Szolgabírák és járások a középkori Erdélyben
The Noble Magistrates (iudices nobilium) and the Counties in Medieval Transylvania

Summary/Abstract: At the beginning of the 14th century, just as in other parts of Hungary, noble magistrates appeared also in the seven Transylvanian counties (Inner Szolnok, Doboka, Fehér, Hunyad, Kolozs, Küküllő, Torda). They were elected (two for each county) by the county nobility, and together with the comes of the county appointed by the transylvanian voivode, noble magistrates represented the county and constituted its court of law. Already in the Middle Ages the counties were divided into smaller administrative units, districts, which had their role in fi nancial administration (the royal tax was collected according to districts). Only 18th century sources (e.g. Jósef Benkő’s description of Transylvania from 1789, the Transsilvania specialis) inform us about the borders of these districts, but it is very probable that they preserved the medieval situation. In Transylvania, noble magistrates possess landed property always in that county where they hold this offi ce. Only in a few cases (Doboka, Kolozs, Torda) can we document that the two noble magistrates of the county were usually elected one from each district, but according to all indications, districts had no further role in the functioning of a county.

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