Archive of the Town of Bílina

Collection

Scope and content:: The fonds contains documents of the municipal self-government. Jewish issues can be found in the following files: Jewish cemetery, 1926–33 (inv. 2398); personal issues of the Jewish religious community, 1931 (inv. 2639); celebrations of the Jewish religious community, 1928 and 1935 (inv. 2640); Jewish cemetery, 1940 (inv. 2641); Jews, 1938–39 (inv. 3004); allocation of the Jewish synagogue to the Winterhilfswerk charitable organisation, 1939 (inv. 3114); religious communities, 1939 (inv. 3115); renaming of streets named after Jews, 1938 (inv. 3244); list of Jewish trades, 1939 (inv. 3260); inventories of abandoned Czech and Jewish properties, 1938 (inv. 3361); renting houses and plots abandoned by Czech and Jewish owners, 1938–39 (inv. 3362); and Jews-a speech made at the consecration of the Jewish cemetery in 1892, copies of promissory notes and the imprisoning of a Jew named Mark (inv. 3398). Jewish issues are also likely to be found in the 1890 census records (inv. 1736); the book of applications for and cancellations of trades, 1929–44 (inv. 1138); inventories of houses and homeowners, 1850–38 (inv. 1260–1268); books of right of domicile, 1891–1942; books of the town judiciary, uncontested and contested disputes, 1545–1942; and town chronicles, 1879–1938 (inv. 1353–1357).

Archival history:: The fonds was transferred to the state district archive Teplice in 1959, but stored in a secluded depository of the state district archive of Teplice at the municipal office in Bílina, where it was gradually processed in 1987–91 and later moved to the state district archive Teplice.

Administrative/biographical history:: The first record of the town of Bílina dates from 993 when it was mentioned in a charter of John XV concerning the Břevnov monastery. From the early 18th century, the town benefited from its mineral springs, which gave rise to the famous spa of Bilina and the Kyselka healing water bottling plant. The manorial authority also supported coal mining and other activities such as glassmaking. The town had three suburbs, Teplické, Mostecké and Pražské, and in 1869 the settlement of Újezd was attached to it. Until 1927, a branch of the Duchcov office functioned in Bílina, and in 1936 a district office was established in the town. During the Nazi occupation, as in neighbouring towns, the district office was replaced by a Landrat (district councillor) and Bürgermeisteramt (mayor's office).

Subject terms:: Antisemitism; Cemeteries; Census; Financial matters; Financial matters--Debt; Jewish community; Jewish holidays; Plunder; Prisoners; Real estate; Synagogues; Trade and commerce

System of arrangement:: The fonds contains deeds and books (before 1850 and after 1850). When the files were inventoried, four period units were created. The inventory period until 1850 is then divided into the period before Joseph II and the period of the municipality office. The period of the municipal office 1850-1918 is divided into files in the original inventory (the presidium files and others) and unsorted files (divided into thematic groups). The filing period of 1918-1938 was arranged according to the period disposition schedule, and the period of 1938-1945 according to the disposition schedule for the Sudetenland.

Finding aids:: Fejtová O - Kocourková K. Poštová M. Tučková V., Archiv města Bílina 1428-1945, Inventář, 1992, 361 s.