Contribution to the research on the functioning of private magnate courts in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 17th and 18th century on the example of the court of Teofila Ludwika née Zasławska Ostrogska 1v.Wiśniowiecka, 2v. Lubomirska

Abstract

The article investigates the functioning of the private court of Teofila Ludwika née Zasławska Ostrogska, 1v. Wiśniowiecka, 2v. Lubomirska. A wide scope of archival materials were analyzed, including court registers, inventories, private correspondence. The research covered the process of shaping the property and social position of the magnate, starting from the marriage with Dymitr Jerzy Wiśniowiecki (died 1682), and after his death with Józef Karol Lubomirski (died 1702). The activity of Teofila Ludwika was analyzed, taking into account various factors that shaped the condition of the inherited property. The mechanisms of the functioning of her private court, including way of recruiting the service, and supervising current affairs were indicated. The conducted research is an important contribution to the recognition of the issue of the formation and functioning of private women's courts in 17th and 18th centuries.