Struktury administracyjne Śląska jako czynnik spójności prawnoustrojowej (XII-XV w.)

• Authors: Marcin Pauk , Ewa Wółkiewicz

Title variants

EN

Silesian administrative structures as elements of legal and systemic cohesion (from 12th until 15th centuries)

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

An analysis of crucial legal and systemic issues indicates that the most important aspect in forming the regional cohesion of Silesia was the “transformation” in the 13th century, including the reception of German law and the institution of self-governing municipality. The main factor determining the functionality of administrative and judicial structures was the furthering territorial fragmentation. In the 12th century the provincial comites, appointed by the principes, as well as the Bishops of Wrocław, performed the function of intermediaries between Silesia and the rest of the Monarchy. After 1163 the Silesian dukes concentrated on the particular needs of their forming territorial dominions, sometimes used also as power base for the realisation of state-wide political concepts. Hence the initiatives undertaken for the purpose of consolidating the duchies in the administrative and economic spheres, utilising innovative socio-systemic mechanisms, such as: establishment of new towns, castle construction as well as reforms of administration of both the Castellans and Weichbilds and promoting migration of foreign knights. Yet another breakthrough took place when the Silesian duchies fell under direct or feudal dominion of the Bohemian Crown. Seeing as the House of Luxembourg was not interested in the creation of centralised institutions and did not interfere in internal relations between the duchies the institutional differences deepened. Unification policies took shape only within individual duchies, with limitations of such policies and focus on short-term solutions being evident. Attempts to make the administrative structures uniform were rare, this is especially evident in context of incorporated areas. The rapid changes in the feudal fragmentation proved a hindrance to unification activities as well. Remaining within a singular church structure and one political organism was, however, a cohesive factor.

Keywords

EN

ADMINISTRATION; LEGAL SYSTEM; SILESIA

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Wrocławski. Wydział Nauk Historycznych i Pedagogicznych. Instytut Historyczny
• Journal: Śląski Kwartalnik Historyczny Sobótka
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 67
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 53–77

Contributors

author

Marcin Pauk

• Instytut Historyczny Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warszawa

author

Ewa Wółkiewicz

• Niemiecki Instytut Historyczny w Warszawie, Pałac Karnickich, Aleje Ujazdowskie 39, 00-540 Warszawa