„Praenobiles et spectabiles Domini, domini amici observandissimi…”. Kontakty chełmińsko-toruńskie w okresie nowożytnym
‘Praenobiles et spectabiles Domini, domini amici observandissimi…’: Contacts between Chełmno and Toruń in the Early Modern Period

Summary/Abstract: In the early modern period, Chełmno (Ger. Kulm), under the governance of thebishops of Chełmno, markedly differed from other towns in Royal Prussia. The bishopssuccessfully thwarted the Reformation within the town, leading to the gradual Poloni-sation of its inhabitants. Despite its early prominence, in the fifteenth century Chełm-no’s significance began to wane, gradually ceasing to be an active participant in thepolitical life of Prussia. Nevertheless, it maintained connections with other Prussiantowns, particularly falling within the sphere of influence of major urban centres likeGdańsk (Ger. Danzig) and Toruń (Ger. Thorn). This article examines the multifacetednature of Chełmno’s interactions with Toruń, drawing on various sources such as reg-isters of admissions to municipal law, treasurer office books, craft guilds’ registers, andespecially correspondence. By analysing the content and frequency of these letters, thestudy concludes that, compared to the medieval period, the eighteenth-century con-tacts between Chełmno and Toruń were infrequent and limited in both economic andpolitical realms. This scarcity of contacts was attributed to the situation of Chełmnooutlined above, setting it apart from Toruń, Gdańsk, and other towns in Royal Prussia.

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