communities of legal memory in medieval poland, c. 1200-1240

8/10/2019 Communities of Legal Memory in Medieval Poland, c. 1200-1240

1/28

Pergamon

P II S 0 3 0 4 - 4 1 8 1 ( 9 8 ) 0 0 0 0 3 - 7

Journal of Medieval Histo~ Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 127-154, 1998

1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Printed in The Netherlands.

0304-4181/98 19.00 + 0.00

Communities of Legal Memory in Medieval Poland c. 1200-1240

Piotr Gfrecki

Dep artmen t of History University of CaliJbrnia Riverside CA 92521-0204 USA

For Gerald Gunther

Abstract

An impor t an t f ea tu r e o f t he l ega l sys t em o f med ieva l Po land in the l a t e r twe l f th and ea r l i e r

th i r t een th cen tu r i es was the ro l e o f severa l k inds o f l oca l g roups in l ega l t r ansac t ions , e spec ia l ly

t r ansf e r s o f l anded p roper ty . Such g roups were va r i ed and f lu id , bu t t he i r member sh ip ,

mo b i l i za t ion , and func t ions com pr i se coheren t pa t t e rns , wh ich can be t r aced f rom l i s ts o f

wi tnesses p r esen t a t l ega l t r ansac t ions p r es ided over by P ias t dukes , and f rom the co l l ec t ive

ac t iv i t i e s wh ereby h igh c l e rgy , duc a l o f f i c i a ls , and loca l g roups e f f ec t ed , r e i t e ra t ed , and

reme mb ered l ega l t r ansac t ions . The loca l g roups inc luded ( among o the rs ) ne igh bou rhoo ds o f

se t t le r s nea r t he p l aces tha t w ere a f f ec t ed by the l ega l t r ansac tions ; i nhab i t an t s o f l oca l cen t r es o f

popu la t ion , exchange , and lo rdsh ip ; and

f a m i l i a e

of the h igh c l e rgy , duca l o f f i c ia l s , o r pa r t i e s t o

the t r ansac t ions . Th i s paper r econs t ruc t s t he co l l ec t ive ac t iv i t i e s whereby such g roups r ecogn ized

and r em emb ered l ega l t r ansac t ions , a s we l l a s t he phys i ca l , pe r sona l , and env i ronmenta l anchor s o f

the i r co l l ec t ive mem ory . I t is a l oca l s tudy o f how c omm uni t i e s o f l ega l mem ory func t ioned as a

source o f lega l know ledge and r eco rd . 1998 El sev ie r Sc ience Ltd . Al l r i gh t s r e se rved .

K e y w o r d s : P o l a n d ; L a w ; C o m m u n i ti e s ; S o c i e ty ; S o c i a l m e m o r y

I n a p i o n e e r i n g s t u d y p u b l i s h e d n e a r l y f i f t e e n y e a r s a g o , S u s a n R e y n o l d s r e c a s t

m e d i e v a l i n s t i t u t i o n a l h i s t o r y b y f o c u s i n g o n t h e r o l e s o f s e v e r a l k i n d s o f s o c i a l g r o u p s

i n t h e fo r m a t i o n a n d m a i n t e n a n c e o f l a w a n d t h e p o li t ic a l c o m m u n i t y ) H e r w o r k h a s

r e s u l t e d in a n e l e g a n t w o r k i n g d e f i n i t io n o f t h e m e d i e v a l c o m m u n i t y a s a s o c i a l g r o u p

t h a t p e r f o r m e d a s p e c i f i e d r a n g e o f c o l l e c t i v e a c t iv i t ie s , w h i c h i n t u r n e n d o w e d t h e

p a r t i c i p a n t s w i t h r o u t i n e r o l e s , a n d p e r h a p s w i t h a s e n s e o f g r o u p i d e n t i t y ; a n d o f t h e

m e d i e v a l l e g a l o rd e r a s a n a g g r e g a t e o f c o m m u n i t i e s t h u s d e f in e d . T h e y e a r s s i n c e s h e

w r o t e h a v e w i t n e s s e d a m a r k e d r e v i v a l o f in t e r e s t i n o n e p a r t i c u l a r a r e a o f c o l l e c t i v e

PIOTR GOR ECK I is Associate Professor of History at the Un iversity of California, Riverside. His

publications include Economy soc ie ty and lordship in medieval Poland 11 00 -12 50 (New York, 1992) and

a w ide ran ge of articles on m edieval Polish history.

~S. Reyno lds,

Kingdom s and communit ie s in wes tern Europe 90 0-1 30 0

(Oxford, 1984); she anticipated some

of her reassessments in the context of urban history in An introduction to the history o f Eng lish medieval

tow ns (Oxford, 1977), especially 80-85, 103-04, 108-10.


2/28

1 2 8 P i o t r G 6 r e c k i

a c t iv i t y t h a t d e f i n e d c o m m u n i t i e s - - t h e a p p r o a c h e s w h e r e b y i n d i v i d u a l s a n d g r o u p s

e s t a b li s h e d , m a i n t a in e d , a n d m a n i p u l a t ed p a t te r n s o f c o l l e c t i v e m e m o r y .2 T h i s r e v i v a l o f

i n t e r e s t c o i n c i d e s w i t h a n e w a p p r e c i a t i o n o f t h e r o l e o f g r o u p p r o c e s s a n d s t r a t e g y i n

t h e le g a l s y s t e m s o f m e d i e v a l E u r o p e ; 3 a n d w i t h a n o n g o i n g r e a s s e s s m e n t o f t h e r e l at iv e

s t a t u s o f w r i t i n g , h e a r i n g , s p e e c h , a n d p e r f o r m a n c e a s t h e p r e f e r r e d m o d e s o f r e c o r d a n d

t r an s m i s si on o f k n o w l e d g e - - i n c l u d i n g ( a m o n g o t h e r s u b je c ts ) l eg a l k n o w l e d g e . 4 T h u s ,

c o l l e c t i v e m e m o r y h a s e m e r g e d a s a n i m p o r t a n t d o m a i n o f l e g a l k n o w l e d g e , a n d t h e

c o l l e c t i v e a c t i v i t i e s w h e r e b y t h a t m e m o r y w a s e s t a b l i s h e d , r e p r o d u c e d , a n d a lt er ed , h a v e

e m e r g e d a s a n i m p o r t a n t a r e a o f l e g a l p r a c t i c e .

C o l l e c t i v e m e m o r y , a n d t h e g r o u p a c t i v it i es t h a t e s t a b l i sh e d a n d m o b i l i z e d i t i n th e

c o n t e x t o f l e g a l t r a n s a c t i o n s , w e r e r e l a t i v e l y i m p o r t a n t e l e m e n t s o f t h e l e g a l s y s t e m o f

t h i r te e n t h - c en t u r y P o la n d . P o l i s h h i s t or i a n s m o s t c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e l e g a l s i g n i fi c a n c e

a n d r o le s o f l o c a l s o c i a l g r o u p s h a v e u s u a l l y f o c u s e d o n t h e n e i g h b o u r h o o d , a r at he r

e l u s i v e g r o u p d e f i n e d b y r e s i d e n c e a n d c o m m o n o b l i g a t i o n s , a n d a t t e s t e d i n t h e w r i t t e n

s o u r c e s a s t h e

v i c i n i a

o r t h e

o p o l e

I n g e n e r a l , t h e i n t e r e s t e d s c h o l a r s h a v e p o r t r a y e d t h e

2 E C o n n e r t o n ,

How societies remember

( C a m b r i d g e , 1 9 8 9 ) ; M . C a r r u t h e r s,

The book of memory. A study of

memory in medieval culture

( C a m b r i d g e , 1 9 9 0 ); J . F e n tr e s s a n d C . W i c k h a m ,

Social memory

( O x f o r d ,

1 9 9 2 ) ; J . C o l e m a n , Ancient and medieval memories. Studies in the reconstruction of the past ( C a m b r i d g e ,

1 9 9 2 ) ; a n d E J . G e a r y , Phantoms of remembrance. Memory and oblivion at the end of the first millennium

( P r i n c e t o n , 1 9 9 4 ) .

3 S . D . Wh i t e , Custom, kinship, and gifts to saints. The laudatio parentum in western France, 1050-1150

( C h a p e l H i l l , N . C . , 1 9 8 8 ) ; E . Z . T a b u t e a u , Transfers of property in eleventh-century Norman law ( C h a p e l

H i l l , N . C . , 1 9 8 8 ) ; W . D a v i e s , Small worlds. The village community in early medieval Brittany ( B e r k e l e y a n d

L o s A n g e l e s , 1 9 8 8 ) , a n d s e v e r a l p r e v i o u s a r t i c l e s b y t h e s a m e a u t h o r s c i t e d i n t h e s e w o r k s . T h e f o c u s o n

p r o c e s s a n d g r o u p p r a c t i c e i s i n d e b t e d t o l e g a l a n t h r o p o l o g i s t s , a b o v e a l l J . C o m a r o f f a n d S . R o b e r t s ,

Rules

and processes. The cultural logic of dispute in an African context ( C h i c a g o , 1 9 8 1 ) , a n d R o b e r t s , T h e s t u d y

o f d i s p ut e . A n t h r o p o l o g i c a l p e r s p e c t i v e s , i n : Disputes and settlements. Law and human relations in the

West,

e d . J . B o s s y ( C a m b r i d g e , 1 9 8 3 ) , 1 - 2 4 . I n t h e P o l i s h c o n t e x t , s e e E G 6 r e c k i ,

'Ad controversiam

reprimendam. F a m i l y g r o u p s a n d d i s p u te p r e v e n t i o n i n m e d i e v a l P o l a n d , c . 1 2 0 0 , Law and History Review,

1 4 (1 9 9 6 ) , 2 1 3 - 4 3 , a n d P o l i t i c s o f th e l e g a l p r o c e s s i n e ar l y m e d i e v a l P o l a n d , Oxford Slavonic Papers,

n.s., 1 7 ( 1 9 8 4 ) , 2 3 - 4 4 .

4 B . S to c k , The implications of literacy. Written language and models of interpretation in the eleventh and

twelfth centuries ( P r i n c e t o n , 1 9 8 3 ) ; M . C l a n c h y , From memory to written record. England, 1066-1307

( 2 r i d e d . , O x f o r d , 1 9 9 3 ) ; R . M c K i t t e r i c k , The Carolingians and the written word ( C a m b r i d g e , 1 9 8 9 ) ; a n d

The uses of literacy in early mediaeval Europe, e d . R . M c K i t t e r i c k ( C a m b r i d g e , 1 9 9 0 ) ; f o r m e d i e v a l

H u n g a r y , s e e E . F i i g e d i , 'Verba volant... O r a l c u l t u r e a n d l i te r a c y a m o n g t h e m e d i e v a l H u n g a r i a n n o b i l i t y ,

i n : Kings, bishops, nobles and burghers in medieval Hungary, e d . J . B a k ( L o n d o n , 1 9 8 6 ) , e s s a y V I . B y

l e g a l k n o w l e d g e I m e a n k n o w l e d g e o f t r a n sa c t i o n s, e v e n t s, o r n o r m s r e l e v a n t to t h e p r e v e n t i o n o r

s e t t l e m e n t o f d i s p u t e ; s e e t h e w o r k i n g d e f i n i t i o n s i n E G 6 r e c k i , 'Ad controversiam', 2 1 4 - 1 5 , n n . 6 , 8 , 1 0 .

5 K . M o d z e l e w s k i , L o r g a n i s a t i o n d e l'opole (vicinia) d a n s l a P o l o g n e d e s P i a s t s , Acta Poloniae Historica, 5 7

( 1 9 8 8 ) , 4 3 - 7 6 ; Z . P o d w i f i s k a , Zmiany osadnictwa wiejskiego na ziemiach polskich we wcze~niejszym

gredniowieczu: ~reb, wie~, opole [ C h a n g e s i n t h e f o r m s o f r u r a l s e t t l e m e n t i n P o l a n d i n t h e e a r l i e r M i d d l e

A g e s : h o l d i n g , v i l l a g e , n e i g h b o r h o o d ] ( W r o c l a w , 1 9 71 ) ; m o s t r e c e n t l y , s e e J . M a t u s z e w s k i , Vicinia id est...

