Conversations of Inhabitants of Gdańsk about Prussian Affairs in Kraków in 1531

Abstract

At the beginning of February 1531, a delegation from Gdańsk arrived in Krakow. The inhabitants of Gdańsk met there with the most important dignitaries of the Kingdom: Grand Chancellor Krzysztof Szydłowiecki, Bishop of Krakow Piotr Tomicki and Bishop of Vilnius Jan of the Dukes of Lithuania – the illegitimate son of King Sigismund the Old. Among the matters discussed by the envoys during the talks there appeared the issue of breaking the Vistula embankments and their repair, monetary problems related to the conversion and functioning of new and old fines in Prussia, and the ratio of the Hungarian guilder to the Polish grosz. At that time, Gdańsk was also reluctant to introduce both new tax burdens and the existing ones (10-year excise tax). However, the envoys devoted most of their attention to maintaining the pledge of the Puck starosty on Gdańsk. The Gdańsk envoys explained this with their willingness to pay taxes to the treasury to the extent maintained so far. If the Puck starosty had been taken away from them, the income of the Gdańsk burghers would have been limited and they would not have been able to pay tribute in the current amount. Eventually, the inhabitants of Gdańsk managed to maintain the Puck starosty in Gdańsk for the next twenty years. The published source, located in the Gdańsk Recesses section of the State Archives in Gdańsk, is interesting for many reasons. First of all, one may learn from it how much the Kingdom’s dignitaries knew about the Prussian affairs, especially those related to Gdańsk. Secondly, one may become acquainted with the ways of practicing politics and achieving specific goals both by representatives of Gdańsk and by officials and nobles of the Kingdom. The efficiency of the Gdańsk envoys in Krakow and their quick response to emerging problems, which can be observed in discussions with dignitaries of the Kingdom are worth emphasizing.