Archives of the Hungarian Treasury (11th–20th century)

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Section "E” includes the archival material of the central agencies of the post-1526 financial administration. The section consists of five archives and some record units which do not belong to formal archives.

Language: Latin (German, Hungarian)

1. Archives of the Hungarian Chamber (Pozsony Chamber)

The function of the Hungarian Royal Chamber was the management, handling and supervision of Royal Treasury properties, the administration of regular and irregular Treasury income as well as the control of salt and mine issues, taxes, postal revenues and the supervision of the economy of free royal cities. From 1785 to 1790 the Hungarian Chamber operated jointly with the Council of Lieutenancy.

Finding Aids: A two volume repertory, descriptive inventory, manuscript lists and indexes. The preparation of a computerised index for documents concerning settling issues is in progress.

2. Archives of the Hungarian Chamber 

(11^th century) 1236–1848 (1919)

The Chamber Archives was established by Queen Maria Theresa in 1756. Its mission, as determined by the Queen, was to trace royal and Treasury property rights, authenticate them by appropriate documentation and preserve all their relevant records. The archives of persons convicted for disloyalty, the extinct aristocrat families and dissolved orders were also added to this material. The main subject groups are as follows: warranties of titles and vitally important documents, records of ecclesiastical organs and their legal successors, census returns, documentation of treasury trials and guild privileges, family and personal fonds, miscellaneous records, administrative registers and seals. The collection type record series are organised in different ways. The most frequent classification type is the subject order but time, nominal and numerical classifications are also in use.

Finding Aids: Descriptive inventory, repertory, manuscript lists and indexes. The preparation of a computerised index for missiles and seals is in progress.

3. Archives of the Szepes Chamber

13^th century–1813

The Szepes Chamber was established in the city of Kassa, in 1567, for the purposes of financial administration of the north-west region of the country which lay far from the Pozsony headquarters of the Hungarian Chamber. Its territorial competence included the region east of Lipót, Hont and Nógrád counties. For lack of any other central authority, besides financial matters, the Chamber governed the political and military administration of the region as well. It operated under the control of the Court Chamber, first with almost equal authority as the Pozsony Chamber, later closely co-operating with it but with limited power.  

Finding Aids: Repertory, manuscript registers.

4. Separate Fonds and Sub-fonds

For the administration of new-acquisition territories recaptured from the Turks new chamber authorities were established directly subordinated to the Court Chamber of Vienna. The chamber administrations of Buda, Slavonia, the Banat and Croatia performed not only economic management but public administration and legal activities as well. Within the territory of their competence they imposed and collected taxes, sold properties, managed settling, army supply, post and advowee related matters.

The chamber administrations, established by Emperor Francis Joseph, that managed local financial administrations, with some exceptions, existed until 1793. The treasury authorities were committees and organs concerned with taxation management, customs administration as well as mining and salt related issues.

Finding Aids: Repertory, manuscript registers.

5. The Financial Administration Archives of the Age of Absolutism

(1733) 1848–1867 

The "Financial Administration Archives of the Age of Absolutism” includes the record collections which were handed over by the Ministry of Finance as the legal successor of the financial authorities of 1849–1867.  

Finding Aids: Repertory, manuscript registers.

6. Archives of the Royal Board of Legal Affairs

1327–1882

Besides the records of the Legal Board itself, the subordinate public prosecutors and financial prosecutors, the Archives of the Royal Board of Legal Affairs includes the archival legacies confiscated together with the assets of extinct families. The Board worked within the organisation of the Hungarian Chamber. As the legal representative of the Treasury it proceeded in every civil action in which the Treasury was concerned. As the legal attorney of the Holy Crown it played the role of public prosecutor in high treason, disloyalty, serious bullying, coinage offence and forgery, precious metal smuggling, treasure finding and usury cases. After 1848 the Legal Board lost its public attorney function, therefore its territorial competence also changed in the age of absolutism.

Finding Aids: Repertory, manuscript registers.