Mittelalterliche Stadtbücher aus Preußen

Abstract

Medieval urban registers constitute a historical source of great importance, particularly since they have survived comparatively often. This article provides a schedule of the surviving Prussia urban registers, structured according to the categories employed by the Index Librorum Civitatum, a continuing project of the University of Halle. Listing both the urban registers already published and those yet unpublished is intended to illustrate the problems involved in producing a modern edition and to suggest possible solutions. In view of how multifarious the Prussian registers can be, it makes good sense to schedule them separately, while structuring the list to concord with the categories employed by the researchers in Halle. Indeed, it would be sensible to flank the calender with scans or digital photographs. However, decisions on the editorial standards to be employed – indeed, the fundamental decision to publish the entire text or merely calender the entries – must be made on a case-by-case basis. Particularly in those cases in which urban registers comprehend a wide variety of entries, individual solutions will have to be found in order to allow scholars to access the various categories of material readily and directly. Publication in the form of pdf files or simple digital editions makes good sense, even if collecting all materials in one central data bank would be ideal. Editions of the resolutions of quasi-legislative bodies should be structured according to the