Poszukiwania alternatywnej koncepcji staropolskiego opola [Vicinia id est: a s e a r c h f o r a n e w c o n c e p t i o n o f

t h e O l d P o l i s h n e i g h b o u r h o o d ] ( L 6 d l , 1 9 9 1 ), a n d J . M a t u s z e w s k i , O r g a n i z a c j a o p o l n a w N a j s t a r s z y m

z w o d z i e p r a w a p o l s k i e g o [ T h e n e i g h b o u r h o o d o r g a n i z a t i o n i n t h e e a rl i e st c o m p i l a t i o n o f P o l is h l a w ] ,

Przegl d Historyczny, 8 0 ( 1 9 8 9 ) , 1 - 1 6 - - - f r a m e d l a r g e l y a s a p o l e m i c a g a i n s t K . M o d z e l e w s k i , Chlopi w

monarchii wczesnopiastowskiej [ T h e p e a s a n t s i n t h e e a r l y P i a s t m o n a r c h y ] ( W r o c l a w , 1 9 8 7 ) , a n d K .

M o d z e l e w s k i , O r g a n i z a c j a o p o l n a w P o l s c e p i a s t o w s k i e j [ T h e n e i g h b o u r h o o d o r g a n iz a t i o n i n P i a s t

P o l a n d ] , Przeglqd Historyczny, 7 7 ( 1 9 8 6 ) , 1 7 7 - 2 2 0 .


3/28

C o m m u n i t i e s o f L e g a l M e m o r y i n M e d i e v a l P o l a n d , c . 1 2 0 0 - 1 2 4 0 1 29

ne i ghbour hood - - and o t he r un i t s o f s e t t l em en t and au t ho r i t y , e s pec i a l l y ca s t e l l an i e s and

m a j o r e s t a t e s - - p r i m ar i l y a s s uppor t s t r uc t u r e s f o r duca l and r oya l power , and s o a s

a s pec t s o f t he r a t he r t r ad it i ona l adm i n i s tr a t ive h i s t o r y o f e a r l y s t a tec r a f t wh i ch R eyno l ds

and he r s ucces s o r s have r ev i s ed .6 Th i s app r oach ha s t end ed t o de f l ec t a t t en ti on f r om

s eve r a l i n f o r m a l , and cu r r en t l y ve r y in t e r e st i ng , f e a t u r e s o f the ne i gh bou r hoo d and

o t he r un i t s o f s e t t lem en t . A l t hough i t is qu i t e f r agm en t a r y , Po l i s h ev i de nce i l l u st r at e s t he

r e c r u it m e n t an d c o m p o s i t i o n o f n e i g h b o u r h o o d s a n d o t h e r t y p e s o f g ro u p s , th e i r

pa r t i c i pa t i on i n l ega l t r ans ac t i ons , and , m os t i m por t an t l y , t he ways i n wh i ch t hey

r e c o r d e d , r ec a l le d , a n d - - s o m e t i m e s - - f o r g o t o r d e l ib e r a te l y a lt e re d i m p o r t a n t a s p ec t s o f

legal real i ty.7 S u c h g r o u p s f u n c t i o n e d a s c o m m u n i t i e s o f l e g a l m e m o r y , w h i c h w a s

t he r e f o r e a s i gn i f i c an t a s pec t o f t he l ega l s ys t em o f ea r l i e r m ed i eva l Po l and .s

Th e ev i de nce cons i s t s o f t wo s e r i e s o f duca l d i p l om as i s s ued be t w een t he f i rs t yea r s o f

t he t h i r t e en t h cen t u r y and t he ea r l y 1240s , and o f one na r r a t i ve s ou r ce com pi l ed i n t he

l a t e 1260s . The d i p l om as and t he na r r a t i ve s ou r ce com e f r om t wo s ou t he r n p r ov i nces o f

P i a s t Po l and , S i l e s i a and L i t t l e Po l and , c en t r ed r e s pec t i ve l y on t he c i t i es o f W r oc t aw and

K r a k 6 w - - t h e l a r g e s t t o w n s o f e a c h p r o v i n c e , i m p o r t a n t r e s i d e n c e s o f t h e d u k e s o f

S i l e s ia and L i t tl e Po l and , and ep i s copa l s ea t s o f e ach p r ov i nce .9 Mos t o f t he d i p l om as

wer e i s s ued by t he P i a s t dukes t o ecc l e s i a s t i c a l i n s t i t u t i ons - - above a l l , t o C i s t e r c i an

~ T. W a s i l e w s k i , P o l a n d s a d m i n i s t r a t iv e s t r u c t u re i n e a r l y P i a s t t i m e s , Acta Poloniae Historica, 4 4 (1 9 8 1 ) ,

5 - 3 1 ; K . M o d z e l e w s k i ,

Organizacja gospodarcza pa hstw a piastowskiego, X -X II I wiek

[ T h e e c o n o m i c

o r g a n i z a t i o n o f t h e P i a s t s t a t e f r o m t h e t e n t h t o t h e t h i r t e e n t h c e n t u r y l ( W r o c t a w , 1 9 7 5 ) ; M o d z e l e w s k i ,

L o r g a n i z z a z i o n e d e l l o s t a to p o l a c c o n e i s e c o l i X - X I I I : l a s o c i e t h e l e s t ru t tu r e d e l p o t e r e ,

Settimane di

studio del Centro l talian o di Stud i sull Alto Medioevo, 3 0 ( 1 9 8 3 ) , 5 5 7 - 9 9 . F o r a b r i e f s u r v e y o f t h e

l i t e r a tu r e emp h as iz in g s ta tec r a f t , s ee P . G t r eck i , Economy, society, and lordship in medieval Poland,

1 1 0 0 - 1 2 5 0 (New Yo rk , 1 99 2 ), 3 , 6 - 8 , 3 0 -3 1 (n n . 1 0 -1 3 ) .

7 D e s p i t e a c o m m o n f o r m a l i s t e m p h a s i s , b o t h M o d z e l e w s k i a n d M a t u s z e w s k i r e c o n s i d e r t h e t r a d i t i o n a l v i e w s

o f t h e r o l e o f t h e n e i g h b o u r h o o d ; s e e J. M a t u s z e w s k i , Vicinia, 1 0 6 , 1 6 3 , 1 6 6 -6 8 , 1 8 3 -8 4 , 1 9 3 -9 5 ,

2 0 0 - 0 1 , 2 2 3 - 3 9 ; a n d K . M o d z e le w s k i, Chlopi, 1 7 6 - 8 4 .

S M y n o t io n o f a c o m m u n i t y o f l e g a l m e m o r y i s i n d e b t e d to S t o c k s i d e a o f a t e x tu a l c o m m u n i t y ,

Implications,

e s p e c i a l l y 8 8 - 9 1 . T h e m o s t s u g g e s t i v e r e c e n t w o r k c o n c e r n i n g t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n m e m o r y , g r o u p s ,

a n d l a w i n m e d i e v a l P o l a n d ( e s p e c i a l l y i n c o n t e x t o f b o u n d a r y p e r a m b u l a t i o n b y l o c a l a n d r e g i o n a l

c o m m u n i t i e s ) i s b y G . M y g l i w s k i , Z j a w i s k a c u d o w n e w p i s a r st w i e g r e d n i o w i e c z n y m ( X I I - p o c z a t e k X I I I

w . ) [ M iracu lo u s ev en ts in med ie v a l l i te r a tu r e (th e twe l f th to th e ea r ly th i r teen th cen tu ry ) ] ,

Prze g lqd

Historyczny, 81 ( 1 9 9 0 ) , 4 0 5 - 2 2 ; C z a s n a M a z o w s z u g r e d n i o w i e c z n y m . P r a k t y k a s ~ d o w a z ie m i p l o fi s k ie j w

p o cz~ tk ach X V wiek u [T ime in me d iev a l M aso v ia : ju d ic ia l p r ac t ice in th e P to fi sk d i s t r ic t in th e ea r ly

f i f teen th cen tu ry ] , Przeglqd Historyczny, 8 3 ( 1 9 9 2 ), 4 9 - 6 3 ; P o w s t a n i e i r o z w t j g r a n i c y l i n i o w e j n a

M a z o w s z u ( X I I - p o l. X V I w . ) [ T h e o r ig i n s a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e l i ne a r b o u n d a r y in M a s o v i a f ro m t h e

t w e l f t h t o t h e m i d - s i x t e e n t h c e n t u ry ] ,

Kw artalnik Historyczny,

1 01 (1 9 9 4 ), 3 - 2 4 , a n d B o u n d a r y d e l i m i t a -

t i o n a n d i t s s o c i o - c u l tu r a l c o n t e x t s i n m e d i e v a l P o l a n d , p a p e r d e l i v e r e d a t t h e V W o r l d C o n g r e s s o f t h e

I .C.C.E .E .S . , W ar saw, Au g u s t 1 9 95 .

9 B y p r o v i n c e , I m e a n o n e o f t h e m a j o r s u b d i v i s i o n s o f w h a t w a s u n t i l 1 13 8 a u n i t e d k i n g d o m ( o r d u c h y ) o f

P o l a n d , r u le d b y d e s c e n d a n t s o f D u k e B o l e s l a w I II t h e W r y m o u t h ( 1 1 0 2 - 3 8 ) , c o n v e n t i o n a l l y k n o w n a s t h e

P i a s t s; b y d u c h y , I m e a n a p r o v i n c e o r i t s s u b d iv i s i o n r u l e d b y o n e o f t h e P i a s t li n e a g e s . S e e N . D a v i e s ,

Go d s p layground. A h is tory o f Poland (Ne w Yo rk , 1 9 82 ), 1 :6 1 -1 0 5 ; M . Barb er , The two cit ies. Medieval

Europe 1050 - 1320 (Lo n d o n , 1 9 92 ), 3 6 5 -7 3 ; J . To p o lsk i , An out l ine h is tory o f Poland (Warsaw, 1 9 8 5 ) ,

3 8 - 5 1 ; P . K n o l l , E c o n o m i c a n d p o l it i c a l i n t e g ra t i o n o n t h e P o l i s h - G e r m a n f r o n t i e r i n t h e m i d d l e a g e s .

Act io n , r eac t io n , in te r ac t io n , in :

Medieval frontier societies,

e d s . R . B a r t l e t t a n d A . M a c K a y ( O x f o r d ,

1 9 89 ) , 1 5 1 -7 4 ; P . G6 reck i , Economy, society, and lordship, 1 1 - 1 7 .


4/28

130 Piotr G6reck i

m o n a s t e r i e s i n S i l e s ia ~ a n d h o u s e s o f t h e c a n o n s r e g u l a r o f t h e S t J o h n a n d o f th e H o l y

S e p u l c h r e i n L i t t le P o l a n d I l - - a n d r e c o r d g r a n t s o f e s ta t e s , j u r i s d i c t i o n , a n d i m m u n i t y . ~2

F i f ty o f th e d i p l o m a s i s s u e d i n S i l e s ia b y D u k e H e n r y I t h e B e a r d e d , h i s w i f e H e d w i g

o f B a v a r i a , t h e i r s o n H e n r y I I t h e P io u s , t h e i r d a u g h t e r G e r t r u d e , t h e i r g r a n d s o n

B o l e s t a w I I t h e B a l d , a n d H e n r y t h e P i o u s w i d o w A n n e , ~3 a n d 1 9 o f th e d i p l o m a s

i s s u e d in L i t t l e P o l a n d b y D u k e L e s z e k t h e W h i t e , h is w i d o w G r z y m i s t a w a , a n d t h e i r

s o n B o l e s t a w t h e C h a s t e , i n c l u d e w i t n e s s l i st s , t4 T a k e n t o g e t h e r , t h e s e w i t n e s s l i s ts

p i n p o i n t t h o s e g r o u p s w i t h i n S i l e s i a a n d L i tt l e P o l a n d t h a t w e r e m o s t l i k e l y to b e

s u m m o n e d t o, p a r t i c i p a t e i n , a n d p e r h a p s r e m a i n k n o w l e d g e a b l e a b o u t , t h e m o s t

~On the foundation s in the Polish duchies and Silesia in par ticular , see: J . Ktoczowski, Les Cisterciens en

Pologne, du XII e au XIII si~cle , Cfteaux, 28 (1977) , 111 -34; L. Lekai, Ge rma ns and the medieval

Cis te rc ian abbeys in Polan d , Cfteaux, 28 (1977) , 121-32 ; D. H. Wil l iams, Eas t of the Order , Cfteaux, 29

(1978) , 228-67; P. Grrecki, Economy, society, and lordship, 14 -16 ; A. M. Wyrwa, Cystersi . G eneza,

duchowogr, organizacja 2ycia w zakon ie (do XV wieku) i pocz~tki fundacji na ziemiach pols kich [The

Cistercians: or igins, spiri tuali ty, organ ization of l ife in the order to the f if teenth century, and the b eginn ings

of foundations in the Polish lands] , in:

Cystersi w Polsce. W 850-lecie fun da cji op actwa Jcdrzejowskiego

[Cistercians in Poland: on th e eight hund red and f if tie th annive rsary of the foundation of the JCdrzej6w

abbey], ed. D. Olszewski (Kielce, 1990), 11 -39 , espe cially 35 -3 9; J. Strzelczyk, ed.,

Historia i kultura

cystersdw w Polsce i ich europejskie zwiqzki

[History and culture of the Cistercians in Poland, and their

Eu rope an con necti ons ] (Poznafi, 1987); and references to the literature specifically co nce rnin g the

mo naster ies of Lub i~L Trzebnica, and Hen ryk6w below.

