Bases of a dispute over the Těšín municipal establishment from the last third of the 16th century Bases of a dispute over the Těšín municipal establishment from the last third of the 16th century On the basis of the prerogative of 30th...
moreBases of a dispute over the Těšín municipal establishment from the last third of the 16th century
Bases of a dispute over the Těšín municipal establishment from the last third of the 16th century On the basis of the prerogative of 30th June 1572, the duke issued, with consent of Estates, a municipal establishment codifying legal norms on his land. It was immediately printed in Olomouc and entered an everyday usage of the municipal court and council. Yet, problems arose at the verge of life of the duke Václav III Adam (†1579), when Těńín noblemen, led by three brothers of the rod Sedlnický of Choltice, roughly opposed some articles. After the death of this Těńín Piastow, under the rule of his wife Sidonie Kateřina, the clashes reached such extent that the municipal council was not assembled any more, which meant blocking all property and criminal suits. Even the Czech ruler had to interfere in the dispute by establishing a committee (Martin Gerstmann, Jan Bruntálský of Vrbno, and Jan of Oppersdorf) which was to end the dispute. Never-ending postponing of the result caused by e.g. the death of the Silesian hetman, the plague epidemic in the Těńín’s region (1582-1585) or the language barrier meant that acknowledgement of the municipal establishment was not carried out until the early 90’s of the 16th century by a mandate of Rudolf II. It is the recently found written documents, dated 1563-1590, that enables us to better understand the legal condition of the Těńín manor, the Estates growing in importance, and the position of the widowed duchess Sidonie Kateřina, who was defending the rights of her immature son Adam Václav.
