A complaint by Sombor traders

Identifier	D_0140:304/1787
Title	A complaint by Sombor traders
Subject	Traders, Complaint, Jews, Edict of Tolerance, Magistrate of the Free Royal City of Sombor
Description	A complaint and request by Sombor traders, asking that local Jews should not be allowed to engage in trade in the city
Creator	Community of merchants
Publisher	Historical archive Sombor
Contributor	Community of merchants, Magistrate of the Free Royal City of Sombor
Date	February 10, 1787
Type	Text; Complaint
Language	Latin
Coverage	Free Royal City of Sombor, February 10
Rights	This material has been digitized to expand access while protecting the materials from degradation through physical handling. Access to the digitized material will be granted to all interested parties. The physical copy of the document is available at the Historical Archive Sombor. In the case of citation or use, please state the origin of the material (Istorijski arhiv Sombor / Historical Archives Sombor).

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Original	Translation
Der Königs. Freystadt Zombor! Die allerhöhste Resolution daß gleichwie das Burger-Recht der Judenschaft in den Deutschen Erblanden nirgends gestaltet wird, so eben auch darselbe den in Hungarn, und den dazu gehörigen Provintzen befindlichen Juden nicht zugestanden werden könne; Wird ihren Stadt Magistrat auf die antem 24ten Aug. l. J. gemachte Vorstellung zur Richtschnur und genauer Nachachtung kund gemacht. Ex Consilio Reg. Lottli. Hung. Ofen den 22. Novembris 1785. G. Christ. Nitzky m.p Jakob Setschanatz m.p Das die gegenwärtige Abschrift seinem Originali gleichlautend sey bescheinige hirmit gegeben Zombor den 26. Decembris 1786. Basilius Athanatzkovitsch der Königs. Freystadt Zombor beeydeter Notar Amplissime Magistratus Infrascripti dolorose querulari necesientur qualiter iid ad regulandum Mercantilem statum suum exindeque fovendam sui subsistentiam, tum et supportanda onera magnis sumptibus ad plura milia f exurgentibus benignum mercantile privilegium exoperati sint, ad exigenda quippe vexilla, Taxam Concivilitatis, tam Contubernalis concurrere debuerint, ac secundum exigentium Contubernalium articulorum defixus pensiones prestare annue, ac statis temporibus obligentur, quorum omnium expertes gremialis Judai, instar privilegiatorum Mercatorum pretextu Benigna Tolerantia amplum quastum Mercantilem et officinas in gremio Civitatis erexerunt ibidemque libratim ulnatimet minutialiter omnis generis merces distrahunt et emere cupientibus merces suas, ut eosdem ementes tanto magis ad se attulerunt, uno alteriore denario, quem tamen e sinistra forte mensuratione semper reaquirunt, leviori pretio divendunt et sic infrascriptos tam in se sequam et antenatis suis de Regio hocce peculio bene meritos de die in dim damnificare non desinunt quorum diminuenda aut sufferenda libertali nisi tempestive obviatum fuerit, fati Judai in gremio Civitatis ita multiplicabuntur et innatisfraudibus suis emptores ita ab infrascriptis abalinabunt ut veri et christiani mercatores gremiales aut emigrare aut penitus concidere cogentur. Quamvis proinde Benigna Tolerantia adventitiis quod autenus suffragari videatur hujusmodi attamen favor velut per aeque toleratus ita interpretandus non esset ut per id mentionati Judai homagiatis civibus et privilegiatis mercatoribus indiscriminatim aequiparentur talesque bene meriti Cives et mercatores grave detrimentum patiuntur et politica benemeritorum Regni Civium conservando confundatur aut abrogetur quorum conditioni et personali reputationi vehementer ac evidenter detraheretur quod Judai christianis et vicissim in una eademque professione sine ulla distinctione aequiparentur iidemquechristiani vilificentur ubi vel Zingari tam faeda Judaorum genti et nationi preferendi essent. Et ideo siquidem ex notorietate Legum patriarum nec formatia quidem privilegia in prejudicium tertii concedi consuevissent, multo minus Benigna Tolerantia ita interpretabilis esset videatur, ut abjecta et immerita gens Judaica, que respective neque meritiorum edendorum capatur esset alienorum Privilegiorum et beneficiorum exinde promanantium particeps reddatur quavigens tenore isthic sub ……. Adjacentis instrumenti non esset capatur concivilitatis. Orant proinde infrascripti A. Magistratum per demisse quatenus motivis ex permissis omni exceptione majoribus gremiales Judaos eo regulare dignetur quo iid ad quastum precise circumforaneum redigantur nihilque utuatisaut libratim verum ……natim et petiatim merces suas distrahere velint futuros autem judaos ab omni mercatura arcere dignetur, cum infrascripti de altiori Excselsi Consilii instituto signanter autem ad instantiam denati