Town hall of Baia Mare

Collection

Holding institution:: Maramureş County division of the Romanian National Archives

Holding institution (official language):: Arhivele Naţionale. Direcţia judeţeană Maramureş

Postal address:: Bulevardul Bucureşti 26, Baia Mare 430052, judeţul Maramureş

Scope and content:: This fonds comprises the records of the town hall of Baia Mare from 1770 to 1790. It contains records of the meetings of the town council and the decisions taken concerning the administration of the town and its economic, social, cultural, educational and sanitary aspects. A specific section deals with judicial issues, as the town council also functioned as a court to judge cases between inhabitants of the town. During the period covered by these documents Jews were not allowed to settle in Baia Mare due to its status as a mining town, but they nevertheless appear in the records, especially in connection with the trade relations with Poland, measures against the smuggling of tobacco and the production and trade with alcoholic beverages.

Archival history:: The fonds was held by the Town Hall of Baia Mare before it was transferred to the Maramureş County division of the Romanian National Archives, where it was inventoried and made accessible to researchers.

Administrative/biographical history:: The town of Baia Mare was mentioned for the first time in 1329 and in 1347 received a royal privilege which replaced a previous one destroyed during a fire. In 1469 it was fortified and in 1547 the first school founded here is mentioned. The main importance of the town was its role as a mining centre, which increased after the Austrian rule was imposed. In the middle of the 18th century the residence of the Superior Mining Inspectorate was established here, which had under its authority the mining of the surrounding six counties. The District Mining Court of Justice was established in 1788, which had authority over all cases concerning the mining industry. In 1790 the town numbered 3,580 inhabitants and 750 houses. Jews were not allowed to reside in the town until after the revolution of 1948.

Subject terms:: Smuggling; Trade and commerce; Trade and commerce--Alcohol trade

System of arrangement:: The fonds is organised into thematic files which are arranged in chronological order.

Finding aids:: Inventories No. 752 and 755, held by the Maramureş County division of the Romanian National Archives.

Yerusha Network member:: Romanian Institute for the Research of National Minorities

Author of the description:: Anton Dörner (retired researcher), Ladislau Gyémánt (emeritus professor) 2017