~P. G6recki,

Economy, society, and lordship,

15 -1 6; K. Tym ieniecki, Maj~tno~6 ksi~2~ca w Zago~ciu i

pierwotne uposaZenie klasztoru joannitrw na t ie osadnictwa dorzecza dolnej Nidy. Studium z dziejrw

gospodarczych XII wieku [The duca l e s ta te a t Zago~6 and the ea r l ie st endowmen t of the c lo is te r of the

Hospita llers of St Joh n in the context of the sett lem ent of the low er Nida r ive r system: a study in

twelf th-cen tury econom ic history] , in: K . Tymieniecki, Pisma wybrane [Selected writings] (Warsaw, 1956),

35- 126 ; W. Obl iza jek , Na js ta r sze dokum enty bo2ogrobc6w miechow skich (1198 ) [The ea r l ie s t documents

of the canons regula r of the Holy Sepulchre of Miech6w (1198) ] ,

Stud ia Zrrdtoznawcze,

24 (1979),

97 - 108 .

~2The rema ining diplom as w ere issued by the duk es to other types of beneficiar ies, such as ducal off ic ia ls,

Germ an pion eering settlers

locatores

or

viUici),

or pr ivate persons wh o especially dist inguishe d them selves

in ducal service; or were issued by private persons; or concerned relatively specific issues, such as gifts of

par ticular sources of revenue ( including mills , minerals, f isher ies, butcher sta lls and other sources of coin

revenue) , testam ents, and descr iption s of steps intended to p reven t or sett le specific disputes. See in general

K. Maleczyfiski, M. Bielifiska, and A. Gosiorowski, Dyplomatyka wiekrw grednich [Medieval diplomatics]

(Warsaw, 1971) , 126-29.

~3Schlesisches Urkundenbuch,

vol. 1, ed. H. Appelt (Vienna, Cologne, and Graz, 1963-71) [hereaf ter

S.U.,

1],

no . 77 (1202) , 49-51 ; no . 83 (1202 -03) , 54-5 8; no . 123 (1211) , 89 -90 ; no . 142 (1214) , 10 0-01; no . 166

(1217) , 11 9-20; no . 219 (1222), 159-60 ; no . 227 (1223) , 166-67; no . 246 (122 4-34 ) , 178-7 9; no . 278

(1216-27) , 202-03; no . 287 (1228) , 210-11; no . 290 (1228) , 213-14; no . 305 (1229) , 225-26; no . 308

(1230), 22 7-2 7; no. 31 4-1 5 (1230), 23 0-3 2; vol. 2, ed. W. Irgang (Vienn a, Cologne, and Graz, 1978)

[hereaf ter S.U., 2], no. 5 (1231), 3; no. 8 (1231) , 4; no. 19- 20 (1232) , 9 -1 1; no. 23 (1232) , 12 -13 ; no. 49

(1233), 3 2- 33 ; no. 73 (1234) , 46- 47 ; no. 80 (1234), 5 1- 53 ; no. 85 (1234), 5 5- 56 ; no. 106 (1235) , 72 -73 ;

no . 112 (1236) , 75; no . 136 -37 (1237), 89- 90 ; no . 140 (1237) , 91 -92 ; no . 14 5-46 (1238) , 94 -95 ; no . 164

(1239) , 10 5-06; no . 167 -68 (1239) , 1 07-09; no . 172 (1239) , 110 -11; no . 181 (1240) , 115-16 ; no . 203

(123 9-41 ) , 127 -28; no . 229 (1242), 138-39 ; no . 234 (1242) , 141 -42; no . 239 (1242) , 144; no . 241 (1243) ,

145; no. 244 (1243) , 14 7-4 8; no. 252 (1243) , 150 -51 ; no. 255 (1243) , 153 ; no. 27 0-7 3 (12 44) , 1 62-6 5;

no . 29 6-30 0 (1245), 177-81.

~4Kodeks Dyplomatyczny Matopolski, ed. F. Piekosif iski (Krakrw, 1876-86; repr . New York, 1965) [hereaf ter

K.Mp.], l :no. 4 (1206) , 9; no. 10 (1224), 16-1 7; no. 11 (1228), 17 -18 ; no. 12 (1229), 18 -19 ; no. 13

(1231) , 22; no. 19 (1236) , 25; no. 21 (1237) , 26-27; no. 24 (1239) , 30-31; no. 26 (1243) , 31-32; 2:no. 384

(1217) , 26-27; no. 387 (1223) , 29; no. 389 (1224) , 32-33; no. 393 (1227) , 37; no. 395 (1228) , 38-40; no.

400-01 (1230) , 45-47; no . 403-05 (1232) , 48-51; no . 412 (1235) , 57; no . 416-17 (1239) , 61-62;

Album

Palaeographicum, ed. S. Krzyzanowski (Krak6w, 19 59-6 0) [hereafter A.P.] , no. 5 (122 2/12 24) , 7 -9 .


5/28

C o m m u n i t i e s o f L e g a l M e m o r y i n M e d i e v a l P o l a n d , c . 1 2 0 0 - 1 2 4 0 1 31

imp or tant l ega l t ransa c t ions in the i r duch ies . ~5 In addi t ion , a h and ful of re la t ive ly

de t a i l ed docum en t s show t he r o l e s o f m uch m or e l oca l , and m or e spa r se l y r eco r ded ,

soc i a l g r oups i n e f f ec t i ng and s ecu r i ng l ega l t r ansac t i ons . The de t a i l ed cha r t e r s i nc l ude

f ou r d i p l om as f r om D uke H enr y I t he Bea r ded t o t he Ci s t e r c i an m onas t e r i e s a t Lub i ~2

and Tr ze bn i ca i n S i l es i a, i s sued be t w e en 1202 and 1208, 16 and t w o d i p l om as f r om D uke

L e s z e k t h e W h i t e a n d h i s w i d o w G r z y m i s l a w a t o th e h o u s e o f th e c a n o n s r e g u l a r o f t he

H ol y Sepu l ch r e a t Mi ech6w , i s sued i n 1224 and 1228 r e spec t i ve l y .~7 The narrat ive

sou r ce i s a h i s t o r y o f t he Ci s t e r c ian m onas t e r y a t H enr yk 6w i n S i l e s ia spann i ng t he l a t e r

t w e l f t h and t he f i r st ha l f o f t he t h i r t e en t h cen t u r y , w r i t t en by i ts f ou r t h abbo t , Pe t e r i n t he

1260s 8 Th ese s ev en sou r ce s i ll u s tr a t e i n som e de t a i l the pe r sons and g r ou ps w ho w er e

p r e sen t a t l ega l t r ansac t i ons , and t he app r oaches w he r eby t he se pe r sons and g r oups

r eco r ded and subsequen t l y r eca l l ed t he s i gn i f i c an t even t s o f t he se t r ansac t i ons .

t SA s t h e ir c o l l e a g u e s e l s e w h e r e h a v e d o n e , P o l i s h s c h o l a r s h a v e u s e d w i t n e s s l i s t s in d u c a l d i p l o m a s t o a s s e s s

t h e s t r e n g t h o f P i a s t d u c a l g o v e r n a n c e , i n c l u d i n g t h e c o m p o s i t i o n o f d u c a l e n t o u r a g e s , t h e r e l a t iv e r o l e s o f

a s s e m b l i e s a n d d u c a l c o u n c i l s , th e l o c a l it i e s a n d o f f ic e s f r o m w h i c h p e r s o n s s u m m o n e d t o l e g a l t r a n sa c t i o n s

w e r e r e c r u i t e d , a n d - - a t l e a s t c i r c u m s t a n t i a l l y - - t h e p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f s u c h p e r s o n s i n g o v e r n a n c e , u s u a l l y

ex p ressed as co n se n t to leg a l t r an sac t io n s . See J . -F . Lem ar ig n ie r , Le

gouvernement royal aux premiers temps

cap~t iens (987-1108) (Par i s , 1 9 6 5 ) ; a l so O . Gu y o t jean n in , J . Py ck e , an d B. -M . To ck , La diplomatique

mgdi~vale

(Tu rn h o u t , 1 9 93 ) , 9 1 -9 2 ; K . M aleczy f i sk i e t a l .,

Dyplomatyka,

1 2 9; I . Pan ic , Ze s tu d i6 w n ad

l is t~ ~ w i a d k 6 w n a d o k u m e n t a c h k s i ~ ci a m a l o p o l s k i e g o B o l e s l a w a W s t y d l i w e g o [ S t u d ie s o n t h e w i t n e s s l i s t s

o n t h e d o c u m e n t s o f t h e d u k e o f L i t t l e P o l a n d , B o l e s t a w t h e C h a s t e ] , Studia Historyczne, 33 (1990) ,

4 9 3 - 5 0 1 ; I . P a n i c , L i s t a g w i a d k 6 w n a d o k u m e n t a c h k s i~ c i a o p o l s k i e g o W l a d y s l a w a ( 1 2 4 6 - 1 2 8 1 ) [ T h e

w i t n e s s l i s t s o n t h e d o c u m e n t s o f t h e d u k e o f O p o l e , W l a d y s l a w ( 1 2 4 6 - 8 1 ) ] ,

Sob t t k a ,

2 8 (1 9 8 7 ) , 1 7 1 -9 1 ;

K . B r a c h a , W i e c e B o l e s t a w a W s t y d l i w e g o 1 2 3 4 - 1 2 7 9 [ T h e a s s e m b l i e s o f B o l e s l a w t h e C h a s t e , 1 2 3 4 - 7 9 ] ,

Kw artalnik Historyczny,

9 3 (1 9 8 7 ) , 6 6 3 -7 7 ; J . M u la r czy k ,

Do b6 r i rola gwiadk6w w dokumentach gl~skich

do kotica XIII wieku [ T h e s e l e c t i o n a n d r o l e o f w i t n e s s e s i n t h e S i l e s i a n d o c u m e n t s t o t h e e n d o f t h e

t h i r te e n t h c e n t u r y ] ( W r o c t a w , 1 9 77 ); S . R u s s o c k i , P r o b l e m r a d y k s i ~ c e j w P o l s c e d z i e l n i c o w e j [ T h e

p r o b l e m o f t h e d u c a l c o u n c i l i n a p p a n a g e P o l a n d ] , Czasopismo Prawno-Historyczne, 2 7 (1 9 7 5 ) , 8 9 -9 5 ;

c o m p a r e a l s o M . P r e s t w i c h , English poli t ics in the thirteenth century (Ho u n d mi l l s , 1 9 9 0 ) , 3 4 -3 6 . I h av e n o t

h a d a c c e s s t o I. P a n i c , R a c i b o r s k i e o t o c z e n i e ks i ~ c ia W l a d y s l a w a o p o l s k i e g o (1 2 4 6 - 1 2 8 1 ) [ T h e R a c i b 6 r z

c l i e n t a g e o f D u k e W t a d y s t a w o f O p o l e ( 1 2 4 6 - 8 1 ) ], Zeszyty Raciborskie Strzecha, 4 ( 1 9 84 ) , 7 - 1 2 . F o r th e

r a t h e r d i f f e r e n t i s s u e o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f w i t n e s s e s t o l o c a l g r o u p s a n d c o m m u n i t i e s , s e e S . R e y n o l d s ,

Kingdoms and communities,

1 3 8 - 5 4 , W . D a v i e s ,

Sma ll worlds,

1 0 9 - 2 6 , a n d t h e r e c e n t r e m a r k s b y M . A .

H i c k s , T h e s o u r c e s , in :

Wars o f the Roses

ed . A . J . Po l la rd (New Yo rk , 1 9 95 ), 3 7 : W h et h er l i s t s o f

w i t n e s s e s a r e c r u c i a l p o l i ti c a l s o u r c e s o r p o l i ti c a l ly v a l u e l e s s d e p e n d s o n o u r a s s e s s m e n t s o f w h o c o u n t e d

p o l i t ic a l l y a n d h o w l o c a l p o l it i c s w o r k e d - - m a t t e r s o n w h i c h h i s t o r ia n s a r e n o t y e t a g r e e d .

