 1975, s. 3, ev.č. 472.