Discourses Related to the Activities of Local Offices in the 16th—18th Centuries (The Case of Upper Silesia)
Discourses Related to the Activities of Local Offices in the 16th—18th Centuries (The Case of Upper Silesia)

Summary/Abstract: A method of discursive analysis of ar-chival official texts offers a comprehensive view ofhistorical material, much more in-depth than sty-listic analyses. The subject of this description arePolish-language official records created in Upper Sile-sia between the 16th and 18th centuries, illustratinga certain stage of the formation of institutional legaldiscourse, present in the Polish communicative spacesince the Middle Ages. The surviving collections rep-resent various types of discourse, determined by theintentions of the people approaching the office andby the role assumed by the institutional entity bothin a specific event and in the formulation of a legalwritten document. The article outlines the two mostcommon discourses in the collections studied: 1. thechancery discourse, that was aimed to produce docu-mentation that would ensure the approaching partiesthe right to dispose of property in accordance withthe established agreements and financial transaction;2. the judicial discourse, that involved resolving dis-putes between community members and ensuringpublic order. The written forms documenting theactions of the court served a mainly informative andreporting function, and their role was extremely im-portant in the current legal system, as they formedthe basis for possible appeal proceedings.

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