Korespondencja Krakowa i Wrocławia z Głównym Miastem Gdańskiem w późnym średniowieczu

Abstract

The subject of this article is the correspondence between Gdansk and the cities of Krakow and Wroclaw in the late medieval period. Only letters between the municipal authorities of these cities are considered herein. The sources on which this article is based consist of letters sent from Krakow (24) and Wroclaw (37) to Gdansk’s Main Town council. The second group of sources is provided by city records featuring copies of letters (known as “missiva”) sent from Gdansk to the aforementioned cities (Ref. No. APGd, 300, 27/1–12). These records include copies of 10 letters sent to Krakow, 22 – sent to Wroclaw and two – sent to both cities. In this article the letters have been divided into six thematic groups. They cover topics concerning membership of the Hansa (in particular regarding the participation of city representatives in Hanseatic assemblies), as well as trade, financial obligations, rents, inheritances and other issues. This correspondence illustrates the problems which occurred in Gdansk’s relations with Krakow and Wroclaw. In the late medieval period these cities belonged to different economic zones: Gdansk was part of the Baltic zone, whilst Krakow and Wroclaw belonged to the upper-German zone. This, however, was no obstacle to mutual contacts. Up until the latter half of the 15th century, all of these cities were united in their membership of the Hanseatic League. The statistical analysis carried out in this article reveals that matters concerning all manner of payments and movement of goods between these cities predominated in their correspondence. Gdansk’s contacts with Krakow and with Wroclaw also had certain distinctive features. Many of the letters exchanged with Wroclaw (particularly in the first half of the 15th century) pertained to rents, which were purchased by Gdansk citizens and subsequently not redeemed on time by Wroclaw. In Gdansk’s relations with Krakow, this problem occurred very rarely.