Judgment of King Sigismund I the Old in the dispute between the city of Lwów and the nobility regarding municipal burdens

Sigismund, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, etc., Lord and Heir. We announce by the wording of this [document] to all whom it may concern. That whereas the illustrious mayor and councilors of our city of Lwów, in their own name and that of the entire community, brought a complaint before our royal majesty against certain nobles owning houses subject to their municipal jurisdiction, that they refuse to bear municipal burdens like other burghers, and to pay customary revenues to the city, and contrary to the resolution (wilkierz) of the said city, which they have long maintained there after their ancestors, they do not wish to appoint resident managers of those houses who would be subject to municipal law, before whom fellow burghers could seek redress for their grievances, both great and small, in their own law, and in turn be sued by them in the same law, and thus conveniently seek and obtain justice. We, therefore, desiring to mitigate those disputes between the said burghers and the nobility residing in this city or owning municipal houses therein, and to remove and abolish the cause of such disputes for future times, together with the lords advisors of our Kingdom, then present with us, have decided and by the wording of this document decide for all time to be observed: That henceforth the tenants or residents of the houses of the said nobility and other persons having estates or houses under municipal law in our city of Lwów, shall be obliged and ought, on behalf of those nobles or others possessing municipal rights from whom they have leased houses or in whose houses they have resided, to bear all municipal burdens just like other burghers, to pay to the city all municipal revenues, as well as to appear and answer in municipal jurisdiction before their fellow burghers-neighbors for all domestic damages on behalf of those nobles and other owners of such houses, and to repair and compensate the aggrieved for damages and grievances by reason of [...] according to the form of Magdeburg municipal law. If, however, such tenants were non-resident, such that they could not satisfy [the claims] with their own property due to such grievances or damages of neighbors or fellow burghers, then such damages and adjudged liabilities, as well as all municipal burdens according to their municipal law, which these burghers and neighbors shall execute and obtain from those non-resident tenants of those houses, and which would also concern those houses, shall have to be sought from the very houses of that nobility subject to municipal law, extended upon them and paid from them, as is justly due. Provided, however, that these tenants first notify the owners of those houses of this in writing. In testimony of this letter, our seal has been appended hereto. Given in Lwów, on the Wednesday next after the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and twenty-five, the nineteenth year of our reign. [Signature on the left:] Krzysztof of Szydłowiec, Chancellor and of the K[ingdom] of P[oland ...] by his own hand. [Note of relation on the right:] Relation of the illustrious Krzysztof of Szydłowiec, Voivode and Starosta of Kraków and Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland. [Verso:] - 1525 - / to Bundle 261 192 Wednesday. No. 5. Document with seal H On suing the nobility owning estates and houses in the City in the y[ear] 1525. 925 Bundle 58. [Round ink seal:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT ACTS OF THE CITY OF LWÓW [Seal:] [On a parchment strip, the royal seal of Sigismund I preserved in red wax in a wax bowl, with the White Eagle in the center surrounded by the coats of arms of the lands of the Kingdom of Poland, partially chipped].

Sigismundus dei gracia Rex Polonie magnus dux Lithwanie, Russie, Prussie, Masouie etc. dominus et heres. Significamus tenore presencium quibus expedit universis. Quomodo dum querelarentur coram maiestate nostra regia famati Proconsul et Consules civitatis nostre Leopolien[sis] suo et totius communitatis nominibus contra quosdam Nobiles domos in iurisdictione eorum civili habentes, q[uo]d ipsi onera civilia prout alij cives tollerare proventusq[ue] civitati consuetos subire recusarent et contra laudum civitatis prefate, quod ab antiquo ex predecessoribus eorum illic observant, tutores eorum domorum huiusmodi, qui in eorum iure forent, possessionati nollent statuere cum quibus vicini cives pro eorum iniurijs magnis et parvis in iure ipsorum agere, et econverso in eodem iure per eosdem conveniri suamq[ue] iusticiam commode assequi possent et valeant. Nos itaq[ue] cupientes huiusmodi differencias inter eodem cives et Nobiles civitatem ipsam incolentes seu alias domos civiles possidentes sopire et occasionem talis differencie in futura tempora abolere et tollere, Cum dominis Regni nostri Consiliarijs, protunc nobiscum existentibus, decrevimus et tenore presencium decernimus perpetuis temporibus observandum: Q[uo]d deinceps arendatores vel inhabitatores domorum prefatorum nobilium e[t] aliorum iure civili in civitate nostra Leopolien[si] possessiones vel domos habencium, tenebuntur et debebunt pro ipsis nobilibus vel alijs ius civile habent[ibus] apud quos domos arendaverint vel in quorum domibus habitauerint, omnia onera civilia prout ceteri cives subire, ac proventus quoscunq[ue] civiles civitati solvere, nec non vicinis suis concivibus pro quibuscunq[ue] iniurijs domesticis in iurisdictione civili pro eisdem nobilibus et alijs possessoribus talium domorum parere et respondere damnaq[ue] et iniurias passis r[ati]o[n]e [...] iuxta formam iuris civilis Maydeburgen[sis] resarcire et reformare. Si vero tales arendatores inpossessio- nati fuerint, ita q[uod] pro iniurijs vel damnis huiusmodi vicinorum seu concivium satisfacere, bonis suis non possent, e[x]tunc huiusmodi damna et periuri- cra et similiter civilia onera quecunq[ue] iure eorum civili, in eisdem arendatoribus talium domorum inpossessionatis ipsi cives et vicini perlu- craverint et assequerentur que eciam ad domos huius[modi] pertineant debebunt super ipsis domibus in iure civili existentibus ipsorum Nobilium respici et in easdem extendi, de eisq[ue] quantum merito provenerint persolvi. Dum tamen talia per literas ipsi arendatores d[i]c[t]orum domorum possessoribus primo in noticiam perduxerint. Harum litterarum testimonio Sigillum nostrum presentibus est subappensum. Dat[um] Leovoli feria quarta post festum Sancti Luce Ewangeliste proxima, Anno Domini Millesimo quingentesimo Vigesimo quinto, Regni nostri anno Decimonono. [Podpis po lewej:] Cristophorus de Schidlowyecz cancellarius ac r[egni] p[olonie] [...] m[anu] p[ropria] [Nota relacji po prawej:] Relacio magnifici Christophori de Schidlowyecz Palatini et Capitanei Cracovien[sis] ac Regni Polonie Cancellarij [Verso:] - 1525 - / ad Fas. 261 192 fer. 4. N. 5. D[oc]um[en]t[u]m ex Sigillo H De conuenien[tibus] Nobilibus bona et Domos in Ciuitate possidentibus a[nno] 1525. 925 Fasc 58. [Okrągła pieczęć tuszowa:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Pieczęć:] [Na pasku pergaminowym zachowana pieczęć koronna Zygmunta I z czerwonego wosku w misce woskowej, z Orłem Białym pośrodku otoczonym tarczami herbowymi ziem Królestwa Polskiego, częściowo ukruszona].