~6S.U., l :n o . 7 7 (1 2 0 2 ) , 4 9 -5 1 (Lub i~2 ) ; n o . 8 3 (1 2 0 2 -0 3 ) , 5 4 -5 8 (Trzeb n ica ) ; n o . 1 1 4 -1 5 (1 2 0 8 ) , 7 9 -8 5

( T r z e b n i c a ); f o r t h e d i s c u s s i o n o f t h e s e s o u r c e s, s e e t h e w o r k s b y t h e i r e d i t o r, H . A p p e l t , D i e E c h t h e i t d e r

Treb n i tze r Gr i in d u n g su rk u n d e n ( 1 2 08 / 1 8 ) , Zeitschrif t des Vereins f i ir Geschichte Schlesiens, 71 (1937) ,

1 - 5 0 ; Die Urkundenfiilschungen des Klosters Trebnitz (Bres lau , 1 9 40 ) ; Zu r sch les i s ch en D ip lo m at ik d es

1 2. Jah rh u n d er t s , Zei t sch r i f t f i i r Os(forschung, 2 ( 1 9 5 3 ) , 5 6 8 - 8 0 .

~TA.P., n o . 5 ( 1 2 2 2 / 1 2 2 4 ) , 7 - 9 ; K.Mp., 2 :n o . 3 9 5 (1 2 2 8 ) , 3 8 -4 0 .

~SR. Gro dec ki , e d . and tr . ,

Ksi~ga henrykowska. Liber Fu ndation is c laustri sancte Ma rie Virginis in

Heinr ichow (Po zn af i an d Wro c law , 1 9 4 9 ) ; r e i s su ed w i th o u t ch an g e , th o u g h wi th a n ew p re f ace b y J . an d J .

M a t u s z e w s k i a s Liber Fun dation is c laustri sancte Ma rie Virginis in Heinrichow, czyli Ksif ga henrykowska

(Wro c taw , 1 9 9 1 ) [h erea f te r K.H., w i t h p a g e r e f e r e n c e s t o t h e 1 9 9 1 ed i t io n ] . T h e b e s t f o r m a l a n a l y s i s o f t h i s

s o u r c e i s J. M a t u s z e w s k i , Najsta rsze polskie zdanie prozaiczn e: zdanie henrykowskie i jeg o t to historyczne

[ T h e o l d e s t P o l i s h s e n t e n c e i n p r o s e : t h e s e n t e n c e o f H e n r y k 6 w a n d i t s h i s t o r i c a l b a c k g r o u n d ] ( W r o c l a w ,

1 9 81 ) , 1 3 -1 4 , 2 1 - 2 9 . Th e fu l l ed i t io n o f th e Book r e m a i n s G . A . S t e n z e l , Liber Fundationis Claustri

Sanctae Mariae Virginis in Heinrichow ( B r e s l a u, 1 85 4 ), w i t h a d e t a i l e d a n a l y s i s o f t h e c o d e x o n v - x i . F o r

th e o r ig in s an d h is to ry o f th e mo n as te ry i t s e l f , s ee H . Gr i ig e r ,

Heinrichau: Geschichte eines schlesischen

Zisterzienserklosters, 1227-1977

( C o l o g n e a n d V i e n n a , 1 97 8) ; a n d R . A u b e r t , H e n r y k 6 w , i n :

Dictionnaire

d his toi re et de g~ographie eccl~siastiques, v o l . 2 3 , f asc . 1 3 6 -1 3 7 , co l . 1 2 7 9 -1 2 8 5 .


6/28

132 Piotr G6 recki

D u k e L e s z e k s d o c u m e n t i s is s u e d i n a n o b j e c t i v e v o ic e , a n d c o n s i s t s o f th r e e l o n g

n o t i c e s ~9 o f t h o s e p h a s e s o f s e t t le m e n t o f a d i s p u t e b e t w e e n B i s h o p I v o o f K r a k 6 w a n d a

l a n d h o l d e r n a m e d B a r a n c o n c e r n i n g t h e e s ta t e o f P e t c z y s k a w h i c h t o o k p l a c e i n 1 22 2

a n d 1 2 24 . T h e d i s p u t e w a s s e t t le d a t t h r e e a s s e m b l i e s , a l l h e l d b e f o r e L e s z e k a n d

s u b s t a n t i a l g ro u p s : t h e f i rs t h e l d i n 1 2 2 2 a t th e s t o n e b r i d g e o n t h e S z r e n i a w a [ r i v e r ] ,

t h e s e c o n d a n d t h ir d t w o y e a r s la t er , w h e n - - p e r h a p s a f te r s o m e h a r r a s s m e n t b y

B a r a n - - B i s h o p l v o s u m m o n e d h i s o p p o n e n t t o R o z e g r o c h , a g a i n o b t a i n e d a f a v o u r a b l e

d e c i s i o n , a n d h a d i t c o n f i r m e d a f e w d a y s l a te r i n w h a t th e d o c u m e n t c a l l s a r e n e w a l o f

t h e h o l d i n g s i n n o v a t i o a l l o d i o r u m ) , i n fr o n t o f a la r g e g r o u p o f w i t n e s s e s , w h i c h w a s

s o m e w h a t e x p a n d e d o n t h e n e x t a n d f i na l d a y o f t h e c o n t ro v e r s y .2 T h e n a r r a t i o n s a n d

w i t n e s s l i s ts in e a c h n o t i c e r e c o r d i n v o l v e m e n t b y s p e c i f i c p e r s o n s a n d g r o u p s a t

d i f f e r e n t p h a s e s o f th e d i s p u te . I n c o n t r a s t to L e s z e k , D u c h e s s G r z y m i s t a w a i s s u e d t h e

d e e d o f 1 2 2 8 c o n c e r n i n g a s a l e o f p a r t o f a l o c a l i t y c a l l e d D z i e r ~ k 6 w e k i n h e r n a m e , b u t

s h e o r h e r s c r ib e s u p p l e m e n t e d i t - - o n t h e v e rs o o f t h e t e x t - - b y a n i m p e r s o n a l n o t ic e o f

i t s f u r t h e r c o n f i r m a t i o n a f e w d a y s l a t e r .2~ T h e s e t w o d o c u m e n t s r e c o r d t w o g a t h e r i n g s

o f p a r t i e s to t h e t r a n s a c t i o n s a n d w i t n e s s e s , t h e f i rs t h e l d i n S k a r y s z e w b e f o r e t h e

d u c h e s s a n d h e r n o b l e s , t h e s e c o n d p r e s u m a b l y i n t h e s a m e p l a c e a f e w d a y s a f t e r w a r d s .

D u k e H e n r y i s s u e d th e L u b i ~ a n d T r z e b n i c a c h a r te r s a t t h e v e r y o u ts e t o f h is r e ig n ,

i n w h a t a p p e a r s t o h a v e b e e n a b u r s t o f e n d o w m e n t a n d r e c o r d . In 1 2 02 , h e c o n f i rm e d ,

c l ar if ie d , a n d e x p a n d e d t h e f o u n d a t io n a n d e n d o w m e n t o f t he L u b i ~ k m o n a s t e r y b y h i s

f a th e r , B o l e s t a w t h e T a l l , s o m e t i m e b e t w e e n 1 1 63 a n d 1 1 75 . 22 L a t e r t h a t y e a r o r i n e a r l y

1 2 03 , h e i s s u e d a d e t a i l e d r e c o r d o f h i s o w n f o u n d a t i o n a n d e n d o w m e n t o f th e c o n v e n t

o f n u n s a t T r z e b n i c a , a n d s u p p l e m e n t e d t h a t d o c u m e n t w i t h a r e n t a l o f t h e i r e s t a t e in

1 2 0 4 23 F o u r y e a r s t h e r e a f te r , h e c o m p i l e d a r e c o r d o f a d d i t i o n s to t h e n u n s e s t a te , a n d

i n c o r p o r a t e d th a t n e w r e c o r d i n to a n e x p a n d e d r e d a c t io n o f t h e f o u n d a t i o n a n d

e n d o w m e n t d i p l o m a o f 1 2 0 2 o r 1 2 03 . 24 O n e o f th e s u b j e c t s w i t h w h i c h H e n r y w a s

c o n c e r n e d i n t h e s e d e t a il e d d o c u m e n t s w a s a t w o - s t e p p r o c e d u r e o f p r o p e r t y c o n v e y a n c e

t o th e t w o C i s t e r c ia n c o m m u n i t i e s : p e r a m b u l a t i o n o f th e c o n v e y e d p r o p e r t y b y

~9For this rather un usu al type o f docum ent, issued in an objective voice without a prea m ble, see O .

Guyo tjeannin et al.,

Diplomatique,

25, 76-78, 272-73.

2A.P.,

no. 5 (1222/1224), 7-9.

2~K.Mp., 2:no . 395 (1228), 38-40.

22S.U., l:no. 45 (1175), 26-29; no. 77 (1202), 49-51.

23S.U.,

l:no. 83 (1202-03), 54-5 8; no. 93 (1204), 63-66. Fo r the latter source--not relevant to the concerns

of this ess ay-- see P. G6recki,

Economy, society , and lordship ,

23-26.

24S.U., l:no. 114-15 (1208), 78-83. Ea ch of the docum ents for the two mon asteries is quite detailed; taken

together, they constitute a valuable source of several aspects of the Polish econom ic, social, institutional,

and legal history at the turn o f the tw elfth and thirteenth centuries. Am ong other researchers, I ha ve us ed the

Trzebnica charters to reconstruct--and reassess--several dimensions of the Polish economic and social

structure, significance of G erman imm igration and Germ an law , and patterns of control over tithe revenues

in cen tral Silesia; see P. G6reck i, Economy, society , and lordship , 51-56, 75-88, 91-101, 108-09, 126-30,

132, 137, 140, 165-66, 251-54; and P. G6recki, Parishes , t i thes , and society in earl ier medieval Poland, c .

1 1 0 0 - c . 1 2 5 0

(Philadelphia, 1993), 83-95.


7/28

Com mun ities of Legal M emory in M edieval Poland, c. 1200-1240 133

s u b s t a n t i a l g r o u p s o f p e o p l e , o t h e r t h a n t h e d o n o r s a n d r e c i p i e n t s ; a n d d e m a r c a t i o n o f a

b o u n d a r y a l o n g t h e p e r a m b u l a t e d r o u te p e r a m b u l a t e d w i th s e v e r a l k in d s o f p h y s i c a l

m a r k e r s , o r s i g n s a s D u k e H e n r y c a ll e d t h e m .2s A l l o f H e n r y s c h a r t e r s f o r th e L u b i ~

a n d T r z e b n i c a m o n a s t e r i e s r e c o r d th e p a r t ic i p a n ts i n t h e c e r e m o n i e s o f p e r a m b u l a t i o n

a n d d e m a r c a t i o n , a s w e l l a s s e v e r a l k i n d s o f p h y s i c a l , g e o g r a p h i c , e c o l o g i c a l , a n d

d e m o g r a p h i c m a r k e r s i n t e rm s o f w h i c h t h e b o u n d a r i e s w e r e d e f i n e d , r e m e m b e r e d ,

a n d - - o c c a s i o n a l l y - - f o r g o t t e n .

I n h is a c c o u n t o f t h e h i s t o ry o f t h e s e v e r a l d o z e n h o l d i n g s - - v i l l a g e s , in d i v i d u a l

d w e l l i n g s , f or e st s , m e a d o w , a n d a r a b l e - - t h a t w e r e i n c l u d e d i n t h e e s ta t e o f th e

m o n a s t e r y b e t w e e n i ts fo u n d a t i o n a f t e r 1 2 2 2 a n d t h e m i d d l e o f th e t h ir t e e n t h c e n t u r y ,

A b b o t P e t e r s h o w s h o w s o m e o f th e s e t y p e s o f m a r k e r s a c t u a l l y f u n c t i o n e d in t h e

c o l l e c t i v e m e m o r y o f t he l o c a l s o c i e ty a r o u n d H e n r y k 6 w . P e t e r re c o n s t r u c te d t h e h i s t o ry

i n p a r t fr o m t h e m e m o r y o f s p e c if ic p e rs o n s a n d g r o u p s i n th e r e g i o n o f H e n r y k 6 w w h o

r e m e m b e r e d i t - - t h a t i s , f r o m s o c i a l m e m o r y . H i s t r e a ti s e i s e s p e c i a l l y i n s t r u c t iv e o n t h e

w a y s i n w h i c h s o c i a l k n o w l e d g e - -- - -e x p r e s s ed a s m e m o r y o r r e p u t a t io n h e l d b y s o m e

p o p u l a c e i n t he m o n a s t e r y s r e g i o n - - w a s h e l d a n d r e p ro d u c e d ; a n d o n t h e w a y s i n

w h i c h s u c h k n o w l e d g e c o u l d b e m o b i l i z e d a n d c h a n g e d a s a d e li b e r a te a c t o f p o w e r .

