Archive of the Town of Hlučín

Collection

Scope and content:: The fonds is a valuable source of information about the history of the town of Hlučín from the middle ages until the Second World War. It contains the municipal charters and documents on the organisation and activity of the municipal administration, population registers, construction and social and health conditions. Also present are written materials on the local Jewish population, namely a book of the last wills and testaments of members of the Jewish community in Hlučín from 1870-1914 (inv. 58); and documents containing a list of Jewish families and births, marriages and deaths of members of the Jewish community, a register of births and marriages of Jews and statements from Jewish registers, 1835-1937 (inv. 110). The only older document is a census tax record containing numbers of building owners, sub-tenants, craftsmen, Jews and patrimonial craftsmen from June 1746 to May 1747 (inv. 105). The fonds may contain further information about the Hlučín Jewish community, for example in trade files or the registry agenda.

Archival history:: The oldest written documents generated by the activity of the creator were filed in Hlučín town hall. The preserved registry from 1809-1945 suffered irreplaceable losses towards the end of the second world war and in the years 1945-50: much of it was destroyed by burning during the Nazi occupation and further valuable documents were lost during removals. In 1950 the records were transferred to the municipal archive in Hlučín, then to the district archive in Hlučín, and after its closure in 1960 to the district archive in Opava, where the fonds was arranged in 1985-86.

Administrative/biographical history:: Hlučín (German: Hultschin) lies 20 kilometres east of Opava. In 1742 it became part of Prussia and in 1871 part of Germany, where it belonged to the district of Ratiboř and the government territory of Opolí (now in Poland). Although they spoke a dialect close to standard Czech, most local people felt themselves to belong to Germany. In 1920 the town joined the republic of Czechoslovakia, but in 1922, 748 of its citizens opted in favour of Germany. From 1938-45 Hlučín was annexed by Nazi Germany as part of the “Altreich”. It was liberated on 29 April 1945. A late-classicist synagogue was built in 1840-43 and demolished in 1931. The Jewish cemetery from 1814 was destroyed by the Nazis. A Jewish ceremonial hall was built around 1860 and demolished in 1946.

Subject terms:: Census; Professions; Professions--Crafts; Taxation; Vital records; Vital records--Birth records; Vital records--Death records; Vital records--Marriage records; Wills

System of arrangement:: The fonds is arranged as follows: I. Charters; II. Official books: 1) Administrative books, 2) Record books, 3) Chronicles; III. Files: 1) Registry aids, 2) Files; IV. Accounting material: 1) Accounts ledgers; V. Maps and plans; VI. Other material: 1) Sheet music. Written documents relating to Jews are classified partially within the framework of the department of Official Books among administrative books, and partially within the department of Files among files in the chapter of Municipal Matters.

Finding aids:: Medková M.-Plačková M., Archiv města Hlučína 1303–1945(1952). Inventář, 1986, 100 s., ev. č. 109.