Written records at places of authentication in the Árpád era

Kőfalvi, Tamás (2022) Written records at places of authentication in the Árpád era. In: Kings and Saints : The Age of the Árpáds. Publications of the Institute of Hungarian Research (6). Magyarságkutató Intézet; Szent István Király Múzeum, Budapest, Székesfehérvár, pp. 229-242. ISBN 9786156117656

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Abstract

Places of authentication (loca credibilia) were a special institution in the Hungarian legal development, unique at a European level too, which obtained significant prestige and social acceptance through the connection of law and written records. Their existence eclipsed the institution of public notaries which was more widespread in Western Europe. Their activities were complex and wide, and covered civil law, criminal law and public administration law as we perceive them today. The degree of their integration into the Hungarian legal system is shown by the fact that they were indispensable – albeit to varying extents at times – in the functioning of Hungary until practically the 19th century. The study of their charters is crucial for medieval church history, legal history, cultural history, institutional history, the history of estates and families, and a number of other sub-disciplines of historical science. This is justified not only by the content of the charters they issued, but also by their number: around a third of the surviving charters from medieval Hungary were issued by places of authentication. Their importance is only enhanced by their micro-historical value, as they provide glimpses into everyday lives, despite their official nature.

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