I P r e s e n c e a n d p a r t i c ip a t i o n a t l e g a l t r a n s a c t i o n s : o v e r a l l p a t te r n s

A t f i r st g l a n c e , t h e o v e r a l l p a t t e r n s o f w i t n e s s r e c r u i t m e n t a r e n o t v e r y s t ro n g . O v e r

h a l f th e w i t n e s s e s r e c o r d e d i n th e d i p l o m a t i c e v i d e n c e t a k e n a s a w h o l e , a s w e l l a s in

m o s t o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l c h a r t e rs , a r e n o t i d e n t i fi e d in t e r m s o f p l a c e o f o r ig i n , o r

a s s o c i a t e d w i t h a n y p a r t i c u l a r g r o u p , m i l i e u , o r i n s t it u t io n . I n a d d i t i o n , a s u b s t a n t i a l

p r o p o r t i o n a r e r e c o r d e d o n o n l y o n e o c c a s io n . H o w e v e r , t h e re m a i n d e r c a n c l e a r l y be

i d e n t i f ie d w i th s p e c i f i c l o c a l i t ie s , g r o u p s , o r i n s t i t u t i o n s - - s o m e t i m e s i n c o m b i n a t i o n .

A l t h o u g h w i t n e s s e s in b o th p r o v i n c e s w e r e s u m m o n e d f r o m l a r g e n u m b e r s o f l o c a li t ie s

( 3 6 i n S i l e s i a , 4 2 i n L i t t l e P o l a n d ) ,26 o n l y a f e w s u b s t a n t i a l t o w n s f u r n i s h e d w i t n e s s e s

w i t h a n y r e g u l a ri t y . W r o c l a w p r o v i d e d w i t n e s s e s o n t h e l a r g e s t n u m b e r o f o c c a s i o n s i n

S i l e s i a - - 2 6 - - a s d i d K r a k 6 w a n d S a n d o m i e r z in L i tt le P o l a n d - - 1 8 a n d 16 r e sp e c t iv e l y .

2~G. M y~liw ski,

Bo u n d a ry d e l im i ta t io n ' ,

describes the im portance of the Trzebnica documen tation as a record

of this particular ceremony , and offers som e intriguing remarks on its twelfth-century origins in the Polish

duchies. On these perambulations, see also H .-J. K arp ,

Gren zen in Os tmi t te leu ro p a w g ih ren d d es

Mi t te la l ter s . E in Be i t ra g zu r En ts teh u n g sg esch ich te d er Gren z l in ie a u s d em Gren zsa u m

(Cologne and

Vienna, 1972), 117-19.

2~The subsequent assessment of places of origin and nu mber o f appearances of specific witnesses is based on

the w itness l ists in n otes 13-14 abov e. In general , the patterns conform to the f indings of I . Panic ,

' Ze

s t u d i 6 w ' , 499 , K. Bracha, ' W i e c e ' , 667-70, and J. Mularczyk, D o b 6 r , p a s s i m . T h e number of instances

noted may vary because of the authors and my o wn slightly different decisions about the inclusion of

particular docum ents in the analysis.


8/28

134 P io t r Gr reck i

T h e p e r s o n s w h o a p p e a r e d a s w i t n e s s e s m o s t r e g u l a r ly i n c l u d e d : t h e c l e r g y o f t h e

c a t h e d r a l s o f t h e t w o p r o v i n c e s ( a t K r a k r w a n d W r o c t a w ) , o f t h e c o l l e g i a t e c h u r c h e s a n d

m o n a s t e r i e s e l s e w h e r e in e a c h p ro v i n c e , a n d - - f a r m o r e s e l d o m - - o f p a r i s h a n d o t h e r

c h u r c h e s ; a n d d u c a l o f f i c ia l s , b a s e d i n t h e d i s t ri c t s o f t h e t o w n s o f e a c h p r o v i n c e , a n d a t

t h e d u c a l c o u r t . A s w i t h s e c u l a r o f f i c ia l s , t h e r e c r u i t m e n t f r o m t h e s e l o c a l i t i e s w a s

s t r o n g l y c o n c e n t r a t e d i n f a v o u r o f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t t o w n s . T h e c a t h e d r a l c h a p t e r s i n

W r o c t a w a n d K r a k r w , a n d t h e c o l le g i a te , p a r i s h , a n d m o n a s t i c c h u r c h e s i n a n d a r o u n d

e a c h t o w n , f u r n i s h e d w i t n e s s e s t h e m o s t o f t e n , a n d i n t h e l a r g es t n u m b e r s 27 A p p e a r -

a n c e s o f W r o c t a w a n d K r a k r w c l e r i c s f r o m o u t s i d e t h e c a t h e d r a l c h a p t e r s w e r e

c o n s i d e r a b l y l e ss f r e q u e n t f 8

T h e d u c a l o ff i c i a ls s u m m o n e d m o s t f r e q u e n t l y in b o t h p r o v i n c e s w e r e t h e c a s t e l la n

a n d t h e p a l a t i n e - - t e r r i t o r i a l d e p u t i e s o f d u c a l a u t h o r i t y b a s e d i n t o w n s , o r c a s t r a i n t h e

l a n g u a g e o f t h e s o u r ce s . 29 C a s t e l l a n s a p p e a r e d w i t h t h e h i g h e s t f r e q u e n c y i n b o t h

Z7The

bishop of Wroclaw appeared on eight occasions: S.U. l :no . 77 (1202) , 51; no . 83 (1202-03) , 57; no .

219 (122 2), 160; no. 227 (1223), 167; no. 290 (1228), 214; 2:no. 73 (1234), 4 7; no. 234 (124 2), 1 42; no.

252 (124 3) , 151; no. 271 (1244) , 163 ; offic ia ls of the cathedral chapter on thir teen: S.U. l :no. 77 (1202) ,

51; no. 83 (1202-03) , 57; no. 227 (1223) , 167; no. 246 (1224-34) , 179; no. 287 (1228) , 211; no. 290

(122 8), 214; no. 308 (1230), 228 ); 2:no. 73 (1234 ), 47; no. 181 (1240), 116; no. 203 (12 39 -4 1) , 12 8; no.

255 (1243) , 153; no. 271 (1244 ) , 163; no. 271 (1244) , 163 ; other canons of Wroclaw on seven: S.U. l :no.

77 (1202) , 51; no . 83 (1202-03) , 57; no . 227 (1223) , 167; no . 246 (1224-34) , 179; no . 278 (1216-27) ,

203; no. 305 (1229) , 225; no. 308 (1230) , 228; 2:no. 73 (1234) , 47; no. 203 (1239-41) , 128; no. 239

(1242) , 144; no. 296 (1245), 178 . Likewise, the Litt le Polish charters note the presence of Bish op Pelka,

Ivo, chan ce l lor of the K rakrw chapte r ( la te r h imse l f b ishop) , Pe te r the dean , and John the chante r in 1206:

K.Mp. 1 no. 4 (1206), 9; Bish op Vincen t, Arch deaco n Andrew , and Provos t Boguch wal e leven years la ter :

K.Mp.

2:no. 384 (1217) , 26-27; Archdeacon Nicholas, and Canons Peter and James on three occasions in

1222 and 1224; Bishop lvo him self in 1223, 1227, and 1232: K.Mp. l :no. 387 (1223) , 29; no. 393 (1227) ,

37; 2:no. 403 (1232 ) , 48-4 9; e leve n individually named cano ns ( including Master Bogus{aw, the chancellor ,

and Ch ante r Mat thew) in 1239: K.Mp. 2:no. 416 (1239) , 61; Bishop Wieslaw later that year : K.Mp. 2:no.

417 (1239) , 61-62; and Bishop Prandota in 1243: K.Mp. 2:no. 26 (1243) , 31-32.

28The abbo t of the Wroc law monaste ry of S t Vinc ent s appeared on o ne occas ion . Canons of the Krakrw

col legia te churches of S t F lor ian s and S t M ichae l s , and of the p a r ish church of S t M ary s , were present

individua lly in 1222, 1224, 1227, 1228, and 1229: A.P. no. 5 (122211224), 8; K.Mp. l :no. 10 (1224) ,

16 -17 ; no. 12 (1229) , 18 -19 ; c ler ical w itnesses in Silesia outside of Wroclaw w ere recruited from two of

the loca l i t ie s tha t were o the rwise impor tant sources of wi tnesses- -Lubusz and GIogrw--and, le ss

f requently, f rom the Cis te rc ian monaste r ie s a t Lu bi ~ and T rzebnica and a handful of pa r ish churches ; the

bisho p of Lubusz appeared six t imes--S .U. , l :no. 227 (1223) , 167; 2:no. 19 -20 (1232) , 10 -11 ; no. 234

(1242) , 142; no. 252 (1243), 15 1-- t he prov ost of the Lub usz chapter twice --S.U . , 2:no. 140 (1237) , 92; no.

255 (1243) , 15 3-- an d the canon s twic e--S.U . , 2:no. 296 (1245) , 178; no. 300 (1245), 181 . Gtog6w was

represented by the chapter of its collegiate church, specifically the archdeacon, provost, scholar, and a

canon: S.U. 2:no. 49 (1233) , 33; no. 203 (12 39 -41 ) , 128; no. 270 (1244) , 162; no. 299 (1245), 180 ; no.

300 (1245) , 181; in Silesia , the par ish pr iest of the church at Wlefi appeared twice: S .U . l :no . 246

(1224-34) , 179; no . 305 (1229) , 225. Sandomierz cont ras ted wi th Krakrw as a source of c le rgy- -

unders tandably as i t was n ot an episcopal c i ty - -ye t canons f rom i t s co l leg ia te church wi tnessed the

transaction s of 1224 and 1229, on the la tter occasion the archdeacon, provost, c hanter , and a fourth cano n:

A.P. no. 5 (1222/1224) , 9 ; K.Mp. l :no. 10 (1224) , 16 -17 ; no. 12 (1229) , 18-1 9. Finally, the records sho w

infreque nt appearanc es by abbots f rom several m onaster ies in both provinces: in Silesia , tw o appearances by

mo nks from Lubi~p2 and Trzebnica: S.U. l :no. 246 (1224-34) , 179; no. 305 (1229) , 225; in Litt le Poland,

two appearances by the abbots of Tyniec, JCdrzejrw, an d wi tr w , one each by the abbots of Kamiefi ,

Koprzywnica , Lysa G r ra , an d S iec iech 6w --and two appearances by the a rchdeacon of Lublin : K.Mp. 1 no.

4 (1206 ), 9; no. 10 (1224), 16; 2:no. 393 (1227 ), 37; A.P. no. 5 (1222/1224) , 7-9 .

9For

the meaning of these two off ices, see P. Grrecki,

Econom y society and lordship

164, 188 (note 3) .


9/28

Com mun i t ie s of Legal Mem ory in Medieva l Poland, c . 1200 -1240 135

p r o v i n c e s ; i n a d d i t i o n , th e p a l a t in e a p p e a r e d e v e n m o r e f r e q u e n t l y i n L i t t le P o l a n d

( t h o u g h n o t i n S il e s ia ) N o t s u r p r is i n g l y , t h e l o ca l i t i e s f r o m w h i c h t h e s e t w o h i g h

o f f i c ia l s w e r e r e c r u i t e d i n c l u d e d s o m e o f th e m o r e i m p o r t a n t s o u r c e s o f w i t n e s s e s i n

30

g e n e r a l w i t h i n t h e t w o p r o v i n c e s S e v e r a l k i n d s o f d u c a l o f f i c ia l s l o w e r t h a n c a s t e l l a n

o r p a l a t i n e a p p e a r a s w i t n e s s e s i n b o t h p r o v i n c e s T h e s e o f f ic i a ls w e r e p r e s e n t o n 2 1

o c c a s i o n s i n S i le s ia , a n d 1 1 i n L i t t l e P o l a n d - - j u s t u n d e r a n d ju s t o v e r a h a l f t h e r e c o r d e d

o c c a s i o n s , r e s p e c t i v e l y . A r e l a t i v e l y f r e q u e n t c o u r t o f f ic i a l i n S i l e s i a w a s t h e i u d e x - -

s o m e t i m e s d e s c r i b e d a s a ' j u d g e o f th e c o u r t ' i u d e x c u r i a e ) , o r ' o u r [ i. e. , t h e d u k e ' s ]

j u d g e ' i u d e x n o s t e r ) - - w h o a p p e a r e d o n e l e v e n o c c a s i o n s 31 A n i m p o r t a n t o f f i c ia l i n

32

L i t t l e P o l a n d w a s a b u t l e r p i n c e r n a ) , w h o a p p e a r e d o n s e v e n o c c a s i o n s , w h i l e t h e

i u d e x a p p e a r e d o n l y o n c e 33 A v a r i e t y o f o t h e r o f f i c i a ls a p p e a r e d i n b o t h p r o v i n c e s , w i t h