civis Petri Rajkovics ante cir…. Quinqum emanato gratioso intimato cautum sit, ne A. Magistratus sub pretextu impopulationis sine speciali mercatorio anuitu gremiales mercatores nisi horum numerus insufficiens videretur extraneos …….. mercatores cum ruina actualium multiplicare velit quanto omnius Judaos dolis, et imposturis crescentes, et miserorum contribuentium defraudatores, secus cogentur infrascripti permissam gravem injuriam altiori conspectui detegere. Datum Zombor die 10a februaris 1787. NN comunitas civium et mercatorum utriusque religionis Libere Regieque Civitatis Zomboriensis Ad Amplissimum Magistratum Zomboriensem NN Communitas gremialium utriusque Religionis mercatorum Pro regulatione gremialium Judeorum supplicat Per Stephanus Csoka, mp	Free Royal City of Sombor! According to the highest resolution, the right of citizenship cannot be granted to Jews anywhere in the German hereditary lands (Erblande), so it cannot be granted to Jews who are in Hungary and its belonging provinces. Your city magistrate was notified by a letter dated August 24 last year as a guidline and for proper enforcement. Council of Lieutenancy of the Kingdom of Hungary, Buda November 22, 1785 Count Christian Nitzky m.p. Jakov Sečanac m.p. This confirms that the current copy is identical to the original Sombor December 26, 1786 Vasilije Atanacković Notary of the Free Royal City of Sombor Exalted Magistrate, We, the undersigned, are forced to complain with pain and ask that our status as traders be regulated as soon as possible, so that we can not only support ourselves, but also pay numerous public levies that have risen to thousands of florins, so in order that we can endure so many taxes, civil tax, guild tax, we must have a certain privileged status. Therefore, in order to be able to pay annually all that is required by the provisions of the guild, we must take into account the fact that the city's Jews, thanks to Merciful Tolerance, have already largely developed trade and opened shops in the city, where they brought a lot of goods that they sell in bulk and have attracted a large number of customers with their methods, and they do so by often unfairly measuring goods, selling it for a lower price, and it is known that every dinar is important to them, and thus constantly harming deserving citizens of this Kingdom, as well as us undersigned. These born swindlers are multiplying more and more in this city and are threatening to completely alienate customers from us, so they need to stoped so that true and Christian traders would not be forced to move out or stop trading altogether. Although it is stated that Merciful Tolerance towards newcomers should be applied and interpreted in such a way so because of that tolerance the mentioned Jews do not harm deserving citizens and privileged merchants, it turns out that in reality honorable citizens and merchants suffer enormous damage. The policy of the Kingdom should be such that it does not harm them in any way and it does not happen to any profession, that Jews and Christians are not treated the same, and that it does not turn out that Christians are poor and that the state behaves as if it loves Jews and Aromanians more. Therefore, as it is well known from the Paternal laws, privileges must not be given to one while others suffer, so it is stated that Merciful Tolerance must not be interpreted as meaning that the rejected and undeserved Jewish race enjoys special privileges and benefits, while in fact, it has no merit. The undersigned, therefore, ask the exalted Magistrate to respect all that we have set forth above and thus regulate the members of the Jewish community to allow them to trade exclusively outside the city center in the future, to prevent them from further bringing their goods from everywhere under the threat of being denied any engaging in trade. Citizen Petar Rajković already addressed the exalted Council on the mentioned topic, pointing out that in the future the exalted Magistrate, under the pretext of settling new citizens, should not allow anyone to trade without a special permit, and that foreign traders should be accepted only if the number of existing ones is insufficient, and to pay close attention to the fact that Jews, with their usual tricks and deceptions, do not multiply by inflicting severe damage on other citizens. Issued in the city of Sombor on February 10, 1787. A community of merchants and citizens of both faiths of the Free Royal City of Sombor To the exalted Magistrate of the city of Sombor A community of city merchants of both faiths They ask for regulation of the status of Jews, members of the city community Stefan Choka, m. p.

