Metadata: District Office of Prievidza
Collection
- Country:
- Slovakia
- Holding institution:
- State Archive in Nitra
- Holding institution (official language):
- Štátny archív v Nitre
- Postal address:
- Novozámocká 273, Ivanka pri Nitre, 951 12
- Phone number:
- 00421 37 656 4263
- Web address:
- http://www.minv.sk/?archivy
- Email:
- archiv.nr@minv.sk
- Reference number:
- 7234
- Title:
- District Office of Prievidza
- Title (official language):
- Slúžnovský úrad v Prievidzi
- Creator/accumulator:
- District Office of Prievidza
- Date(s):
- 1851/1922
- Language:
- Hungarian
- Slovak
- Czech
- Extent:
- 103.50 linear metres
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The documents of the fonds concern the territory which was under the authority of the District Office in Prievidza. They refer to the entire population regardless of ethnicity or religion. Due to the existence of numerous Jewish communities in the district, plenty of Judaica can be found in the documents.
In the unavailable parts of the fonds, Judaica are highly likely to be found in lists of recruits 1857-1858, which are part of the administrative files from 1850-1861. Thematically important information may also be found in civil-law documents, especially in the book of orphans (1856-1857) and in a part of the files from 1854-1860, especially in the group of civil disputes and the group of matters concerning orphans and guardianships. From 1861-1871, only a fragment of documents has been preserved.
Presidential files have only been preserved from 1919-1922 and this part of the fonds is fully available. Judaica can be found in most of the subject groups into which the presidential documents are divided. The highest number of them are found in a group labeled XX - interest organisations, associations, and religious activities. It includes, for example, reports of notaries on the conduct of Jews during and after the war and their agitation against Czechoslovakia (1919), a circular on the activities of the Central Office of Jewish Communities (1920), and a notice about the transfer of the affairs of Jewish religious communities under the authority of the Ministry of Education (1922). Several documents concern movements of Jews in connection with Hungary, for example, a notice about the arrival of Jews from Hungary to Slovakia (1921) or a circular on the banishment of Jews to Hungary (1922). This subject group also includes documents about antisemitism, such as the information of the deputy county head about the preparation of anti-Jewish demonstrations incited from the Czech lands (1919), or the request of the county head to investigate the Antisemitic League (1921). Other documents concern the activities of Jews in parties and associations, such as a negative report on the activities of Jews in the Communist Party and the existence of the Jewish Communist Trade Unions (1922) or the list of associations in the district of Prievidza (1922).
A relatively large amount of important information can also be found in the subject group number XI - passport issues, foreigners, entry ban and banishment. It includes a request by the governmental mining commissioner in Handlová to banish the family members of already banished Jews (1919), the issuing of bans to enter Czechoslovakia (e.g. Chaim Hochsteter from Poland, 1919) and lists of Hungarian nationals proposed for banishment, who were very likely Jews, too. The group number X is similar - residence permits, returnees, emigration, and travelling abroad. This group also includes permits to reside in Czechoslovakia (e.g. for Adolf Epstein, a former Russian war prisoner, 1920).
Plenty of Judaica can be found in the subject group number XIII - searching and tracking persons, e.g. the tracking of J. Rosenbaum, a trader suspected of fraud (1919-1920), or E. Orenstein, a supporter of Communism from Spišská Nová Ves (1922). Thematically similar documents are deposited in the subject group number IX (subversive, Bolshevik and Communist propaganda). These are mainly documents concerning the search for representatives of the international Communist and labour movements, among which there were also several Jews (e.g. Abraham Kliener, Pavol Hirsch, 1921, Boruch Lifschitz, 1922). There are similar Judaica in the subject group XIV (authorising and prohibiting the dissemination of printed materials, censorship), such as a warning about Jews travelling with Bolshevik journals (1919).
In other subject groups, one can find Judaica concerning economic issues. Subject group number XVI (economic and financial affairs, supplies) includes, for example, lists of persons who were granted licenses to run pubs and tobacconists (1919). Some of the documents from the subject group number IV belong there, too (judicial and repressive powers), such as the closure of the inns of the owners Wagner and Spitzer (1919).
