Details

Subjects:

Brandenburg (Germany : State) -- History.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Government records.
Manuscripts, German.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

German, with 2 documents predominantly in Latin (pp. 455-552, 732-742); some occurrences of titles or extended passages in Latin (pp. 149, 811, 831); and many documents containing significant numbers of Latin phrases.

Summary:

Collection of 103 diverse documents, dated 1472 to 1714, related to the government of the Markgrafschaft (margraviate) of Brandenburg, mostly in the form of undated transcriptions. Included is one document that appears to be an original, dated 1644 and showing the remnants of a red wax seal (p. 552); and others from the late seventeenth century that might be contemporary copies (one dated 1664 with fold lines and a handwritten label, p. 916). The majority of the documents were issued by or in the name of the reigning ruler, the Markgraf (margrave) of Brandenburg, who was also a prince-elector (Kurfürst) within the Holy Roman Empire. Documents are included from the following 8 rulers: Albrecht, Joachim I, Joachim II, Johann Georg, Joachim Friedrich, Johann Sigismund, Friedrich Wilhelm, and Friedrich III (known as Friedrich I, King of Prussia, after 1701). Main genres of documents include parliamentary agreements (Landtags Recesse); edicts, proclamations, or decrees from the ruler (Rescripti; Ausschreiben); resolutions issued by the supreme court (Cammergericht); and regulations (Policeij Ordnungen; Verordnungen). Included are attestations or opinions (Urtheile; Responsi) issued by the law faculties (juristische Fakultäten) of the universities of Rostock, Frankfurt an der Oder, Helmstedt, and Halle. The documents relate to diverse issues, including the restructuring of the supreme court; matters of general communal well-being (gemeinen Nutz; weights and measures, game, salaries of servants and laborers, public lands); the granting of privileges; coinage (Münze); usury; guilds; inheritance; marriage of Jews; contracts; public finance; duties; and church property. The volume includes a table of contents (pp. [v-xii]).

Contents:

Landtages Recess de anno 1472, pp. 1-6.
Policeij Ordnung de anno 1515, pp. 11-36.
Landtages Recess[e] de anno 1534, 1538, pp. 69-85, 87-116.
Reformation churfürstlicher Gnaden zu Brandenburg Cammergerichts zu Colln an der Sprew [1540], pp. 117-125.
[Drei] Landtages Recess[e] de anno 1549, pp. 167-181, 182-188, 189-205.
Ordnung etlicher Artickel die Policeij und gemeinen Nutz betreffende [1550], pp. 215-240.
Confirmatio privilegiorum [1572], pp. 241-250.
Rescriptum electorale wegen der ausswärtigen Bürger [3 February 1587], pp. 299-301.
Landtages Recess de anno 1615, pp. 354-369.
Landtages Recess[e] vom 18 April 1643 [und vom 11 Julij 1643], pp. 370-418, 419-448.
Rostockische Information, Urtheil wegen Bezahlung der leichten Münze [4 April 1644], pp. 455-552.
Landtages Recess de anno 1653, pp. 555-707.
Franckfurtisches Information, Urtheil de usuris particulariter solutis [20 March 1682], pp. 732-737.
Rescriptum electorale de usuris ... [1 March 1680; 8 December 1689], pp. 743-744, 747-748.
Churfürstliche Resolution auff einige der Stände übergebene Gravamina [2 April 1683], pp. 749-756.
Rescriptum wegen des Meistergeldes [19 March 1685], pp. 759-760.
Cammergerichts Abschied wegen des Meistergeldes und Jahrarbeit [15 May 1685], pp. 761-763.
Responsum Helmstadiense von Freijheit der fürstlichen Schlösser und Brechung des Burgfriedens [30 April 1687], pp. 806-815.
Responsum Hallense wegen einer Erbschafft da eine Frau ihren Mann umbgebracht [11 September 1695], pp. 817-825.
Rescriptum, dass die wider käufliche Contracte auff 20 Jahr zu confirmiren [18 December 1666], p. 845.
Churfürstliches Ausschreiben an die Landtstände [ 22 January 1664], pp. 907-916.
Verordnung betreffend der Verheurathung der Juden [4 October 1696], pp. 936-938.
Rescriptum wegen der Städte Creditoren [1 October 1667], pp. 938-939.
Churfürstliche gnädigste Resolution wegen wider abgetretenem Zoll zu Lenzen ... [23 May 1660], pp. 945-959.
Rescript wegen der Priester Hufen [15 December 1711], pp. 984-985.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Pagination: Paper, i (newer paper) + vi + 493 + iii + i (newer paper). Contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners: [v-xii], 1-6, 11-990 (pp. 7-10 are missing, and pp. 206-214 are blank).
Script: Written in multiple German cursive hands, with Latin passages tending toward a book script.
Decoration: Title page of one document in a formal calligraphic book script with decorated initials (p. 11); 3-line decorated initials (p. 1, 11, 13, 31, 37-40, 42, 43, 69, 87, 117, 127, 839, 845-849, 916); and occasional other instances of initials with pen flourishes throughout.
Binding: Modern calf (Zacour-Hirsch).
Origin: Written in Brandenburg between approximately 1644 (p. 552) and 1714 (p. 987).

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Ivan Volkoff (Pasadena, Calif.), 1968.

Cited in:

Described in Zacour, Norman P. and Hirsch, Rudolf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to 1800: Supplement A(1). Library Chronicle 35 (1969), p. 32 (Ms. German 72).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1183

Contributor:

Albrecht Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg, 1414-1486.
Joachim I, Elector of Brandenburg, 1484-1535.
Joachim II, Elector of Brandenburg, 1505-1571.
Joachim Friedrich, Elector of Brandenburg, 1546-1608.
Johann Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, 1572-1619.
Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, 1620-1688.
Frederick I, King of Prussia, 1657-1713.
Universität Rostock. Juristische Fakultät.
Universität Frankfurt an der Oder.
Universität Helmstedt. Juristen-Facultät.
Universität Halle.

Contains:

Johann Georg, Elector of Brandenburg, 1525-1598.

OCLC:

229447623