Original

Translation

Der Königs. Freystadt Zombor!

Die allerhöhste Resolution daß gleichwie das Burger-Recht der Judenschaft in den Deutschen Erblanden nirgends gestaltet wird, so eben auch darselbe den in Hungarn, und den dazu gehörigen Provintzen befindlichen Juden nicht zugestanden werden könne;

Wird ihren Stadt Magistrat auf die antem 24ten Aug. l. J. gemachte Vorstellung zur Richtschnur und genauer Nachachtung kund gemacht.
Ex Consilio Reg. Lottli. Hung. Ofen den 22. Novembris 1785.
G. Christ. Nitzky m.p Jakob Setschanatz m.p

Das die gegenwärtige Abschrift seinem Originali gleichlautend sey bescheinige hirmit gegeben Zombor den 26. Decembris 1786.

Basilius Athanatzkovitsch
der Königs. Freystadt Zombor beeydeter Notar

Amplissime Magistratus

Infrascripti dolorose querulari necesientur qualiter iid ad regulandum Mercantilem statum suum exindeque fovendam sui subsistentiam, tum et supportanda onera magnis sumptibus ad plura milia f exurgentibus benignum mercantile privilegium exoperati sint, ad exigenda quippe vexilla, Taxam Concivilitatis, tam Contubernalis concurrere debuerint, ac secundum exigentium Contubernalium articulorum defixus pensiones prestare annue, ac statis temporibus obligentur, quorum omnium expertes gremialis Judai, instar privilegiatorum Mercatorum pretextu Benigna Tolerantia amplum quastum Mercantilem et officinas in gremio Civitatis erexerunt ibidemque libratim ulnatimet minutialiter omnis generis merces distrahunt et emere cupientibus merces suas, ut eosdem ementes tanto magis ad se attulerunt, uno alteriore denario, quem tamen e sinistra forte mensuratione semper reaquirunt, leviori pretio divendunt et sic infrascriptos tam in se sequam et antenatis suis de Regio hocce peculio bene meritos de die in dim damnificare non desinunt quorum diminuenda aut sufferenda libertali nisi tempestive obviatum fuerit, fati Judai in gremio Civitatis ita multiplicabuntur et innatisfraudibus suis emptores ita ab infrascriptis abalinabunt ut veri et christiani mercatores gremiales aut emigrare aut penitus concidere cogentur.
Quamvis proinde Benigna Tolerantia adventitiis quod autenus suffragari videatur hujusmodi attamen favor velut per aeque toleratus ita interpretandus non esset ut per id mentionati Judai homagiatis civibus et privilegiatis mercatoribus indiscriminatim aequiparentur talesque bene meriti Cives et mercatores grave detrimentum patiuntur et politica benemeritorum Regni Civium conservando confundatur aut abrogetur quorum conditioni et personali reputationi vehementer ac evidenter detraheretur quod Judai christianis et vicissim in una eademque professione sine ulla distinctione aequiparentur iidemquechristiani vilificentur ubi vel Zingari tam faeda Judaorum genti et nationi preferendi essent. Et ideo siquidem ex notorietate Legum patriarum nec formatia quidem privilegia in prejudicium tertii concedi consuevissent, multo minus Benigna Tolerantia ita interpretabilis esset videatur, ut abjecta et immerita gens Judaica, que respective neque meritiorum edendorum capatur esset alienorum Privilegiorum et beneficiorum exinde promanantium particeps reddatur quavigens tenore isthic sub ……. Adjacentis instrumenti non esset capatur concivilitatis. Orant proinde infrascripti A. Magistratum per demisse quatenus motivis ex permissis omni exceptione majoribus gremiales Judaos eo regulare dignetur quo iid ad quastum precise circumforaneum redigantur nihilque utuatisaut libratim verum ……natim et petiatim merces suas distrahere velint futuros autem judaos ab omni mercatura arcere dignetur, cum infrascripti de altiori Excselsi Consilii instituto signanter autem ad instantiam denati civis Petri Rajkovics ante cir…. Quinqum emanato gratioso intimato cautum sit, ne A. Magistratus sub pretextu impopulationis sine speciali mercatorio anuitu gremiales mercatores nisi horum numerus insufficiens videretur extraneos …….. mercatores cum ruina actualium multiplicare velit quanto omnius Judaos dolis, et imposturis crescentes, et miserorum contribuentium defraudatores, secus cogentur infrascripti permissam gravem injuriam altiori conspectui detegere. Datum Zombor die 10a februaris 1787.

