Source catalogue

King Louis of Hungary orders officials and customs officers in Poland and Hungary to allow merchants and inhabitants of Ruthenia free passage upon payment of due customs duties. He forbids any unlawful obstacles or harm to be inflicted upon them.

An order to carefully secure the belongings of a deceased Turkish merchant pending further instructions. Claimants must present a letter from the Turkish ruler to the King.

The King recalls two previous orders to protect the liberties and exemptions granted to Jews from Turkey through the intercession of the Turkish ruler. He demands their execution again, threatens a severe reaction, and requires the removal of the causes of complaints or a written explanation via the bearer.

King Sigismund III Vasa intercedes with the authorities of Lwów on behalf of the local Jews, who are requesting an extension of an expiring trade agreement concluded with the city. The monarch recommends extending the agreement, pointing out that it will not prejudice the city's rights or revenues.

The King recalls a privilege allowing his servant, Domenico Montelupi, to trade in all cities of the Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania throughout the year. The authorities of Lviv restrict him based on their own laws and privileges. The King recommends a settlement without waiting for a royal court ruling and demands again that Montelupi not be prohibited from selling both during and outside of fairs.

The Wallachian Voivode Mircea grants merchants from Lviv, Poland, and Lithuania the right to trade freely in his domains upon payment of the required customs duties. The permit covers the trade of goods with an absolute prohibition on the export of silver.

The King considers a complaint from the burghers of Lwów against lustration commissioners who, under the pretext of the new 'kwarta' tax, are imposing previously unknown burdens and duties towards the castle. He explains that the lustration applies to the estates of starostas and leaseholders, not to municipal property and its income. He orders the removal of unlawful burdens or an explanation for their imposition, recalling previous warnings.

The King responds to a complaint from the burghers of Lwów regarding new obligations entered into the lustration records. He orders that merchants and craftsmen not be burdened beyond the law and that such entries be removed, despite extracts having already been issued to the starosta.

The King orders the Lwów magistrate to return goods brought to the fair by the Jews, which were seized without waiting for the resolution of the dispute. He forbids hindering their trade until a verdict is reached.

The Bishop of Przemyśl, Jan, together with the Chapter, releases and acquits the councilors and burghers of Lwów from the repayment of a debt incurred from the late Bishop Maciej, due to the transfer of these funds directly to King Władysław Jagiełło. The issuers renounce all further financial claims and declare the existing debt obligations void and cancelled.

The King accuses the authorities of Lviv of supporting individuals who harm customs revenues, driving away guards, and allowing goods to pass without clearance. He orders the prevention of such abuses and the punishment of merchants acting under the protection of lords. He threatens proceedings by the Crown Instigator before the royal court.

The King reminds the magistrate of the subsidy enacted by the Sejm and apportioned to Lviv by universal. The treasury has not received the due payment, so the King reiterates the demand for the immediate transfer of 12,000 Polish zlotys, noting that he cannot waive this sum.

The King forbids the commandant, Eliasz Łącki, from imposing new levies on residents and visitors. He is to accept the established honorarium of thirty zlotys from the city and respect municipal jurisdiction.

King Władysław III orders the officials of the Ruthenian lands to publicly announce the prohibition of merchants bypassing Lwów and to forbid the nobility from unlawfully collecting new customs duties. Those who resist are to be punished by the confiscation of transported goods and arrest.

Wallachian Voivode Vlad II grants merchants from Lviv and other cities of the Ruthenian, Polish, and Moldavian lands safe and free trade in his domains upon payment of a fixed customs duty. A fee of two Hungarian florins was established for each merchant wagon.

King Władysław III of Varna grants the Lwów councilors half of the revenues from royal customs duties collected between Kraków and Lwów in order to satisfy the monarch's debts. The document establishes a procedure for collecting fees in a secured chest and orders customs officers to allow free passage to Lwów merchants without collecting additional charges.

Lviv Archbishop Jan Odrowąż confirms the receipt of 337.5 Polish marks from the testamentary legacy of the merchant Mikołaj Hecht, transferred by the Lviv city councilors. He allocates this sum for construction work at the Lviv Cathedral and for the endowment of canons in exchange for the celebration of two weekly masses.

The King forbids the magistrate from taking arbitrary actions against Jewish merchants whose shops have been closed. The dispute is to be settled by the royal court.

A separate letter instructs the Starosta of Lwów to halt the city's actions harming merchants pending the verdict of the royal court.

King Władysław III exempts the burghers and inhabitants of Lwów from customs duties on all imported goods, especially fish, until his entry into the city. The monarch orders the Voivode and Starosta of Lwów, Piotr Odrowąż of Sprowa, and the customs collectors to strictly observe the granted freedom.

