The finances of the Złotoryja town hall in the second half of the 17th century

Abstract

The finances of the Złotoryja town hall in the second half of the 17th century

(Summary)

The operations of the treasury in municipal councils in old Silesian towns have not been widely studied. Based on the collected source materials, the article presents the structure of finances at the Złotoryja town hall in the second half of the 17th century. In that period Złotoryja was in the final stages of economic recovery following the end of the Thirty Years War. An analysis of the source materials showed that the town’s largest source of income was extraordinary inflows (mainly from agricultural tax) and interest on loans drawn with the municipal council. The key expense in this period was for the extensively developed bureaucratic apparatus. At the forefront were the salaries of the magistrates and clerks, i.e. higher and middle level officials. Entertainment costs for the officials (expenses to honour higher ranking officials and organize occasional banquets) and expenses related to their political life, such as participation in various diplomatic missions, were also material. The municipal authorities’ financial “extravagancies” were responsible for over 50% of all expenses incurred on the council’s administrative activities. Although the source materials are modest and only allow for a fragmentary reconstruction of the budget for Złotoryja’s town hall, some of the political and social activities of the council can be observed. The ledgers are without doubt very useful for learning about the clerical structures and various forms of its representation.