3In Silesia, th e castell an of Wroclaw appeared on ten occasions:

S . U . ,

l :no . 142 (1214) , 101; 2:no. 167

(1239) , 108; no. 229 (1242) , 139; no. 234 (1242) , 142; no. 245 (1243) , 148; no. 252 (1243) , 151; no. 255

(1243) , 153; no. 270- 71 (1244) , 16 2-6 3; no. 273 (1244) , 165; no. 297 (1245) , 178; of Niem cza on eleven:

S.U.,

2:no. 167 (1239) , 108; no. 172 (1239) , l l l ; no. 229 (1242) , 139; no. 234 (1242) , 142; no. 241 (1243) ,

145; no 245 (1243) , 148; no. 252 (1243) , 151; no. 270-71 (1244) , 162-63; no. 273 (1244) , 165; no. 297

(1245) , 178; of Legnica on e ight : S.U. , l :no . 77 (1202) , 51; no. 83 (120 2-0 3) , 57 ; 2:no. 181 (1240) , 116;

no. 229 (1242) , 139; no. 234 (1242) , 142; no. 252 (1243) , 151; no. 273 (1244) , 165; no. 297 (1245) , 178;

no . 300 (1245) , 181; of Krosno and Boles iawiec on seven: Kro sn o-~ .U. , l :no . 83 (1202 -03) , 57; no . 219

(1222) , 160; no. 227 (1223) , 167; no. 287 (1228), 211; no. 290 (1228) , 214; no. 319 (1230) , 231; 2:no. 252

(1243) , 151; Bolestawiec--S.U. , l :no. 77 (1202) , 51; no. 83 (1202-03) , 57; no. 319 (1230) , 231; 2:no. 252

(1243) , 151; no. 255 (1243) , 153; no. 270 (1244) , 162; no. 297 (1245) , 178; no. 299 0245) , 180; of Ryczyn

on six: S.U. , 2:no. 167 (1239) , 108; no. 252 (1243) , 151; no. 270 (1244) , 162; no. 273 (1244) , 165; no. 297

(1245 ) , 178; no. 299 (1245) , 180; of Giog6 w on four:

S.U. ,

l :no . 77 (1202) , 51; no . 83 (12 02- 03) , 57; no .

227 (1223) , 167; 2:no. 252 (1243) , 151; but of Lubusz only twice:

S . U . ,

2:no. 112 (1236) , 75; no. 234

(1242) , 142 . In Litt le Poland, the cas tellan of Wiglica app eared eleven t imes:

K.Mp. ,

l :no. 10 (1224) , 16;

no. l l (1228 ) , 17; no. 12 (1229) , 19; no. 26 (1243) , 32; 2:no. 384 (1217) , 27; no. 389 (1224 ) , 33; no. 393

(1227) , 37 (M ark); no. 395 (1228) , 3 9; no. 417 (1239) , 62; of Sando mierz f ive: K.Mp. , l :no . l0 (1224) , 16;

no. 11 (1228) , 17; no. 12 (1229) , 19; no. 26 (1243) , 32; 2:no. 384 (1217) , 27; no. 417 (1239) , 62; and of

Krak6w four: K.Mp. , 2:no. 384 (1217) , 27; no. 387 (1223) , 29; no. 389 (1224) , 33; A.P., no. 5 (1222/1224) ,

7-9 . Fa r more f requent in Li t t le Poland was the pa la t ine of Sandomierz , who appeared e leven times: K.Mp. ,

l :no. 10 (1224 ) , 16; no. 11 (1228) , 17; no. 12 (1229) , 19; no. 24 (1239) , 31; 2:no. 384 (1217) , 27; no. 387

(1223) , 29; no. 389 (1224) , 33; no. 393 (1227) , 37; no. 395 (1228) , 39; no. 412 (1235) , 57; no. 417 (1239) ,

62;

A.P. ,

no. 5 ( 222/1 224) , 7-9 ; h is Krak6w counte rpa r t aga in put in four

appearances--K.Mp. ,

1 no. I l

(1228 ) , 17; no. 19 (1236) , 25 ; 2:no. 384 (1217 ) , 27; no. 389 (1224 ) , 33 --w hi le the palatine of Lg.czyca

(otherwise not documented as an important source of witnesses) appeared twice: K.Mp. , 2:no. 403 (1232) ,

49; no. 417 (1239) , 62.

3~S.U., l :no . 77 (1202) , 51 iudex curiae); no. 142 (1214), 101 iudex); no. 219 (1222) , 160 iudex); 2:no. 80

(1234) , 53 iudex); no. 85 (1234) , 56 iudex terre); no. 140 (1237) , 92 iudex curie); no. 164 (1239) , 106

iudex nostre curie); no. 229 (1242) , 139 iudex); no. 241 (1243) , 145 iudex curie); no. 255 (1243) , 153

iudex curie);

no. 270 (1244) , 162

iudex curie);

no. 297 (1245) , 178

iudex curie);

no. 299 (1245), 180

iudex curie) .

32K.Mp., l :no 10 (1224 ) , 16; no. 12 (1229) , 19; 2:no. 387 (1223) , 29; no. 389 (122 4) , 33; no. 395 (1228) , 39;

A.P.,

no. 5 O222 /122 4) , 7- 9 (on two occas ions).

~3K.Mp., 2:no. 384 (1217) , 27 iudex cu rie) .


10/28

136 Piotr G6recki

very little recurrence by specific persons.34 Finally a few witness lists in both provinces

also record officials who served important persons.35 These witnesses were the Polish

counterpart of the medieval familiae groups of followers of persons of central

importance which are recorded in witness and household lists in different parts of

E u r o p e . 36

O n s e v e r a l o c c a s i o n s , s o m e o f w i t n e s s e s - - o r c a t e g o r i es o f w i t n e s s e s - - w h o m o s t

f r e q u e n t l y r e c u r i n t h e w i t n e s s l i st s a c t i v e l y f a c i l i t a t e d p a r t i c u l a r l e g a l t r a n s a c t i o n s . T h e y

m o b i l i z e d s e v e r a l k i n d s o f l o c a l g r o u p s - - w h i c h t h e m s e l v e s v e r y r a r e ly a p p e a r i n w i t n e s s

l i s t s - - i n o r d e r t o e f f e c t p a r t i c u l a r l e g a l t r a n s a c t i o n s a t t h e l o c a l l e v el . T h e d e t a i l e d

d i p l o m a s o f D u k e H e n r y t h e B e a r d e d , D u k e L e s z e k t h e W h i t e , a n d D u c h e s s

G r z y m i s l a w a , a s w e l l a s th e A b b o t P e t e r s m o n a s t i c h i s t o ry , s h e d l i g h t o n t h e

c o m p o s i t i o n a n d f u n c t i o n o f s e v e r a l s u c h g ro u p s . T h e y s h o w h o w d u k e s , d u c a l o ff ic i a l s ,

a n d o t h e r i m p o r t a n t p e r s o n s m o b i l i z e d s o c ia l g r o u p s i n o r d e r to e s t a b l is h , s a f e g u a r d , a n d

a l t e r lo c a l s o c i a l m e m o r i e s a b o u t l e g a l t r a n s a t io n s ; a n d t h e e l e m e n t s f r o m w h i c h t h a t

l o c al s o c i a l m e m o r y w a s c o n s t r u c t e d , a n d i n t e r m s o f w h i c h i t w a s a l te r ed .

2 . l v o , B a r a n , a n d G r z y m i s t a w a

T h e s e q u e n c e s o f p r o c e e d i n g s c o n c e r n i n g P e / c z y s k a a n d D z i e r ~ k 6 w e k w e r e f a ci li ta t e d

b y s m a l l g r o u p s o f p e r s o n s . In 1 2 2 8 G r z y m i s l a w a n o t e d B o d g a s z , s o n o f M a l u j , a s

m e d i a t o r o f t h i s m a t te r hu iu s r e i med ia t o r ) , a n d a s o n e o f t h e w i t n e s s e s o f b o t h s t a g e s

o f t h e a l i e n a t io n o f D z i e r 2 k 6 w e k . 37 S i m i l a r ly , P a k o s l a w , t h e n c a s t el la n o f K r a k 6 w ,

m e d i a t e d t h e in i t ia l s et t le m e n t o f t h e d i s p u t e b e t w e e n B a r a n an d I v o b e f o r e t h e

a s s e m b l y o n t h e s t o n e b r i d g e i n 1 2 2 2 .38 T w o y e a rs la te r a t R o z e g r o c h - - h a v i n g n e w l y

3 S.U., l :no . 83 (1202-03) , 57 (subcamerarius); 2:no. 146 (1238) , 95 (camerarius ducisse); no. 164 (1239),

106 (subcamerarius matris nostre); no. 181 (1240), 116 (subcamerarius); no. 239 (1242), 144 (sub-

kamerarius.., duc isse); and six in Little Poland: K.Mp. , l:n o. 10 (1224), 16 (subcamerarius ducis); no. 11

(1228) , 17 (subcamerarius); 2:no. 393 (1227), 37 (subcamerarius); no. 395 (1228) , 39 (camerarius

palatini); A.P., no . 5 ( 1222 /1224 ) , 7 - 9 (subcamerarius, camerarius palatini----each on one occasion); S.U.,

l :no. 305 (1229) , 225 (Nouifori scultetus, scultetus de Wratislavia); 2:no. 49 (1233), 33 (scultetus de

Novoforo); dapifer: K .Mp .,

2:no. 389 (1224), 33; no. 393 (1227), 37;

K.Mp.,

l :no. 10 (1224) , 16; no. 11

(1228), 17; 2:no. 393 (1227), 37; A.P. , no. 5 (1222/12 24) , 7 -9 (on one occas ion); S.U. , l :no. 142 (1214) ,

101; no. 219 (1222) , 1 60 ; no. 290 (1228), 214 ; no. 305 (1229), 225; 2:no. 49 (1233), 33; no. 73 (1234), 47;

no. 146 (1238 ), 95; no. 164 (1239), 10 6; no. 146 (1238), 95 ; no. 181 (1240), 116; Valentine, no tary of

Silesia , made three appearances in 124 4 and 1245; S.U. , 2:no. 271 (1244), 163; no. 296 (1245), 178; no.

299 (1245 ) , 180; while Albert, hu nte r of Silesia , was present twice in the same two years; S.U. , 2:no. 273

(1244), 165; no. 297 (1245) , 178; in addition, an off icia l of the du che ss-- He dw ig or A nn e- -a camerarius

nam ed Adlard, appeared three t imes, in 1238, 123 9, and 1240; S.U., 2:no. 146 (1238) , 95; no. 164 (1239) ,

106; no. 181 (1240), 116.

35In Silesia, a 'camerarius of the lady Duc hess [Hedw ig] appeared o n three occasions, and her two cha plai ns

appeared once :

S.U.,

2:no. 146 (1238), 95; no. 164 (1239), 106; no. 234 (124 2), 14 2; no. 239 (1242), 144;

whi le the Li t t le Pol ish char te r s r ecord app earance s- -mo st of them on only one occas ion-- --of a camerarius,

subcamerarius, and hunter of the castellan of Krak6w; a camerarius, dapifer, and two chapla ins of the

palatine of Sandomierz; a camerarius and a b ut le r of the b ishop of Krak6w; a camerarius of the cas te l lan of

Lubl in ; the duca l but le r s own but le r ; and a camerarius of Duchess Grzymistawa: K.Mp., 2:no. 389 (1224) ,

33; A.P. , no. 5 (1222/1224) , 7-9 .

36M. Prestwich,

English politics,

34- 36 .

37K.Mp., 2:no. 395 (1228), 39.

38A.P., no. 5 ( 122 2/1 224 ) , 8: comite Pacoslao tunc Cracov iensi castellano mediante .


11/28

Com munities of Leg al M em ory in M edieval Poland, c. 1200-124 0 137

[ b e en ] m a d e p a l a t i n e o f S a n d o m i e r z - - h e e n t e r e d in t o t h e p r o c e e d i n g s b e t w e e n B a r a n

a n d I v o a s m e d i a t o r w h i l e t h e m a t t e r w a s c o n t e s t e d , c h a s t i s e d B a r a n f o r r e n e g i n g o n

t h e e a r l ie r c o m p r o m i s e s e t tl e m e n t , p u b l i c l y a n n o u n c e d a n o t h e r c o m p r o m i s e ,39 and,

4

f i na l l y , p r e s ided ove r t he

innovatio allodiorum

i n t he f i na l phase o f t he p roceed ings .