Jerzy Ghica asks the city councilors of Lwów to announce the upcoming fair in Jazłowiec to foreign merchants and city residents. He informs them of the merchants' concerns regarding new fees and the assurances of protection he received, following which he ordered his merchants to depart. He also requests confirmation and encouragement from Lwów.

Sultan Mustafa instructs the Polish authorities to assist the envoy of the court merchant Mahmud in recovering payments for goods and to guarantee his safe return. The document includes 19th-century archival notes regarding the creation of a German translation of a photograph of the text in Vienna and a planned new translation.

The document abolishes the newly introduced, unlawful customs duty in Kolomyia for Lviv burghers and other merchants, while simultaneously regulating and confirming the traditional customs rates collected in Sniatyn. Jan of Czyżów orders the Starosta of Kolomyia and Sniatyn, Michał Myszło, to strictly observe these provisions.

The Magistrate of Brody complains about the detention of goods and the collection of tolls by the people of Lwów. According to the complaint, several dozen armed men detained merchants' cattle in Toporów, demanding 1,300 PLN; later, in Lwów, 300 PLN was taken for detained goods. A request to the Crown Standard-Bearer for the protection of the city's privileges.

King Władysław of Varna subjects foreign and non-resident merchants in Lwów exclusively to the jurisdiction of the municipal court and confirms the staple right for goods. He also establishes rules for the validity of testaments drawn up by Lwów burghers and the requirement to sell bequeathed real estate within one year.

The authorities of Old Warsaw express sympathy to the citizens of Lwów regarding the burdens imposed by Becal. They inform them about successfully stopping the collection of a fee of 2 zlotys per every 100 zlotys, which the customs administrator demanded from merchants traveling to the Jarosław fair. They also describe their independent intervention against the increase of the hiberna tax, despite the lack of cooperation from the delegates of Lwów and Kraków.

The authorities of Wrocław wish to resume trade interrupted by the plague in Poland. They do not consider rumors of the epidemic's end to be sufficient: they ask Lwów for a reliable report on the state of the city and the province, as well as evidence of the cessation of infections and the purification of infected places and buildings. They announce their intention to restore trade, even if initially with restrictions.

Gdańsk conveys complaints from its own merchants trading in Lwów: violation of ancient rights, fees, closing of warehouses, accusations of illicit agreements, and inspection of books despite a lack of evidence. It requests the removal of these abuses, reserving the right to appeal to the King. The veracity of the complaints is presented conditionally.

King Casimir Jagiellon orders the officials of the Ruthenian lands to forbid merchants from bypassing Lviv via new routes and to stop the nobility from arbitrarily collecting customs duties. Those violating these orders are to be arrested along with their transported goods, which are to be forfeited to the burghers of Lviv.

Moldavian Hospodar Peter III Aaron grants Lviv burghers and other merchants free entry and the right to conduct trade within the territory of Moldavia. The privilege guarantees the safety of merchants and regulates customs duties and the use of warehouses.

The councilors of Kamianets return to the correspondence and the royal resolution regarding the passage of caravans, merchants' goods, and the staple rights of Lviv. They request that the agreements be honored and that men be present to guard the merchants and goods. They mention an attached copy of a royal letter under their own seal; the detailed transit clauses remain partially illegible.

Moldavian Hospodar Peter confirms trade and customs privileges for merchants from Lviv and the lands of Ruthenia and Podolia within the territory of Moldavia, modeled on the earlier grants of Hospodar Alexander. The document regulates the collection of customs duties in, among others, Suceava, Bacău, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi.

Moldavian Hospodar Peter confirms the ancient trade freedoms for Lviv merchants and establishes detailed customs duties on routes leading through Moldavia towards Hungary, Wallachia, and the Tatar lands. He further permits the establishment of a merchant house in Suceava and forbids officials from unlawfully confiscating transported goods.

Following a reduction in the value of currency, the Podolian Voivodeship established a commission to set prices for goods and equipment. Merchants requested a postponement for submitting their registers and closed their shops. The commission ordered sales at half the previous price. The magistrates of Kamieniec requested information from Lwów regarding a similar tariff; the final resolution remains open.

King Casimir IV Jagiellon confirms the existing rights and immunities of the clergy and nobility of the Ruthenian lands, while introducing additional regulations concerning, among other things, local jurisdiction, customs exemptions, and procedures regarding peasants. He also prohibits the imposition of unlawful customs duties and the diversion of merchants from designated trade routes.

