Golden Bull of 1242
| Golden Bull of 1242 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created | 16 November 1242 |
| Location | Zagreb State Archive |
| Author(s) | Béla IV |
| Purpose | Béla IV proclaimedGradecaroyal free city |
TheGolden Bull of 1242was agolden bulloredict,issued by KingBéla IV of Hungaryto the inhabitants ofGradec(part of today'sZagreb,the capital ofCroatia) during theMongol invasion of Europe.By this golden bull, King Béla IV proclaimed Gradec aroyal free city.[1]The document was issued on 16 November 1242 inViroviticaand reaffirmed in 1266.[2]The original is written on a piece ofparchment57 by 46 centimetres (22 by 18 in) in size, and is kept in strictly controlled conditions in theCroatian State Archivesin Zagreb, while a copy is exhibited in theZagreb City Museum.[3]
Provisions
[edit]The Golden Bull declared and proclaimed "a free royal city on Gradec, the hill of Zagreb". The town was to be presided by a "city judge" (Croatian:gradski sudac,Latin:iudex), who was elected yearly by the citizenry and communities and fulfilled the role of themayor.In addition, eight jurors (Latin:jurati) and twenty city councillors were elected each year on 3 February, the Feast ofSt. Blaise.[4]Gradec remained ruled by theiudexuntil 1850, when Gradec, Kaptol and several other municipalities were formally unified into a new royal city of Zagreb.[5]
The edict brought many benefits and freedoms to Gradec's inhabitants. Among others, it stated that the towns were subject directly to the King and royal servants and nobles whose estate they were situated on. This also brought it outside the jurisdiction of theDiocese of Zagreb,which collected revenue from large land holdings, and was headquartered on the neighbouring hill ofKaptol;during the Middle Ages, conflicts would often break out between the citizens of Gradec andcanonsof Kaptol, sometimes resulting in civil wars.[4][6]Citizens also gained freedom of movement, free use of their property,[7]and the freedom to freely draw up their own testament. In addition, they were absolved of paying road and bridge tolls in the Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom.[2]
In return for the privileges gained, the citizens were required to erect fortifications around the town at their own expense, which they did in 1266.[5]They were also required to supply the king with "12 oxen, 1000 loaves of bread and 4 barrels of wine"[8]in case of a royal visit, and ten armed soldiers in case of war. The latter requirement was repealed by the king in 1266. The citizens also had to provide for a visit by theDuke of SlavoniaorBan of Croatia(only one visit for the Ban).[2]
The bull also defined the borders of land controlled by Gradec—the city was entitled to land south of the ridge of theMedvednicamountain, west ofVrapčakstream and north of theSava River.[2]
Motive
[edit]
The Golden Bull of 1242 was only one in a series of proclamations of royal privileges to towns.[9]In the years preceding the Golden Bull, Mongols had invaded Europe underBatu Khan's command. In early 1241 they reached Hungary, bringing defeat in April that year at theBattle of Mohion theSajó River.King Béla IV and the royal family hid from the Mongols in Zagreb. In the winter of 1241–42, Mongols crossed the frozenDravaandDanuberivers. The king fled toDalmatiaas Mongols approached the poorly fortified Zagreb, which they levelled and burnt to the ground.[5]The recently consecratedZagreb Cathedralwas raided and severely damaged by the invading army.[10]The Mongol army continued pursuing Béla until March, when the word ofGreat KhanÖgedei's death reached them, and they retreated to Central Asia.[5]Following the cease of hostilities, and in anticipation of a new invasion, Béla IV issued dozens of privileges encouraging the building offortifiedurban settlements, as these turned out to be the only viable holdouts during the war.[7]
Impact
[edit]Helped by its location at the intersection of two important trade routes,[11]the new town of Gradec—protected by stone walls, unlike its neighbour Kaptol—reached a population of around 3,000 in the 14th century,[12]which made it a sizable city in then largely rural Central Europe.[11]It was also a financial centre of the Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom, as it held a silvermint,and was the base of thethirtiethtax collection inSlavonia,a major source of employment for the town.[13]In 1267, the citizens of Gradec were absolved of paying the thirtieth.[2]As a royal free city, Gradec was also allowed to hold daily and weekly tax-free fairs, as well as a fortnightly fair around the Feast ofSt. Mark(held from 17 April to 3 May), which was first held in 1256,[13][2]onSt. Mark's Square.[14]The St. Mark's fair was revived at the turn of the 21st century, and continues in the present day.[15]
In 1992, the city of Zagreb celebrated the 750th anniversary of the Golden Bull. An exhibition was held by the Zagreb City Museum and theZagreb State Archiveto commemorate this occasion.[16]
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^"750th anniversary of the Golden Bull granted by Bela IV".Croatian Post.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved18 February2013.
- ^abcdef"Zlatna bula Bele IV".Croatian Encyclopedia(in Croatian).Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography.Retrieved13 June2017.
- ^"Zlatna bula – povijesni dokument Zagreba".hupzagreb(in Croatian). 29 September 2014.Retrieved13 June2017.
- ^abŠkreblin 2014,pp. 25–26.
- ^abcdŠašić 1998.
- ^Milčec, Zvonimir."Krvavi Most".Zagreb.hr(in Croatian). City of Zagreb.Retrieved13 June2017.
- ^abŠkreblin 2014,p. 27.
- ^"Zlatna bula Bele IV".Croatian Encyclopedia(in Croatian).Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography.Retrieved13 June2017.
U slučaju kraljeva posjeta Gradecu, građani su trebali za njegov i objed njegove pratnje osigurati »12 volova, 1000 kruhova i 4 bačve vina«...
- ^"Bela IV".Croatian Encyclopedia(in Croatian).Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography.Retrieved28 November2021.
- ^Bilić, Josip; Ivanković, Hrvoje, eds. (2006). "katedrala".Zagrebački leksikon(in Croatian). Zagreb:Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicographyand Masmedia.ISBN953-157-486-3.
- ^abŠkreblin 2014,p. 28.
- ^Škreblin 2014,p. 26.
- ^abŠkreblin 2014,p. 29.
- ^Vidaković, Senka (23 May 2016)."U Zagrebu otvoren Markov sajam – festival starih zanata".Croatian Radiotelevision(in Croatian).Retrieved19 June2017.
- ^Dabo Hunjak, Emina (8 June 2017)."Otvoren festival starih zanata – Markov sajam:: Radio Sljeme".Croatian Radiotelevision(in Croatian). Archived fromthe originalon 17 September 2017.Retrieved13 June2017.
- ^Stublić, Zlatko (15 November 1992)."Zlatna bula 1242.-1992".Zagreb City Museum(in Croatian).Retrieved13 June2017.
Sources
[edit]- Šašić, Miroslav (17 November 1998)."»Zlatna bula« – temelj razvoja Zagreba kroz stoljeća".Vjesnik(in Croatian). Zagreb. Archived fromthe originalon 4 January 2009.
- Škreblin, Bruno (February 2014)."Ethnic groups in Zagreb's Gradec in the late Middle Ages"(PDF).Review of Croatian History.IX(1). Zagreb: Croatian Institute for History: 25–59.ISSN1845-4380.Retrieved12 June2017.
External links
[edit]- The text of the Golden Bull of 1242Archived2020-02-25 at theWayback Machine(in Croatian)
- Latković, Božidar (2005).La Bula áurea de 1242: Gradec—origen medieval de Zagreb = Zlatna bula iz 1242.: Gradec—srednjovjekovno porijeklo Zagreba(in Croatian and Spanish). Rijeka:Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.ISBN953-219-247-6.
