https://doi.org/10.31261/SPiP.2017.13.12
The reviewed book „Документальная писменность Великого Княжества Литовского (конец XIV - перервая треть XVI в.)” by Aляксандра И. Груши is a unique and comprehensive study devoted to the evolution of documentary writing in the territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the late 14th century to around 1528. The author, a renowned Belarusian researcher, analyzes the documents themselves - their function, forms, and meaning - and their creation's social, legal, and institutional context. The work consists of eleven chapters that discuss, among other things, the document's origins in Lithuania, the role of the Church and secular authority as promoters of literacy, the different types of documents, and the conditions for their dissemination and consolidation in judicial and administrative practice. An essential part of the book is analyzing the role of seals and signatures in authenticating legal acts and discussing the development of archives and record books, including the Lithuanian Metrics. Hrusza also devotes attention to the relationship between document and oral tradition, pointing to the gradual secularization of legal practices. The author draws on a wealth of source material, citing numerous quotations in the original languages and commenting on examples of parchment and paper documents. Despite some repetitions and structural inconsistencies, the book is considered a fundamental study for researchers of the history of the chancellery and diplomatics of the WKL. This is an item not only for medievalists but also for students, archivists, and enthusiasts of Central and Eastern European history.
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Vol. 9 (2017)
Published: 2017-12-31

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