Metadata: Various courts
Collection
- Country:
- Poland
- Holding institution:
- National Archives in Krakow
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archiwum Narodowe w Krakowie
- Postal address:
- ul. Sienna 16, 30–960 Kraków
- Phone number:
- (+48 12) 422 40 94; (+48 12) 4212790; (+48 12) 421 68 81
- Web address:
- http://ank.gov.pl/
- Email:
- sekretariat@ank.gov.pl
- Reference number:
- PL 29/26.1- PL 29/26.9
- Title:
- Various courts
- Title (official language):
- Sądy różne – zbiór szczątków zespołów
- Creator/accumulator:
- Courts of law
- Date(s):
- 1520/1868
- Language:
- Latin
- Polish
- German
- Extent:
- 2.8 linear metres (31 units)
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The documents in this collection were generated by several institutions: the Land Court of Krakow; the Assessors’ Court; the Royal High Court (sąd relacyjny); the Forum Nobilium; the Higher Court of the German Law at the Castle of Krakow; the Court of the Six Towns; the Vehmgerichts or interregnum courts (Confederacy Courts); and, the Austrian authorities (from 1772 on). They originate from the Voivodeship of Krakow in early Poland (until 1795), mainly with the localities of Krakow, Kazimierz, and Kleparz.
The records are related to the administration of justice, mainly with respect to towns. Research suggests that Jewish-related elements appear in most of the archival units. These include documents, or series of documents, related to legal actions/litigations and disputes between the City of Krakow and/or Kazimierz and the synagogue of Kazimierz, or burghers vs. Jews; king’s commands and verdicts, rulings of appellate courts, privileges granted to the Kazimierz synagogue, and other items, complement the picture.
Jewish-related items have been found in the following archival units: 29/26/1, pp. 131–134, 1131–1132 (years: 1588, 1782); 29/26/2: pp. 87–190, 259–262, 837–860, 1151 (1621, 1642, 1743, 1744, 1760, 1761, 1765, 1770, 1771, 1777, 1785); 29/26/3: pp. 123–130, 903–910 (1704, 1760); 29/26/4: s. 757–776 (1758, 1768); 29/26/5: pp. 469–524, 567–576 (1520, 1565, 1567, 1560–1777, 1655, 1658); 29/26/6: pp. 5–7, 139–148, 159–161, 165–172, 275–318 (1623, 1633, 1637, 1654, 1669, 1674, 1687, 1711, 1723, 1742); 29/26/11: pp. 599–602, 827 (1768, 1772); 29/26/17: cards 51v, 56, 58, 62, 72 (petitions from 1757–1771); 29/26/22: pp. 58–60, 207–210 (1618); 29/26/28: pp. 19–46, 97–106 (1787, ca. 1791 – a list of pecuniary investments of Catholic Church institutions for the Voivodeships of Krakow and Sandomierz, in kahals); 29/26/29: pp. 69–72 (1668); 29/26/31: pp. 207, 227–228, 237–238, 251–252, 259–260, 281–286 (1619, 1736, 1742, 1746, 1750, 1775, moratorium letters and royal safe-conducts, incl. for the synagogue of Kazimierz). No Jewish-related items were found in: 29/26/7; 29/26/23; 29/26/26.
- Archival history:
- The collection is composed of records/files produced by various courts, royal letters concerning legal disputes, as collected by the authorities of Krakow, Kazimierz and Kleparz in connection with the court cases (lawsuits, litigations) or legal disputes, initiated or pending. The materials have been combined into an archive – collected and ordered so as to form a separate fond – resulting from a time-consuming effort (in 1974–2000).
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Since around 1400, the castle courts handled criminal cases and, afterwards, also civil cases, and accepted perpetual entries. The assessors’ [appellate] court (asesoria), operating under the responsibility of the chancellor or deputy chancellor, heard cases of towns based on the Magdeburg or Chełmno [Kulm] Law, and cases involving burghers. The Royal High Court [sąd relacyjny], whose sessions were attended by the king, considered appeals against the assessors’ court. The Forum Nobilium was an Austrian estate court (since 1787) in western Galicia. The Higher Court of the German Law at the Castle of Krakow examined the appeals submitted by towns against verdicts. The Court of the Six Towns was the supreme court for matters involving the Magdeburg Law between 1356 and 1725. The Court issued judgments or verdicts (so-called ortyls) in dubious or complex cases. Vehmgerichts or interregnum courts (Confederacy Courts) were the nobility’s State courts operating during the interregna in Poland-Lithuania.
- Subject terms:
- Jewish community
- Kahal
- Legal matters
- Privileges
- System of arrangement:
-
The documents are arranged by the institution that generated them:
* The Castle Court of Krakow, 1520–1789 (29/26/1–10);
* The Land Court of Krakow, 1585–1797 (29/26/11);
* Assessors’ Court, appeals, 1539–1795 (29/26/12–16);
* Starost’s Court (Austrian) in Bochnia, petitions: 1757–1772 (29/26/17);
* Forum Nobilium, 1787–1828 (Austrian), inheritances/bequests and guardianship (29/26/18–29/26/21);
* The The Royal High Court [sąd relacyjny], 1618 (ref. no. 29/26/22);
* The Seym Court of the Kingdom of Poland, 1828 (29/26/23);
* Magdeburg Law courts, 1545–1708, 1732 (29/25/24–29);
* Varia (Tribunal of Lublin, Fiscal Court, Interregnum Court (Vehmgericht), Marshal’s Court, Referendary’s Court, Seym Court). Verdicts, petitions: 1581–1794 (29/28–29).
* Copies of documents, decrees and royal letters: 1271–1794 (29/26/30–31).
- Access, restrictions:
- If a copy (microfilm, scan, photocopy) of a document exists, this is what will be made available. Access to the originals requires the consent of the Director.
- Finding aids:
-
Inventories available online, using id=28180 – 21189.
An inventory in Polish is available in the reading room at the archive.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute
- Author of the description:
- Janusz S. Dąbrowski; Kraków; 2015