NN comunitas civium et mercatorum utriusque religionis Libere Regieque Civitatis Zomboriensis

Ad Amplissimum Magistratum Zomboriensem
NN Communitas gremialium utriusque Religionis mercatorum
Pro regulatione gremialium Judeorum supplicat
Per Stephanus Csoka, mp

Free Royal City of Sombor!

According to the highest resolution, the right of citizenship cannot be granted to Jews anywhere in the German hereditary lands (Erblande), so it cannot be granted to Jews who are in Hungary and its belonging provinces.

Your city magistrate was notified by a letter dated August 24 last year as a guidline and for proper enforcement.

Council of Lieutenancy of the Kingdom of Hungary, Buda November 22, 1785
Count Christian Nitzky m.p. Jakov Sečanac m.p.

This confirms that the current copy is identical to the original
Sombor December 26, 1786

Vasilije Atanacković
Notary of the Free Royal City of Sombor

Exalted Magistrate,

We, the undersigned, are forced to complain with pain and ask that our status as traders be regulated as soon as possible, so that we can not only support ourselves, but also pay numerous public levies that have risen to thousands of florins, so in order that we can endure so many taxes, civil tax, guild tax, we must have a certain privileged status. Therefore, in order to be able to pay annually all that is required by the provisions of the guild, we must take into account the fact that the city's Jews, thanks to Merciful Tolerance, have already largely developed trade and opened shops in the city, where they brought a lot of goods that they sell in bulk and have attracted a large number of customers with their methods, and they do so by often unfairly measuring goods, selling it for a lower price, and it is known that every dinar is important to them, and thus constantly harming deserving citizens of this Kingdom, as well as us undersigned. These born swindlers are multiplying more and more in this city and are threatening to completely alienate customers from us, so they need to stoped so that true and Christian traders would not be forced to move out or stop trading altogether.

Although it is stated that Merciful Tolerance towards newcomers should be applied and interpreted in such a way so because of that tolerance the mentioned Jews do not harm deserving citizens and privileged merchants, it turns out that in reality honorable citizens and merchants suffer enormous damage. The policy of the Kingdom should be such that it does not harm them in any way and it does not happen to any profession, that Jews and Christians are not treated the same, and that it does not turn out that Christians are poor and that the state behaves as if it loves Jews and Aromanians more. Therefore, as it is well known from the Paternal laws, privileges must not be given to one while others suffer, so it is stated that Merciful Tolerance must not be interpreted as meaning that the rejected and undeserved Jewish race enjoys special privileges and benefits, while in fact, it has no merit. The undersigned, therefore, ask the exalted Magistrate to respect all that we have set forth above and thus regulate the members of the Jewish community to allow them to trade exclusively outside the city center in the future, to prevent them from further bringing their goods from everywhere under the threat of being denied any engaging in trade. Citizen Petar Rajković already addressed the exalted Council on the mentioned topic, pointing out that in the future the exalted Magistrate, under the pretext of settling new citizens, should not allow anyone to trade without a special permit, and that foreign traders should be accepted only if the number of existing ones is insufficient, and to pay close attention to the fact that Jews, with their usual tricks and deceptions, do not multiply by inflicting severe damage on other citizens. Issued in the city of Sombor on February 10, 1787.

A community of merchants and citizens of both faiths of the Free Royal City of Sombor

To the exalted Magistrate of the city of Sombor
A community of city merchants of both faiths
They ask for regulation of the status of Jews, members of the city community
Stefan Choka, m. p.