Judaica can be found in other subject groups, too, for example, in subject group number III, including district, notary and general affairs, where one can find e.g. negative reports of notaries on officials being bribed by Jews (1919) and subject group number VI (social conditions, activities of political parties and trade unions, and social affairs) which includes a document concerning complaints of servants for being dismissed from work, especially by Jewish farm owners (1919). The subject group number XV (military affairs, war prisoners, and refugees) also includes conscription orders (e.g. Max and Juraj Stern from Prievidza, 1919), and the subject group number XIX (education, culture, and language) the list of all schools in the district, indicating the language of instruction (1920).
Administrative documents from 1872-1922 are unorganised and unavailable. Judaica are certain to be found in the files of several types of agendas, e.g in the general agenda (numerous files from 1878-1922), the agenda of offences (files from 1884-1922), or the orphan agenda (files from 1889-1907). Judaica are also likely probable to be found in the military agenda, especially in the list of recruits born in 1874-1889.
- Archival history:
- The documents of the creator from 1850-1871 were originally deposited in the Archives of Nitra County. In 1952, they were taken over by the predecessor of the institution where they are now. A part of the fonds from 1872-1922 was originally taken over by the District Archives in Prievidza, from where it was transferred, in 1958, to the predecessor of the institution where it is now. After being taken over, both parts were put into one fonds. As a result of the frequent moving of the State Archives in Nitra, the originally organised fonds got disintegrated and the bulk of it is still in that condition. In 1982, a thematic catalogue was made for the presidential documents from 1919-1922, but it only concerns documents related to the labour and Communist movements. In 1994-2008, this part of the fonds was gradually arranged and a finding aid was created for it. At present, the fonds is classified as categorised, partially inventoried and catalogued.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The district offices as public administration bodies were established on the basis of the decree of the Minister of Interior No. 434 of 25 October 1849. The District Office in Prievidza was formed in 1850 and together with others it ranked among the lowest administrative-administrative units in the country. In 1854, it also gained the jurisdiction of the lowest judicial instance, which was transferred to district courts in 1872 after the separation of the judiciary from the public administration. Its name was changed to Bojnice District Office and by adding parts of Oslany and Topolčiany Distrits its territorial authority was temporarily increased. The territorial jurisdiction of the Office was decreased in 1850-1861 and 1872-1912. In 1912-1922, the Branch of the District Office in Nitrianske Rudne was separated from the District. In 1850-1861, the District was part of Dolná (Lower) Nitra County, and in 1861-1922 part of Nitra County. The District (“Služnovský”) Office in Prievidza ceased to exist on 31 December 1922 and its authority was taken over by the District Office in Prievidza.
- Access points: locations:
- Handlová
- Prievidza
- Spišská Nová Ves
- Access points: persons/families:
- Epstein, Adolf
- Hirsch, Pavol
- Hochsteter, Chaim
- Kliener, Abraham
- Lifschitz, Boruch
- Orenstein, E
- Rosenbaum, J
- Stern, Juraj
- Stern, Max
- Subject terms:
- Antisemitism
- Censorship
- Communism
- Communism--Communist parties and organisations
- Crime
- Education
- Education--Schools and universities
- Hospitality industry
- Hospitality industry--Inns
- Jewish political activity
- Law enforcement
- Legal matters
- Migration
- Military
- Orphans
- Residency issues of Jews
- Trade and commerce
- System of arrangement:
- The fonds contains official books from 1856-1922, registry finding aids from 1851-1922, and files from 1854-1922. The fonds is divided into three series. The first consists of documents from 1850-1861, which are further divided into the administrative and judicial documents, which are divided into civil and criminal. The second department includes documents from 1861-1871, which are divided into public-administrative documents (divided into presidential and administrative) and judicial documents (civil and criminal). These have not been organised yet. The documents from 1872-1922 are divided into presidential and administrative, divided into six groups (general, criminal offences, forest offences, military, orphans, and files of the district maintenance commission). The original chronological-numerical arrangement of the presidential documents from 1919-1922 was replaced by their being divided into twenty subject groups.
- Access, restrictions:
- Available for research.
- Finding aids:
- Drahošová, Š. – Féderová, T.: Slúžnovský úrad v Prievidzi. Československé obdobie 1919 – 1922. Prezidiálne písomnosti. Inventár, 2008, 82 s., ev. č. 3870; Drahošová, Š. – Féderová, T.: Slúžnovský úrad v Prievidzi. Prezidiálne písomnosti 1919 – 1922. Katalóg prameňov k dejinám robotníckeho hnutia a KSČ, 1982, 63 s., ev. č. 1880.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Jewish Museum Prague
- Author of the description:
- JMP/HDC Survey 2016-18
