Vilniaus amatininkų cechų ,,biurokratija“ XIX a.: struktūra, funkcijos, tradicijos

• Authors: Virgilijus Pugačiauskas

Abstracts

EN

The tradition of corporations of artisan guilds, whose existence in the city of Vilnius had been counting the history of several centuries, sustained its viability throughout the 19th century. Masters’ forum and senior masters were corporately tackling inner problems of the corporation and defending their interests on the outside. Vilnius guilds, however, faced new situation, i.e. municipal policy of the Russian authorities and legislation regulating the operation of artisan guilds, changes inspired by the industrial revolution in the early modern period which had an impact on their everyday economic functioning and to a certain degree affected their management. At the turn of the 19th century Vilnius guilds were operating in accordance with statutes approved by the sovereigns of the Republic of Both Nations to each guild individually and pursuant to traditions that had evolved over centuries. Successful continuation of the traditions of institutional organization and management of Vilnius guilds was threatened on 23 May 1811 when the Russian authorities resolved to impose Russian trade laws on guilds operating in Vilnius. To begin with, this decision was embodied in 1799 by introducing the “Guild Statute”, however, in 1814, based on the orders of the Ruling Senate, the Board of Vilnius Governorate acknowledged that section “Trade Regulations” of the Charter on the Rights and Benefits for the Towns of the Russian Empire issued by Catherine II in 1785 was more appropriate to the guilds of Vilnius. Trade related legal framework was constantly subjected to supplementation more comprehensively regulating guild management, including guild forums and functions of senior masters. It should be noted that provisions of Russian legal documents with regard to the management did not contradict guild statutes and did not try to abolish the principles of self-management. In electoral, quarterly, general, special and reporting meetings masters independently discussed and jointly made essential decisions on all corporative issues. The following key tasks or functions were within the competence of the corporation’s management: taking care of the prospects of that particular trade, arrangement of the general matters of the guild, development of members’ moral and religious practices, taking care of material well-being to the extent possible, administration of justice and representation of the guild in the public space of the town. The responsibilities of amatų viršaitis (craft foreman) (the newly introduced elective function) and, starting from the mid-19th century, those of the General Crafts Board in practice focused on the investigation of disagreements between craftsmen of the guild, inquiry into their arguments with customers and other bureaucratic procedures. It was not until the mid-19th century that the ancient habits and traditions of guild management were substituted with the Russian way of administration. The newly established guilds were obligated to operate exclusively in accordance with Russian trade laws, however, there were cases when the magistrate, as the institution responsible for the foundation of guilds, would draw up special instructions additionally emphasizing pursuance of the bureaucratic procedures of guild management, obedience of guild members to the authorities, responsibilities of senior masters, etc. Jewish guilds that were rapidly increasing in number were obliged to follow the above-described trade-related legislation. In the mid-19th century, as the Jewish guilds started gradually merging with the “Christian” ones, the organizational structure of management of mixed guilds remained unchanged, however the possibilities of Jewish craftsmen to defend their interests in the matters of corporation management became limited as the supplement to the law on guilds provided against the Jews taking up more than one office of deputy guild elder. Analogous situation emerged in the mid-1880s in Vilnius Governorate following the government’s decision to subordinate all Jewish guilds. From the point of view of structure, composition and fulfilled functions, application of Russian trade laws did not pose major challenges to the management of Vilnius guilds as they did not contradict the principles of the self-contained corporation set forth in the statutes. Amatų viršaitis and the General Crafts Board can be viewed as a constituent part of the guilds’ corporative self-management fulfilling the minimal function of the mediator between the guilds, the municipality and government institutions of the governorate. Key principles of self-management remained practically unchanged until the abolishment of guilds in 1893.

• Publisher: Lietuvos istorijos institutas
• Journal: Lietuvos istorijos metraštis
• Year: 2014
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 47-66

Dates

published

2014

Contributors

author

Virgilijus Pugačiauskas

• Lietuvos istorijos institutas

• https://orcid.org/000000028115118X

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Identifiers

Biblioteka Nauki

57647005