Privilege of King Sigismund II Augustus reserving the Lviv town hall exclusively for municipal jurisdiction

SIGISMUND AUGUST by the grace of God KING of Poland, grand DUKE of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia etc. lord and heir. We announce by this letter to all and each one whom it concerns, to whom this our letter shall reach. That whereas it has been submitted to us by certain of our councilors on behalf of the illustrious mayor and councilors of our city of Lviv, that the same city, bordering on enemies, consists of various and different co-inhabitants of different and various religion and language; and also that various merchants, as well as foreign people of different status, constantly arrive and reside in it; for this reason, the aforementioned mayor and councilors and the office of this city are not only greatly burdened with recognizing and judging human disputes, but also carefully attend to the diligent administration of the city and the provision of public safety; so that it seems highly burdensome for the aforementioned municipal office, as well as their affairs and deliberations, to be in any way hindered or disturbed by the extraneous affairs of others; moreover, it is highly useful and necessary that what pertains to their office be conducted and managed in the greatest possible peace and freedom; for this reason, they petitioned us on behalf of the same illustrious mayor and councilors of Lviv, that we might deign to have a gracious and relative regard for them and this city and to adorn and equip this our city with this privilege, so that apart from the office of the city council and the public affairs of the city and the private affairs of private individuals, according to ancient custom and law, in the public town hall one should always act freely and peacefully, and that this place of the town hall, which is quite cramped, should be completely free from all other courts, affairs, and assemblies of people of any jurisdiction other than municipal, just as it has always been until now. We, therefore, having considered such state and location of our aforementioned city, having also considered the difficult work of the aforementioned council and the same office in various human affairs and the care for watching [...] in the affairs of the oppressed city, and also graciously acceding to the request of the same mayor and councilors as entirely just, we have deemed it appropriate to grant and bestow upon our aforementioned city of Lviv this privilege: and we hereby give and grant for all time, namely that in the Lviv town hall no courts or affairs of people of any jurisdiction other than municipal may and should ever be conducted; nor may land courts or assemblies be held, nor any commissions be judged; but that only the council office of the city and the municipal office may perform their duties and affairs there peacefully and freely, and in no way be disturbed or hindered in their courts and deliberations, for all time and forever. In testimony whereof our seal has been appended to this. Given in Lublin on Thursday before the feast of Saint Bartholomew, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and sixty-six, in the thirty-seventh year of our reign. [Signature on the left:] Piotr Myszkowski, Vice-Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, signed [Relation formula on the right:] Relation of the venerable Piotr Myszkowski, Vice-Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, Dean of Kraków, Provost of Gniezno, Płock, Łęczyca. [Verso:] [Regest note from the era:] Privilege of excluding the town hall from courts and other human jurisdictions. From holding land courts, assemblies, and commissions therein. 1566 [Archival notes from various periods:] ad Fasc[iculum] 261 / 1566 Fasc: 261. Arca 7ma N[um]e[ro] 17 Rubrica Quarta / L[itt]era D. N[umer]o 15 A D 15 N[umer]o 71 [Round ink seal:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Seal:] [On a parchment strip hangs the royal seal of Sigismund II Augustus impressed in red wax in a bowl of dark natural wax].

SIGISMVNDVS AVGVSTVS Dei gratia REX Poloniae, magnus DVX Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae etc. dominus et haeres. Significamus per praesentes literas universis et singulis quorum interest, ad quos praesentes literae nostrae pervenerint. Quia cum expositum esset nobis per quosdam consiliarios nostros ex parte famatorum Proconsulis et consulum Civitatis nostrae Leopolien[sis], quod eadem Civitas finibus hostium vicina ex diversis et variis, diversae et variae religionis ac linguae cohabitantoribus constat; et quod ad eam varii negotiatores ac rursus etiam conditionis homines extermi assidue confluant ac in ea versentur; ea propter, dictos Proconsulem et Consules officiumque civitatis illius non solum in cognoscendis iudicandisque hominum motis plurimum occupatas esse, sed etiam ad diligentem Civitatis administrationem ac publicae securitatis provisionem sollicite intendere solere; ut valde incommodum esse videatur dictum officium Civitatis, illorumque negotia ac consultationes, quoque modo alijs aliorum negotiis impediri perturbariue; quin imo valde utile ac necessarium sit, eos, quae illorum officij sunt, quam maxime quiete et libere tractare peragereq[ue]; ac ideo supplicatum esset nobis pro parte eorundem Famatorum Proconsulis et Consulum Leopolien[sium] ut nos illorum et Civitatis illius benignam rationem habere, eandem Civitatem nostram ea praerogativa ornare et dotare dignaremur, ut praeter Civitatis Consulatus officiumque, et publica Civitatis, et privata hominum privatorum negotia pro vetere consuetudine et iure in praetorio Publico, libere semper et quiete peragat, utq[ue] dictus praetorij locus, qui est satis angustus ab omnibus alijs iudicijs, negotijs, conventibus hominum cuiusuis alterius Jurisdictionis, quam civilis liber omnino sit, quemadmodum semper adhuc fuit. Nos igitur talem statum et conditionem dictae Civitatis nostrae attenden[tes], tum Consulatus praedicti Officijque eiusdem difficilem in variis hominum negotiis laborem ac in rebus Civitatis afflictarum [...] vigiliarum sollicitudinem perpenden[tes], supplicationique ipsorum Proconsulis et Consulum tanquam satis iustae, benigne annuen[tes], dictae Civitati nostrae Leopolien[si] hanc praerogativam dandam et conceden[dam] duximus: damusq[ue] et concedimus in perpetuum per praesen[tes], ut scilicet in praetorio Leopolien[si] nulla unquam Judicia aut negotia hominum alterius quam civilis iurisdictionis tantum exerceri; nec termini terrestres aut colloquia celebrari, nec commissiones aliquae iudicari possint ac debeant; sed ut tantum Consularis Civitatis et officium Civile sua illic officia et negotia quiete ac libere peragant, nec quocumq[ue] modo in suis Judiciis et consultationibus perturbentur impedianturve, perpetuis temporibus et in aevum. In cuius rei testimonium sigillum nostrum praesen[tibus] est appensum. Dat[um] Lublini feria quinta ante festum sancti Bartholomaei. Anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo sexagesimo sexto. Regni nostri trigesimo septimo. [Podpis z lewej:] Petrus Myszkowsky R[egni] P[oloniae] Vicec[ancellarius] s[ubscripsit] [Formuła relacji z prawej:] Relatio Venerabilis Petri Miszkowski Regni Poloniae Vicecancellarii, Decani Cracovien[sis], Gneznen[sis], Plocen[sis], Lancicien[sis] praepositi. [Verso:] [Nota regestowa z epoki:] Privilegium exemtionis Praetorij A iudicijs aliisve jurisdictionibus homi[num]. A celebratione ibidem Terminorum Terrestrium colloquiorum Atque Commissionum. 1566 [Noty archiwalne z różnych okresów:] ad Fasc[iculum] 261 / 1566 Fasc: 261. Arca 7ma N[um]e[ro] 17 Rubrica Quarta / L[itt]era D. N[umer]o 15 A D 15 N[umer]o 71 [Okrągła pieczęć tuszowa:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Pieczęć:] [Na pasku pergaminowym zawieszona pieczęć koronna Zygmunta II Augusta odciśnięta w czerwonym wosku w misce z ciemnego wosku naturalnego].