P a k o s t a w r e c e i v e d a s s i s t a n c e i n h is m e d i a t i o n e f f o r ts a t t w o s t a g e s : a t th e R o z e g r o c h

a s s e m b l y o f 1 22 4, w h e n O s t a s z - - w h o h a d s u c c e e d ed P a k o s t a w a s c a s te l la n o f

K r a k r w - - h e l p e d a r r a n g e , o r a t l e a st s t ro n g l y s u p p o r te d , t h e c o n s e n t o f B a r a n s r e l a t iv e s

t o th e n e w c o m p r o m i s e , a n d a f e w d a y s l a te r , w h e n S t r z e ~ e k , t h e d u k e s b u t l e r, j o i n e d

Pakos t aw in t he f i na l innovatio allodiorum o f P e t c z y s k a 4] T h e m e d i a t o r s a c t iv i t ie s f e ll

i n t o t w o p h a s e s , w h i c h w e r e r e p e a t e d t h r e e t i m e s i n t h e c o n t r o v e r s y b e t w e e n I v o a n d

B a r a n . T h e f i r s t p h a s e w a s a r r a n g e m e n t o f a c o m p r o m i s e b e t w e e n t h e p a r t i e s . T h i s r o l e

c l ea r l y an t eda t ed t he spec i f i c even t s na r r a t ed i n t he wr i t t en r eco rd . Apa r t f r om the h in t

t ha t Pakos t aw had exe r t ed p r e s su re on Ba ran i n 1224 , t he r eco rd sheds no l i gh t on how

h e p e r s u a d e d t h e p a rt i e s t o c o m p r o m i s e - - i n d e e d s u g g e s t i n g t h a t th i s p a rt o f h i s fu n c t i o n

w a s p r i v a t e a n d n o t i n t e n d e d f o r s u b s e q u e n t k n o w l e d g e . T h e s e c o n d p h a s e w a s t h e

r e n e w a l o f t h e h o l d i n g s t h a t e x p r e s s e d a n d s e c u r e d t h a t c o m p r o m i s e - - p e r h a p s a s e r ie s

o f p e r a m b u l a t i o n s o f th e t y p e p e r f o r m e d n e a r L u b i ~ 2 an d T r z e b n i c a - - c a r r i e d o u t a t th e

behes t o f t he pa r t i e s and t he ru l e r , be fo r e subs t an t i a l g roups o f w i tne s se s A t pa r t i cu l a r

p h a s e s o f a n a l i e n a ti o n o r d is p u t e , th e m e d i a t o r w a s j o i n e d b y h e l p e r s - - i n t h is

c o n t r o v e r s y , o n c e w h e n c o n s e n t b y t h e f a m i l y o f t he m o r e r e c a l c it r a n t p a r ty w a s s o u g h t ,

and aga in du r ing t he f i na l

innovatio allodiorum.

Th e r eco rds o f 1222 , 1224 , an d 1228 sugges t t ha t the Po l e s o f t he ea r li e r t h i r t e en th

cen tu ry c r ea t ed , and r eco rded , l ega l r e a l i t i e s t h rough a con t i nuous p r e sence o f a f ew

s p e c i f i c p e r s o n s ; a n d , b e y o n d t h a t c o r e , t o h a v e r e l i e d o n m u c h l a r g e r - - p e r h a p s

d e l i b e r a te l y v a r i e d - - g r o u p s o f o t h e r p er s o ns T h e l is t o f w i tn e s s e s p r e s e n t a t th e

a s s e m b l y c o n c e r n i n g P e l c z y s k a h e l d a t t h e s t o n e b r i d g e i n 1 22 2, a n d D u c h e s s

G r z y m i s l a w a s r e c o r d o f t h e p a r ti c i p an t s i n t h e s e c o n d p h a s e o f t he g r a n t o f D z i e r -

2 k r w e k i n 1 22 8, s h e d l i g h t o n t h e c o m p o s i t i o n o f l o c a l g r o u p s p r e s e n t a t l e g a l

t r a n sa c t io n s , a n d o n t h e p o s s i b l e f u n c ti o n s o f s u c h g r o u p s a s s o u r c e s o f l e g a l m e m o r y .

T h e r e c o r d o f t h e a s s e m b l y o n t h e r i v e r i s u n u s u a l n o t o n l y f o r t h e n u m b e r o f

wi tnesses i t l i s t s , bu t a l so for the i r c lass i f ica t ion in to spec i f ic groups . Af te r a

c o n v e n t i o n a l l is t o f 2 2 n a m e s o f ec c l e s ia s t ic s a n d l a y m e n , t h e d o c u m e n t c a t e g o r i z e s t h e

r e m a i n i n g 74 p e r s o n s i n t o - - i n t hi s o r d e r - - 8 k n i g h t s li v in g a ro u n d P e t c z y s k a

milites

circumadiacentes circa Pelchisch);

13 c h a p l a i n s o f th e b i s h o p s c o u r t

capellani curie

episcopi); 27 kn ig h t s o f h i s [ i.e ., o f the b i sho p ] milites eiusdem); 1 8 k n i g h t s o f

P a k o s l a w milites Pacoslay); a n d 9 p e r s o n s n o t e d o n l y a s f r o m t h e s e t tl e m e n t de

osada) ,

wi thou t f u r t he r i den t i f ic a t i on 42 Th ese g roup s w e re a s soc i a t ed w i th t he pe r sons

a n d p l a c e s c e n t ra l t o t h e c o n t r o v e r s y . O n e g r o u p o f c h a p l a i n s a n d tw o g r o u p s o f

~gA.P. no. 5 (1222/1224), 8-9.

4A.e .

no. 5 (1222/1224) , 9: dominus lvo.., episcopus..., uolens hanc actionem firmam et ratam obseruari et

inviolabilem permanere, comite Pacoslao palatino a duce mis so mediatore.., predicte uille allodia iterato

idibus iunii innouauit.

4LA.P., no. 5 (1222/1224), 9.

42A.p., no. 5 (1222/1224), 8-9 . Matuszewski squarely identifies the osada with the

opo le

(or neigh-

bourhood ), as an alternative term in the vernacular,

Vicinia

15-16.


12/28

1 3 8 P io t r G 6 r eck i

k n i g h ts w e r e f o l lo w e r s o f P a l a ti n e P a k o s t a w a n d B i s h o p I v o . In a d d i t io n , O s t a s z - -

Pak os t aw s s ucces s o r a s c a s t e ll an o f Kr ak6w and an i m p or t an t pa r ti c i pan t and wi t ne s s i n

t he p r oceed i ngs o f 122a~ b r oug h t i n a s m a l l g r oup o f h is ow n cour t o f fi c ia l s , w ho w er e

ho w eve r no t i den t i fi ed a s a s epa r a te g r oup i n t h i s docu m en t 43 Th e r ec r u i t m en t o f

P a k o s t a w s , I v o s , a n d O s t a s z s

familiae

expr e s s ed t he r e l a t i ons o f au t ho r i t y and

l o r ds h i p o f s om e o f t he m os t i m por t an t pa r t i c i pan t s i n t he con t r ove r s y ; and t he

44

m obi l i z a t i on o f t hos e r e l a t i ons h i ps i n t he l ega l p r oces s .

The o t he r t wo g r oups we r e ba s ed i n pa r t i cu l a r p l ace s , r a t he r t han a s s oc i a t ed wi t h

pa r t i cu l a r pe r s ons . One i nc l uded t he kn i gh t s s e t t l ed nea r Pe l czys ka , t he o t he r , r a t he r

v a g u e l y , t h e s e t t l e m e n t - - p e r h a p s o t h e r in h a b it a nt s o f t h a t lo c a ti o n . A t h i r d g r o u p o f

t h is t ype we r e s even chap l a i n s o f Pe t czys ka , 5 who , li ke Os t a s z s m en , a r e r eco r ded

e l s ewhe r e i n t he cha r t e r . He r e s eve r a l c a t ego r i e s o f wi t ne s s e s - - kn i gh t s , e cc l e s i a s t i c s ,

and pos s i b l y o t he r s e t t l e r s , who wer e c l ea r l y a s s oc i a t ed wi t h a s i ng l e i m por t an t

p l a c e - - P e t c z y s k a , t h e s u b j ec t o f th e d i s p u t e - - w e r e s u m m o n e d t o w i tn e s s, r e c al l, a n d

pos s i b l y pa r t i c i pa t e i n , t he r e s o l u t i on o f t he con t r ove r s y . The r ec r u i t m en t and com -

pos i t i on o f s uch l oca l g r oups , and t he ways i n wh i ch t hey we r e m ob i l i z ed i n t he l ega l

p r oces s , a r e we l l i l lu s t r a ted by Du ches s Gr z ym i s l aw a s t wo r eco r ds conc e r n i ng

Dz i e r Sk6wek .

Bo t h o f t he ga t he r i ngs p r e s i ded ove r by t he duches s we r e he l d i n a l oca l i t y ca l l ed

S k a r y s z e w . S k a r y s z e w h a d l o n g b e e n a n i m p o r t a n t p a rt o f t h e e s ta t e o f t h e c a n o n s

r e g u l ar o f M i e c h 6 w . A t t h e t i m e o f th e f o u n d a t i o n o f t h a t m o n a s t ic c o m m u n i t y i n t h e

l a t e r t we l f t h cen t u r y i t had i nc l uded a m ar ke t p l ace , a t ave r n , and a pa r i s h chu r ch t ha t

s e r v i ced s i x o t he r s e t t l em en t s and t ha t co l l e c t ed a r e s pec t ab l e t i the r ev enue 46 It was a l s o

po l i t i c a ll y s ign i fi c an t; i n 1230 , Duche s s G r zym i s t awa u s ed i t a s a r e s ti ng p l ace en r ou t e

t o a d i p l om a t i c pa r l ey 47 I n bo t h phas e s o f t he p r oceed i ngs be f o r e Du ches s Gr z ym i s l awa

of 1228 , and i n l a t e r yea r s , Ska r ys zew s e r ved a s an i m por t an t s ou r ce o f wi t ne s s e s f o r

t r ans ac ti ons s pec i f i c a l ly conce r n i ng s u bs equen t t r ans fe r s o f Dz i e r ~k6 wek t o t he e s t a t e o f

t he canons r egu l a r a t Mi ech6w. The wi t ne s s e s who appea r ed be f o r e t he duches s i n 1228

i n c l u d e d J a n e k , m a s t e r o f th e m o n k s o f t h e g ra n g e magister mon achorum curiae] o f

Ska r ys zew, h i s b r o t he r - i n - l aw Geof f r ey , [ and ] S i eg f r i ed , ba i l i f f

villicus]

o f

Ska r ys ze w, 48 wh i l e t he d i p l om a t i c pa r l ey o f t wo ye a r s l a t e r was a t t ended , am ong

o t he r s , by t he sam e S i eg f r ed , a l l t he tow ns m en

omn es burgenses]

o f S k a r y s z e w , a n d

J o h n , p r ie s t o f S k a r y s z e w 49

Li ke he r hus band s i x yea r s e a r l i e r , Gr zym i s t awa i n 1228 ga t he r ed s e t t l e r s f r om

s pec i f ic nea r by l oca l it ie s t o w i t ne s s a phas e o f a l ega l t r ans ac t ion , b u t i n con t r a s t to h i m

s he no t ed i n de t a i l t he com pos i t i on o f t ha t g r oup and t he t e r r i t o r y f r om whi ch i t was

r ec r u i t ed : At t he head o f t he l i s t r e co r ded on t he ve r s o o f he r ch a r t e r, s he i den t if i ed the

4 3 A . p . no 5 1 2 2 2 / 1 2 2 4 ) , 8 : P o u ir z o n c a m e r a r i u s O s t a s ii , S u l is l a v v e n a to r e iu s d e m , D e t h m a r , M a t h e u s

s u b c a m e r a r i u s e i u s d e m .

4 4 C o m p a r e M . P r e s t w i c h , E n g l i s h p o l i t i c s 3 4 - 3 6 .

4 5 A . P . n o . 5 1 2 2 2 / 1 2 2 4 ) , 8 : E g i d i u s e t B o g d a s i u s c a p e l l a n i d e P e l c h i s c h .

4 6 K . M p .

2 : n o . 3 7 5 - 7 6 1 1 9 8 ) , 1 3 - 1 4 , 1 6.

4 7 K . M p . 2 :n o . 4 0 1 1 2 3 0 ) , 4 6 .

4 8 K . M p .

2 :n o . 3 9 5 1 2 2 8 ) , 3 9 .

4 9 K d l lp . 2 :n o . 4 0 1 1 2 3 0 ) , 4 6 .

