Metryka Litewska jako źródło do badań nad historią Żydów w Wielkim Księstwie Litewskim w XVII i XVIII wieku

Th e article analyses the usefulness of the Lithuanian Metrica for the research on the history of Jews in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Th e study was based on records spanning the period between 1632 and 1764, and an analysis of the books of entries and court registers was made. A thorough search of the records of the Lithuanian Metrica revealed a rich collection of documents pertaining to many aspects of the functioning of Jewish people in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Of special signifi cance is a rich collection of privilege charters for Jewish communities in royal towns – there are over one hundred of them for the analysed period. As much interesting are also records of lawsuits between Jewish and Christian people before assessory and relational courts. Preserved early-modern court books of the Lithuanian Metrica made it possible to analyse Jewish-Christian confl icts in a long duration and to demonstrate the impact of various factors, such as political developments, economic changes, on the situation of Jews within their local urban community. Th e analysed documents also provide a lot of valuable information about the occupational structure and economic activity of Jews. Th e example of Lithuanian Metrica shows the importance for the study of the history of Jews in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of sources produced by the central state authorities, oft en neglected in the most recent research.

W artykule przybliżono zagadnienie przydatności Metryki Litewskiej do badań nad historią Żydów w Wielkim Księstwie Litewskim. Podstawą wywodów są akta z lat 1632–1764. Analizie poddane zostały księgi wpisów oraz sądowe. W Metryce Litewskiej zachowany jest bogaty zbór przywilejów dla gmin żydowskich w miastach królewskich oraz akta wielu procesów między Żydami a chrześcijanami, prowadzonych przed sądami asesorskimi i relacyjnymi. Materiał ten może być podstawą do badań pozycji prawnej i struktury zawodowej Żydów, a także pól konfliktów z chrześcijanami. The article presents the usefulness of the Lithuanian Metrica for the research on the history of Jews in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The study was based on records spanning the period between 1632 and 1764, and an analysis of the books of entries and court registers was made. There is in the Lithuanian Metrica a rich collection of privilege charters issued for Jewish communities of royal towns together with records of numerous lawsuits between Jewish and Christian people before assessory and relational courts. The material gathered could form a basis for research into the legal situation, occupational structure, and conflicts between Jews and Christians.