Stadtbücher aus dem Königreich Ungarn im Spiegel der städtischen Schriftkultur – Überlegungen zum Stand der Forschung
Town Books in the Kingdom of Hungary in the Mirror of Urban Literacy – An Overview of Research Achievements and Perspectives

Summary/Abstract: In the medieval Kingdom of Hungary places of authentication (loca credibilia) and town chanceries led to the era of written legal traditions. In this survey the function of municipal chanceries was outlined on the basis of the Buda Law Book. Town books, as important proofs of literacy, appeared in Hungary in the 14th century. Despite their number and variety, only a few editions and articles have been published. In order to continue the research, a method based on social history was proposed, which reflected the organisation of citizens (Verband) in a context of the recent achievements of urban legal history. Town books differ according to the time of their recording, their language, and their subjects. E.g. there were court books, land records, and notes of the city council. Town books from Sopron and Miskolc are considered as different examples: Sopron was a free royal town with autonomy, while Miskolc was an oppidum with a mayor and a city council. Miskolc’ town book was recorded from the late 16th century in Hungarian. As an example of interpretations of town books, the last part of the survey focuses on the protection of property in the city of Miskolc.

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