Detailed Information on Publication Record

In the sources of non-contentious private law of urban provenance women mostly appear in marriage and purchase contracts, both acting independently or being represented by men. It is through these sources that it is possible to study women’s issues. In the Czech milieu (i.e. Bohemian and Moravian), these kinds of records appear in large numbers in municipal books. In the Czech royal towns environment, we would come across various types of municipal books dealing with the private acquisitions of residents from as early as the 16th century. This trend was subsequently adopted by liege towns. The individual records of contracts replaced and were equal to the separate drafting of deeds. Their existence suggests a higher level of legal awareness in the urban society and the society’s effort to secure the rights of its members in a more permanent and credible way than mere verbal arrangements presented. The act of drawing up a contract for the future minimised the risk of potential disputes.