5 K . M p . 2 : n o . 3 9 5 1 2 2 8 ) , 3 9 ; t h e v e r s o p o r ti o n o f t h e c h a r t e r .


13/28

Communities of Legal Memory in Medieval Poland c. 1200-1240 139

e n t ir e g r o u p o f 2 5 m e n w h o w e r e p r e s e n t a s n e i g h b o u r s s e tt le d n e a r D z i e r ~ k r w e k

v i c in i c i r c u m i a c e n t e s ) ,

a n d , a t t h e e n d , s o m e w h a t m o r e f o r m a l l y a s t h e n e i g h b o u r h o o d

v ic in ia ) . 5~ T h i s n e i g h b o u r h o o d w a s r e c r u it e d f r o m s e v e n s e tt le m e n t s , o f w h i c h

Ska r ys zew w as aga i n r e l a t ive l y i m por t an t . Ska r ys zew f u r n i s hed t h r ee ne i gh bou r s ,

i nc l ud i ng a pa r i s h p r ie s t , a m on k o r l ay b r o t he r , and a pe r s on i den t i f ied on l y by nam e . I n

c o n t r a s t , t h e s i x o t h e r n a m e d l o c a l i t i e s - - D z i e r ~ k 6 w e k , O d e c h 6 w , K r z y ~ a n o w i c e ,

M o d r z e j o w i c e , R z e p i n , a n d K r u p s k o - - - w e r e r e p r e s e n t e d b y o n l y o n e i n h a b i t a n t e a c h .

Al t hough no t a l l o f t he s e l oca l i t i e s c an be i den t i f i ed , t hos e t ha t c an be we r e s i t ua t ed

be t w een 6 and 11 k i l om e t e r s f r om Ska r ys zew i ts e lf ; t he ne i gh bou r hoo d was t he r e f o r e

r ec r u i t ed f r om a r eg i on o f l e s s t han abou t 200 s qua r e k i l om e t e r s . The r ec r u i t m en t

f a v o u r e d S k a r y s z e w , b u t w a s o t h e r w i s e e v e n l y - - t h o u g h t h i n l y - - - d i s t r i b u t e d a r o u n d t h e

r em a i nde r o f t he s e tt l em en t s t ha t com pr i s ed t he ne i gh bou r hoo d .

Th e ne i gh bou r s we r e qu i te d ive r s e i n t e r m s o f s t at u s and func t i on . Th r ee o f

t h e m - - - o n e e a c h r e c r u i t e d f r o m S k a r y s z e w , R z e p i n , a n d K r u p s k o - - - w e r e m o n k s , o r

pos s i b l y l ay b r o t he r s f r a t r e s ) , o f th e M i e c h r w c o m m u n i t y . S e v e r a l o f th e o t h e r

ne i ghb our s com pr i s ed f am i l y g r oups ; f i ve ne i gh bou r s we r e li nked t o each o t he r a s

f a t he r s and s ons , and a s e i t he r s ons - o r b r o t he rs - i n -l aw. O ne w as i den t if i ed a s a pea s an t

c m e t h o ) ; t h i s was Rozna t , s um m oned t o t he a s s em bl y f r om a nea r by s e t t l em en t o f

Od ech6w . Thus , t he t h r ee i den t if i ab le ca t ego r i e s o f r ec r u i ts in t o t he ne i gh bou r hoo d

s um m oned t o Sk a r ys zew i nc l uded : f am i l i e s (o f peop l e whos e s ta t u s was no t exp l i c i tl y

i den t if i ed ) ; t he m o nas t e r y s b r o t h e r s ; and peas an t s . Th e l is t c lo s e s w i t h Bogdas z , t he

m e d i a t o r - - o n c e a g a i n u n d e r s c o r i n g t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e v e r y s m a l l c o r e g r o u p i n

d i f f e r en t phas e s o f p a r t icu l a r t r ans ac ti ons .

Th e wi t ne s s e s r ec r u i t ed f r om Ska r y s zew i n 1228 r e f l ec t t he f o r m a t i on o f a com p l ex

r u r a l com m uni t y du r i ng t he p r eced i ng decades , and t he u s e o f t ha t com m uni t y i n t he

p r o c e s s o f f o r m a t i o n a n d r e p r o d u c t i o n o f l e g a l k n o w l e d g e . L o n g a f t e r t h e c a n o n s o f

Mi ech6w appr op r i a t ed i t s chu r ch , Ska r ys zew had r em a i ned a pa r i s h cen t r e ; becam e t he

l oca t i on a m on as t i c g r ange , headed b y a m as t e r ; and a t t r a c ted Ge r m an i m m i gr an ts ,

who acqu i r ed f o r m a l com m una l s t a t u s . I n s ho r t , i t had l ong been a r eg i ona l c en t r e o f

econom i c and dem ogr aph i c change , and t he s oc i a l g r oups r ec r u i t ed f r om i t t o wi t ne s s

( and p r e s um ab l y r em em ber ) l ega l t r ans ac t i ons i nc l uded t he pa r t i c i pan t s i n t ha t change .

Th i s s ugges t s a de l i be r a t e s tr a t egy o f e f f ec t ing and cons o l i da t i ng l ega l know l edge a t t he

l o c a l l e v e l . T h a t k n o w l e d g e r e s t e d o n p e r s o n s w h o p a r t i c i p a t e d i n - - i n d e e d e m b o d i e d - -

econom i c , dem ogr aph i c , and l ega l expans i on and dynam i s m wi t h i n t he l oca l i t i e s

a f f ec t ed by t he l ega l t r ans ac t i ons wh i ch t ook p l ace . The r ecu r r ence o f wi t ne s s e s f r om

Ska r ys zew i n t r ans ac ti ons s pec i f i c a l ly conce r n i ng D z i e r Zk6w ek s ugges t s ano t he r de l i be r -

a t e pa t t e r n o f r ec r u i t m en t o f pe r s ons f r om one l oca l i t y t o a f f ec t , and r em em ber , l ega l

rea l i t i es in another . Along wi th i t s o ther func t ions as a cent ra l p lace in the region ,

S k a r y s z e w w a s u s e d a n a n c h o r f o r a c o m m u n i t y o f l e g a l k n o w l e d g e c o n c e r n i n g a

par t i cu la r benef ic ia ry and a par t i cu la r se t of t r ansac t ions .

T h e m o s t l o c a l c o m m u n i t y o f l e g a l k n o w l e d g e a c c e s s i b l e t h r o u g h t h e s o u r c e s

t he r e f o r e r e s t ed on a geog r aph i c c l u s t e r o f s e t tl em en t , and on a ne t w or k o f pe r s ons . Th a t

n e t w o r k s u p p l e m e n t e d , a n d o v e r l a p p e d w i t h, a r a n g e o f o t h e r g r o u p s a n d p e r s o n s f r o m a

5~The transactions were done coram uicinis circumiacentibus and coram uicinia


14/28


15/28

Com munities of Le gal M em ory in M edieval Poland , c. 1200-1240 141

i n t o l e g a l , g e o g r a p h i c , e c o n o m i c , d e m o g r a p h i c , a n d e c o l o g i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n , b u t i n s t e a d

e x p r e s s e d t h e p r o p r i e t a r y h i s t o r y o f t h e r e g i o n i n t e r m s o f a l l t h e s e f e a t u r e s . 55

A l l t h e p l a c e - n a m e o r i g i n s P e t e r t r a c e d i n r e l i a n c e o n K w i e c i k r e f e r r e d t o p a r t i c u l a r

p o s s e s s o r s o f t h e p l a c e s n a m e d , a n d t o s o m e d i s ti n c t iv e a n d m e m o r a b l e a c t i v it i es o r

cha rac t e r i s t i c s o f t he se pos se s so r s . The i r l i fe s t o r i e s en t a i l ed r e s idence , s en io r i t y w i th in a

f a m i l y g r o u p , e c o n o m i c a c t i v i t y s u c h a s l a n d c l e a r i n g , o r ' p o w e r ' ( p o t e s t a s ) wi th in t he

loca l i t y , soc i a l c l imb ing , l abou r , and a s se r t i venes s o r ou t r i gh t agg re s s ion . Some were

' d u c a l p e a s a n t s ' ( r u s t i c i d u c i s ) , o the r s a sp i r ed t o kn igh thood o r p r ac t i s ed robbe ry , and

y e t o t h e r s ' u s u r p e d ' l a n d b e y o n d w h a t t h e y a c q u i r e d f r o m t h e d u k e s . 56 Severa l had

acqu i r ed t he i r ho ld ings ea r ly du r ing t he t ime o f t he ' o ld d uk es ' , t ha t i s, be fo re t he

M o n g o l i n v a s i o n . T h e y h a d b e e n r e c r u i t e d t o t h e r e g i o n b y D u k e s B o l e s t a w t h e T a l l a n d

He nry t he Bea rded , ' i n the o ld days w hen the l o rds o f t h i s p rov ince o f S i l e s i a d i s t r ibu t ed

i n h e r i t a n c e s a n d m a n o r s

[ h e r e d i t a te s e d p r e d i a ]

t o t h e n o b l e a n d m e d i o c r e ' .

S o m e o f t h e s e e a r l y e p o n y m s w e r e r e m e m b e r e d b y n a m e a l o n e ; t h u s , a h o l d i n g

' f o r m e r l y c a l l e d J a n u s z 6 w ' h a d b e e n s o c a ll e d b e c a u s e i t h a d ' l o n g a g o '

( a n t i q u i t u s )

b e e n p o s s e s s e d b y t w o b r o t h e r s ' o f w h o m t h e e ld e r w a s c a ll e d J a n u s z ' .57 Pe ter d id not

e x p l i c i t l y s t a t e h o w l o n g a g o o r f o r h o w l o n g J a n u s z a n d h i s b r o t h e r h a d p o s s e s s e d t h e

ho ld ing , bu t c l ea r ly imp l i ed t ha t bo th t he i r pos se s s ion and t he p l ace name tha t r e f e r r ed t o

i t w e r e p a r t o f th e p a s t . L i k e w i s e , ' i n t h o s e d a y s ' a n e a r b y h o l d i n g h a d b e e n a p o s s e s s i o n

o f t w o p e a s a n t s , K r z e p i s z a n d Z u k , w h o ' e x c e e d e d t h e o t h e r [ p e a sa n t s] b y a c e r t ai n

d e g r e e o f p o w e r ' , w h i c h w a s w h y ' th i s p la c e w a s o n c e c a l l e d Z u k o w i c e' .5 8 O n c e a g a in ,

Pe t e r imp l i ed t ha t t h i s p l ace name was no l onge r i n u se i n h i s own t ime ; i n add i t i on , he

iden t i f i ed t he l oca t i on o f 7 ,ukowice w i th t he l oca t i on o f a monas t i c g r ange ( c u r i a ) in h is

o w n p r e s e n t , i n d i c a t i n g a c o m p l e t e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n i n t h e p o s s e s s i o n a n d u s e o f t h a t

l oca t i on a f t e r Krzep i sz and Zuk l ed i t . Thus , bo th t he p l ace name and t he s e t t l emen t t o

wh ich i t r e f e r r ed w e re a spec t s o f the pa s t . F ina l ly , ' [ a ] sma l l ho ld ing

[ s o r s ]

f o r m e r l y

c a l l e d H e n r y k r w ' h a d b e e n a p o s s e s s i o n o f a p e t t y k n i g h t n a m e d H e n r y b e f o r e t h e

f o u n d a t i o n o f t h e m o n a s t e r y .59 Pe t e r s a id no th ing abou t t he s t ruc tu r e o r s i z e o f Henry ' s

ho ld ing , excep t he imp l i ed , once aga in , t ha t i n h i s own p re sen t t h i s ho ld ing was no t

c a l l e d b y t h e n a m e t h a t r e f e r r e d t o H e n r y .

T h e p a s t r e m e m b e r e d b y K w i e c i k w a s a t i m e o f ra t h e r f lu i d s o c ia l re l a ti o n s i n t h e

r e g i o n o f H e n r y k 6 w . S e v e r a l o f th e o r i g in a l s e t tl e rs h a d a s p i r e d to k n i g h t h o o d . A b b o t

P e t e r v a r i o u s l y r e f e r r e d t o H e n r y - - t h e o r i g i n a l p o s s e s s o r o f t h e h o l d i n g f o r m e r l y k n o w n

a s H e n r y k r w - - a s a n a s p ir in g k n ig h t, ' p e t ty k n ig h t '

( m i l i t e l l u s ) ,

or kn igh t

( m i l e s ) .

T h e

o r i g in a l p o s s e s s o r s o f J a n u s z 6 w , J a n u s z a n d h i s b r o t h e r D o b r o g o s t , w e r e b o t h '

communities of legal memory in medieval poland, c. 1200-1240

Documents