Król, wójt, mieszczanie. Rywalizacja o władzę w małopolskich miastach królewskich w dobie jagiellońskiej

Abstract

The king, the vogt, the burghers. Fight for power in the royal towns of Małopolska in the Jagiellonian era The hereditary vogtei was a natural consequence of foundation under German law. In most cases it was assumed by the locator and was associated with powers of a lord, including judicial powers. A hereditary vogt was essentially to be the representative of the town’s owner — thus, in the case of royal towns, the monarch (the vogt as a brachium regale). However, already by the end of Casimir the Great’s reign we can observe a move away from the idea of hereditary vogtei. Probably one of the reasons for this was the reduction in the effectiveness of the hereditary vogt’s actions due to the division of the vogtei through inheritance. However, during the reign of Władysław Jagiełło the hereditary vogtei was used for personal politics — as another type of property which could be used to reward someone’s services. There is a noticeable trend of accumulating property in the hands of noble families. Thus, an authority that undermined urban autonomy was being consolidated in the landscape of the urban system. The term denotes the extent of the burghers’ independence from outside entities in the management of the town, including with regard to the election of councillors. The following correlations have been noted between the extent of autonomy and the nature of hereditary vogtei: rich vogtei in the hands of a nobleman effectively limited the autonomy of a town included in the so-called II or III tax category (Biecz, Bochnia, Myślenice and Pilzno); poor vogtei, even one held by a starosta/ tenutary, was an insufficient basis for effectively limiting urban autonomy (Będzin, Ciężkowice, Częstochowa); the absence of vogtei (Proszowice) or vogtei bought out by the town (Połaniec, Sandomierz, Wieliczka) are circumstances that generally strengthen urban autonomy; the lack of vogtei (Chęciny) or vogtei bought out by a town (Nowy Sącz) may not have translated into significant autonomy, if the castle starosta successfully opposed it and the economic potential of the vogtei was small.