Rovno County Court; Rovno, Volhynia Province

Collection

Holding institution (official language):: Державний архів Рівненської області

Postal address:: 26-a Stepan Bandera Str., Rivne, 33014 (building 1); 8 Kavkazka St. Rivne, 33013 (building 2), Ukraine

Title (official language):: Ровенский уездный суд, г. Ровно Волынской губ.; Рівненський повітовий суд, м. Рівне Волинської губ.

Scope and content:: Included (op. 5 and 6) are files on monetary claims of local Roman Catholic churches against Jewish kahals; on Jews wishing to convert to Christianity; on the transfer of buildings for the organisation of Jewish houses of worship; on the holding of public religious services without requisite permission; etc.

Administrative/biographical history:: County courts were established in 1763 as zemstvo povet (county) courts pursuant to a charter of hetman Kyrylo Rozumovs’kyi and in accordance with the Lithuanian Statute. In 1783, Catherine II extended the Regulation on the Provinces (1775) to cover Ukraine; these courts accordingly became county courts. However, in late 1796 Paul I restored the former judicial system, which existed until the Polish Uprising of 1831; after this was suppressed, all Polish institutions were liquidated, and povet zemstvo courts were reorganised as county ones. These courts were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice and were initially subordinate to corresponding central courts; and after 1831, to chambers of the criminal and civil court. They heard civil and criminal cases, and also conducted notarial proceedings related to the witnessing of deeds of purchase, promissory notes, last wills and testaments, and the decisions of arbitration courts in property disputes. They were liquidated in 1872 in connection with the Judicial Reform of 1864.

Subject terms:: Christianity; Christianity--Churches (institution); Conversion to Christianity; Financial matters; Kahal; Synagogues

System of arrangement:: The fonds includes six inventories systematised chronologically.