STARANIA SEJMIKÓW SZLACHECKICH O NALEŻYTE GROMADZENIE, ZABEZPIECZANIE, OPRACOWANIE I PRZECHOWYWANIE AKT SĄDÓW SZLACHECKICH W XVI–XVIII WIEKU. GŁÓWNE PROBLEMY
ENDEAVORS OF THE NOBILITY DIETINES TO ENSURE PROPER ACCESSION, PROTECTION, CLASSIFICATION AND ACCESSIBILITY OF RECORDS OF THE NOBILITY COURTS IN THE 16TH–18TH CENTURIES. MAIN PROBLEMS

Summary/Abstract: Formally, the records of the land courts (sądy ziemskie), castle courts (sądy grodzkie) and chamberlain courts (sądy podkomorskie) were in the custody of the chancellery and court officials. However, it often happened that it was beyond their capabilities to ensure safety and proper storage conditions for court registers and records, and that is why it was necessary to make the nobility at large interested in improving this situation. The problems connected with storing and protecting the records of these courts were often the subject of debates of the dietines (sejmiki). The paper examines the resolutions on the matter by the dietines of Greater Poland, Cracow, Chełm, the General Dietine of the Ruthenian Voivodeship, and the Land Dietines (sejmiki ziemskie) of Lviv, Przemyśl, Sanok and Halicz. It can be said that the nobility were vividly interested in the protection of court records, which contained legal evidence necessary for the owners of landed estates and real property. They also saw to it that the missing records were restored. The dietines often took care of archives and provided vast sums of money for archive facilities, and sometimes even supported initiatives aimed at buying separate buildings for archival and office purposes. This may show the great documentation culture of the Polish nobility and their high legal consciousness.

• Details
• Contents