Kraków requests the release of its burgher Ciamer from a second payment of the donativa in Lwów and the unsealing of his goods. It argues that the merchant has already paid in Kraków, and that the universal decrees exclude the collection of the same tribute again in another city. It also cites the merchant's account of established practice and his commercial losses.

Kraków claims that Scottish merchants are using royal rescripts and letters of protection to violate municipal trade laws, evade burdens, and avoid jurisdiction. It describes the case of the merchant Rijdt [?] and the seizure of his goods. It asks Lwów for joint action and the sharing of similar judicial rulings.

Ruthenian Voivode Andrzej Odrowąż and Sniatyn Starosta Michał Buczacki prohibit the arbitrary obstruction of merchants transporting cattle and goods between Wallachia and Lviv. All disputes and claims regarding seized animals are ordered to be directed for resolution to the city council court in Kolomyia.

King Casimir IV Jagiellon settles a dispute between the councilors of Lviv and the townspeople of Halych, Kolomyia, and Stryi, ordering the latter to strictly observe the Lviv general staple right and prohibiting them from bypassing Lviv on their way to other cities. The document confirms the right of Lviv citizens to confiscate the goods of merchants violating the transit obligation and notes the submission to this law by the townspeople of Kamianets-Podilskyi.

Kraków confirms receipt of an earlier letter from Lwów regarding a different, partially illegible matter. It then inquires about a rumor concerning two sudden deaths in the Lwów suburbs and symptoms of plague in other individuals. It demands honest information and protective measures against travelers to preserve the health of the inhabitants, the credibility of municipal certificates, and trade with Silesia.

Moldavian Hospodar Stephen confirms the freedom of trade for Lviv merchants and the previous privileges granted by his ancestors. The document regulates customs duties in various Moldavian trade chambers.

Moldavian Voivode Stephen the Great confirms the ancient trade liberties for merchants from Lviv and the Ruthenian and Podolian lands, and establishes detailed customs tariffs at customs houses within Moldavia. The document also grants them the right to maintain a merchant house in Suceava and guarantees the protection of their goods against confiscation.

The Magistrate of Kraków requests the search for and imprisonment of a Frenchman named Szewele, also known as Rytter, in Lwów. He is accused of defrauding creditors, fleeing with over seven hundred red zlotys, and abandoning his pregnant wife. Information regarding two previous wives is presented as a rumor.

Ruthenian Voivode Andrzej Odrowąż limits the number of craftsmen allowed to settle under the Lwów castle, prohibits local markets there, and subjects suburban Armenians and foreign merchants to municipal jurisdiction. Furthermore, he confirms the magistrate's right to appoint translators and regulates the rules for grain milling and the use of royal forests.

The Magistrate of Kraków sends its citizen to obtain detailed information about contagious diseases spreading in Ruthenia, Ukraine, and Podolia. It asks Lwów to inform the envoy, detain travelers and merchants from plague-stricken areas, and verify passports and health certificates for travelers and goods. It demands that the authenticity of these documents be verified by an official signature and the city seal before allowing further passage.

The Moldavian Hospodar Stephen the Great guarantees the merchants of Lviv free entry and safe trade within the territory of Moldavia. He ensures the inviolability of their property and orders the collection of customs duties in accordance with the granted privileges.

Responding to an inquiry from Lviv, Lublin provides details on fees: one zloty for the voivode and three groszy for the deputy voivode per barrel of wine. No similar charges are indicated for other goods. It mentions levies on food brought from the countryside and contributions from merchants and guilds during the twice-yearly price-fixing process. It requests that the response remain confidential.

The Halych land judges certify that the Voivode of Podolia and Starosta of Halych, Stanisław of Chodecz, sold and resigned the village of Bybło to the Archbishop of Lviv, Gregory of Sanok, for the sum of 300 marks. The seller committed to perpetually guaranteeing the property's peace and defending the buyer against all claims in accordance with the custom of the Kingdom.

The Lviv land court settles a dispute between Mikołaj Przemirski, acting on behalf of the children of the late Świętosław Przemirski, and Jan Dziwuka of Pomorzany, representing Jan Świnka of Żabiń. Due to the lack of royal authorization, the court imposes perpetual silence on Świnka and an absolute ban on collecting tolls in the villages of Żabiń and Jarosławice.

Piotr of Branice and Jan of Wysokie attest to a judgment issued before King Casimir Jagiellon, prohibiting the collection of unlawful customs duties in the village of Jaryczów from merchants traveling to the fair. Perpetual silence was imposed on the perpetrators of the illegal customs.