Traces of the Past and Social Realities: Late Medieval Court Records from Dalmatian Cities

Abstract

Based on research of archival material from Dalmatian cities, the article aims to provide a framework for understanding the circumstances in creating medieval court records. The key questions are: why were records simplified, and what was their purpose? In order to answer these questions, the author relies on Niklas Luhmann’s study concerning the legitimization of social order, and further studies by James C. Scott on power relations and the simplification of social reality. Considering the key questions from these perspectives shows that court records offer only one version of reality by prioritizing information that was of some practical value to authorities.