Ordynacja zamykania bram Krakowa z 1721 roku

Abstract

THE ORDINANCE REGULATING THE CLOSING OF KRAKÓW'S GATES FROM 1721
The paper discusses the ordinance regulating the closing of Kraków’s gates passed in 1721, setting it in a broader historical context explaining how city walls functioned over the years (from the Middle Ages until the early 18th century). In the introductory part the author presents the key royal regulations, City Council resolutions and Sejm constitutions which defined the rules of closing city gates, traffic control and organisation of security systems in the city throughout the centuries. He then proceeds to shed light on the problems resulting from various attempts to circumvent these regulations, such as installing private gates or pressuring gate guards, as well as their impact on public order.

The essential part of the paper contains a thorough analysis of the ordinance dating from 1721 which reveals the highly bureaucratised and precisely defined practice of the everyday operation of city gates based on the hierarchy of the services, the circulation of keys, the sound signalling, and the system of control. The historical document reflects the mature form of Kraków’s system of city gates, shaped by the centuries-old practice of regulating access to the city. The paper closes with an edited version of the source text – the eponymous ordinance itself.