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Nasza Przeszłość

Vol. 108 (2007): Our Past

Articles

Seals of church offices in the Radomsko region in the first half of the 19th century

  • Paweł Wolnicki
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52204/np.2007.108.235-260  [Google Scholar]
Published: 2007-12-30

Abstract

The importance of Christianity in nineteenth-century Polish history has been written about mainly by editors of sources and authors of monographic descriptions, who have based their scholarly research mainly on written sources. As a result, valuable iconographic information engraved on contours or seal impressions was rarely used in research on this period. With regard to the basic structures of the Polish Church, the study of sfragistics did not prove to be very relevant.
However, the role of the deanery developed considerably during the Partition. With the authority of the deanship, he sealed documents and acts addressed not only to ecclesiastical but also to secular authorities. The deans were the representatives of the diocesan authorities in a given area and therefore had the right of precedence. The deanship used an official seal with the image of the patron saint of the diocese. However, from the thirteenth century onwards, parish seals were used to give legal force to documents, especially extracts of acts issued by the chancery, of which they were an integral part, together with the signature of the parish priest. In the period before the division of the parish, however, the possession of seals was not strictly observed and some priests often sealed documents issued by the chancery with their own priestly seals.
The preserved seal impressions from the 19th century, which were used to seal the parish chanceries in the Radomsko region, reflect the mentality and religious beliefs of the society of that time. They show how the main truths of the Christian faith, taken from the Bible and the tradition of the Church, were passed on to local society. The seals bring together the dean and the parish administrators in the performance of their duties. Finally, they are a valuable source for other areas of regional history and research.
The second part of the article takes the form of a catalogue containing a description of the seals used in the ecclesiastical office, drawn in ink or soot, in the following order 1. the site; 2. the type of seal; 3. the material used to make the seal; 4. the shape and dimensions of the seal; 5. the image of the imprint; 6. the legend of the imprint; 7. the meaning of the symbols; 8. the source.

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