Archives of the National Government Authorities of Transylvania (13th–20th century)

The archives of the Chapter of Gyulafehérvár (now Alba Julia, Rumania) includes the documents of national importance of the cathedral chapter which served as Episcopal Notary of the Roman Catholic Church, and fragments of the principal archives of the Transylvanian Principality such as diplomatic correspondence, official correspondence on domestic military issues, private correspondence, documents of the principal household, domanial accounts of Treasury estates.

2. The National Archives of the Convent of Kolozsmonostor (now Cluj-Manastur, Rumania)

1438–1900

The character of this material is similar to that of the Chapter of Gyulafehérvár.

3. The Archives of the Gubernium Transylvanicum

The Gubernium, established in 1693, was the main local government authority after Transylvania became a part of the Habsburg Empire. As an authority directly subordinated to the

In public and sectoral administrative cases, the competence and file management of the Gubernium was similar to the Lieutenancy’s conduct of affairs. In its capacity as judicial authority the Gubernium proceeded as a court of first instance in cases concerning Treasury rights, high treason, disloyalty and debated borders between local authorities. As Court of Appeal it heard civil and criminal cases of Greek Orthodox appellants, cases on bills and bankruptcy proceedings, proofs of nobility, contravention of public health rules as well as court-baron cases.

The archives called Cista Diplomatica of the Gubernium Transylvanicum consists of royal rescripts, the copies of decrees and regulations of the Transylvanian Court Chancellery, collections of Diet, nobiliary, and guild documents as well as some document collections formed on the basis of diplomatic and public history aspects.

4. Archives of the High Commissioner’s Office of Transylvania

The Transylvanian High Commissioner’s Office was a civil authority concerning with the supply, quartering and transport of the army. As a subordinate body of the Gubernium it only had a practical importance until 1849.

5. Archives of the National Audit Office of Transylvania

The task of the Transylvanian National Audit Office was the supervision of the accounts of local authorities and the High Commissioner’s Office. Until 1782 it was subordinate to the Gubernium, between 1782 and 1786 to the Court Audit Office, then to the Gubernium again. After 1849 it gradually lost its importance.

6. Archives of the Transylvanian Treasury

The Treasury Archives includes the general and presidential records of the Thesaurariatus and its subordinate organs as well as the collection of the Transylvanian Fiscal Archives.

During the 18^th century the Thesaurariatus took over the effective administration of Treasury affairs from the Chamberlain who was responsible to the Gubernium. Its scope of authority included general chamber affairs (salt-mining, taxation, administration of Treasury estates) as well as coinage and general mining issues. Between 1785 and 1790 the Thesaurariatus worked jointly with the Gubernium then, until 1848, as an independent authority under the control of the Gubernium. In 1848–1849 the management of Transylvanian Treasury authorities was taken over by the provisional national authorities of the Hungarian Government. In 1850 the Thesaurariatus was succeeded by the National Finance Directorate (Finanz-Landesdirection) subordinated to the Imperial Ministry of Finance.

The Transylvanian Fiscal Archives was established in 1767. Its scope of activities included the collection of diplomas proving Treasury rights in Transylvania as well as the tracing and procurement of latent royal rights.

7. Archives of the Hungarian Authorities of Transylvania in 1849

The Transylvanian authorities of 1849 had no nation-wide competence. They only carried out temporary duties in connection with the unification of Hungarian and Transylvanian administrations. The plenipotentiary National High Commission had political and military responsibilities above all. The High Commissioner supervised the activities of government commissions, Treasury administrations, the Transylvanian Court of Appeal and the Auditorial Commission.

8. Public Administration Archives of the Age of Unification and Absolutism

1849–1879

This archives contains the records of central government authorities (Militür- und Civilgouvernement, Satthalterei in Siebenbürgen) and the High Commission. The character and order of the record units preserved in this archives are similar to the arrangement of the records of Hungarian government organs.

9. Archives of the District Commissions during the Reign of Joseph II.

1786–1790

In 1786 Emperor Joseph II. divided Transylvania into three public administration districts with their seats in Szeben (now Sibiu, Rumania), Kolozsvár (now Cluj, Rumania) and Fogaras (now Fagaras, Rumania). The District Commissioners mainly proceeded in administrative cases, however they also had limited supervisory competence in chamber related matters, and, except capital cases, their scope of authority included the supervision of all criminal cases of commoners.

10. Miscellaneous Fonds and Sub-fonds

Miscellaneous fonds and record groups comprising document and decree collections on public administration, religion and education; statistics; collection of legal cases and financial accounts which belong to Section F but do not form individual archives.