Metadata: Criminal proceedings, 1747-1850 (1865)
Collection
- Country:
- Hungary
- Holding institution:
- National Archives of Hungary, Hajdú-Bihar County Archives, Hajdúböszörmény
- Holding institution (official language):
- Magyar Nemzeti Levéltár Hajdú-Bihar Megyei Levéltára, Hajdúböszörmény
- Postal address:
- 4220 Hajdúböszörmény, Dorogi u. 5
- Phone number:
- +36 30 636 7974
- Web address:
- http://mnl.gov.hu/hajduboszormenyi_fiokleveltar
- Email:
- hajduboszormeny@mnl.gov.hu
- Reference number:
- IV.A.505.e
- Title:
- Criminal proceedings, 1747-1850 (1865)
- Title (official language):
- Büntetőperes iratok, 1747-1850 (1865)
- Creator/accumulator:
- Hajdú District
- Date(s):
- 1747/1865
- Date note:
- 1747/1850/1865
- Language:
- Latin
- Hungarian
- Extent:
- 17.95 linear metres (246 boxes 5 volumes)
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection of 'Criminal proceedings 1747-1850(1865)' comprises the documents of criminal proceedings related to Punitive Court cases in the Hajdú District. The collection is part of the extensive collection of 'Court Documents 1736-1850 (1865)' in the Hajdú District. The collection can be divided into two units: 246 boxes of documents and 4 handbooks.
In the feudal era public cases or crimes against the community covered theft (horse or cattle theft), highway robbery, robbery, manslaughter, adultery, bigamy, rape, infidelity, discord among noblemen, despotic measures by noblemen against county officials, insubordination or infamy. In retaliation, sentences often referred back to the Tripartitium compiled by István Webőczy or Corpus Iuris, sometimes the orders of the king. Criminal proceedings (similarly to civil lawsuits) illustrate the internal context of the period, the system of relationships among and between social groups, aspects of social life and the situation of individuals living in the society. The documents were written mainly in Latin and Hungarian.
The collection does not separate the Jewish-related documents, i.e. descriptions or potential judgements of Jewish-related cases are scattered among the records. Jewish-related documents of criminal proceedings are available in about 44 boxes within the 246 boxes of documents. The number of headings is 57. Categorisation in the archives in the modern era reveals that the headings may indicate separated documents, so-called ‘orphans’, although most of them are related to a multitude of documents or extensive case files. The first Jewish-related entry in studied period is from 1765 (IV.A.505.e 1765. N. 8.), the criminal case of Jacob Gabriel. The second record dates from 1791 and presents the case of Jacob Franciscus, a thief from Vámospércs (IV.A.505.e 11 05 1791 OO. 22.). It must be emphasised that the legislative system in the given period was rather inconsistent and the Jewish-related records make this feature even more palpable. It means that a number of court files considered as criminal cases were recorded under heading IV.A.505.f. within the civil court documents.
The documents show Jews in various types of roles: victims (robbery, beatings and despotism), offenders (possession of stolen property, theft, incitement), partners in contracts (farming leases, parties to business transactions, suppliers). The majority of cases took place after the 1820s. As for their geographical distribution, the sources point out the conditions of the Jewish population in the district. Data are available from almost all settlements in the Hajdú District; however, only the cases in Hajdúböszörmény are outstanding. Several residents involved in the lawsuits are also mentioned in the entries of criminal records: Illés Fischbein from Hajdúszoboszló, Fried from Hajdúnánás. The sources reveal the settlement of disputes within Jewish society and the complex nature of their relationships with the non-Jewish society.
The second part of the collection, the four volumes of handbooks provide guidance on the documents and the records (IV.A.505.f).
- Archival history:
- Hajdú District - Districtus Haidonicalis - was established at the end of the 17th century and was responsible for the representation and administration of the area. The archives in the district has maintained certificates and legal documents since 1605. The first records mentioning the archives date back to 1688, when the documents were kept in a small room in Hajdúböszörmény. The privileges of hajduk and the related records are kept in a box in the castle of Kálló. Other relevant documents were maintained by the captain of the district and the county notary. In 1776 the Council of Governor-General ordered the construction of the archives. In 1808 the collection was transferred to the district hall. In 1876 the archives of Hajdú-Bihar County was established (pursuant to Article XXXIII). The events of World War II posed a threat to the collection of documents, therefore the collection was hidden in the Trans-Danubian region at the end of the war. Consequently, part of the documents was destroyed and/or mixed. The administrative unification of Bihar and Hajdú counties affected the history of the archives. In 1950 the Bihar County archives was transferred to Debrecen and included in the archival documents of Hajdú County. It has developed into the Hajdú-Bihar County Archives, and Debrecen became the centre. In 1968, following the period of the “state history” the documents were returned to the relevant counties. In case of documents from the feudal era in Hajdú District it meant that the collection was maintained in the Hajdú-Bihar County Archives of Debrecen. However, a branch archive was established in Hajdúböszörmény in 1981, and it became the place where the historical documents of the Hajdú District were kept.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The captain of the district performed the judicial tasks with the assistance of 12 jurors in the Hajdú district. Jurisdiction was not separated from administration. Until the third quarter of the 18th century no separate judicial and administrative court meetings were held. Subsequently, 4-4 civil and criminal court assemblies were held. As a result of administrative reforms by Joseph II., the judicial right of the Hajdú District came within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Judicium subalterum in Nagykálló. In 1790 the mandates of administration and jurisdiction were returned to the district.
- Access points: locations:
- Hajdúböszörmény
- Hajdúdorog
- Hajdúhadház
- Hajdúnánás
- Hajdúszoboszló
- Subject terms:
- Crime
- Legal matters
- Trade and commerce
- System of arrangement:
- The collection is in two parts: Documents of the punitive court and handbooks.
- Finding aids:
-
The following handbooks are available:
Handbooks under heading IV.A.505.e: 247. v.: Regestrum Actorum Criminalium 1747-1783; 248. v.: Index actorum criminalium 1783-1808; 249. v.: Index actorum criminalium 1809-1840; 250. v: Index of Criminal Cases 1841-1863.
IV.A. No 756.: 1844-1850.
There are Hungarian and Latin handbooks for the document collection and the records of criminal cases under heading IV.A.505.f.
- Yerusha Network member:
- University of Szeged
- Author of the description:
- Dr. Tibor Almási and Dr. Erzsébet Mislovics, University of Szeged, 2019
