Vokiečiai Radvilų Biržų kunigaikštystėje XVI a. pabaigoje - XVII a. pirmojoje pusėje

LTStraipsnyje remiantis archyviniais šaltiniais nagrinėjama vokiečių vieta privačios Radvilų giminės valdos Biržų kunigaikštystės visuomenėje XVI a. - XVII a. viduryje. Analizuojama vokiečių socialinė struktūra (miestiečiai, karininkai, dvasininkai, bajorai žemininkai), jų atsikraustymo į Biržų kunigaikštystę aplinkybės, kryptys, ūkinės veiklos ypatumai, turėta žemėvalda, verslai. Vokiečių atsiradimas vietos visuomenėje nagrinėjamas Biržų miesto ir Radvilų dvaro klientūrinės politikos kontekste. Atskiras dėmesys skiriamas vokiečių bendruomenę telkusiai sociokultūrinei institucijai - liuteronų bažnyčiai. [Iš leidinio]

ENBased on archival sources, the article addresses the role of Germans in the society of the private estate of the Radziwiłł family known as the Duchy of Biržai in the 16,h century-mid-17th century. It analyses the social composition of Germans (townspeople, military officers, clergymen, landed nobility), the circumstances and directions of their settlement in the Duchy of Biržai, the peculiarities of their economic activity, their landholding and crafts. The arrival of Germans in the local society is examined in the context of the clientage policy pursued in the city of Biržai and the estate of the Radziwiłł family. Special attention is paid to the Lutheran Church as the sociocultural institution uniting the German community. It was determined that the settlement of the townspeople and noblemen of German descent in the Duchy of Biržai began in the second half of the 16th century. At the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century military officers and Lutheran clergymen added variety to the German part of the local society. The territorial neighbourhood of Courland and Livonia determined that the Germans in the Duchy of Biržai were predominantly the comers from this region, less commonly - from the Duchy of Prussia, Royal Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire. The communities of the German townspeople resided in Biržai, Saločiai and N. Radviliškis, whereas German landed nobility are traced in all five estates of the Duchy of Biržai. It was determined that a number of favourable conditions established in the Duchy of Biržai for Germans to settle and to integrate with the local society: the protectionist policy pursued by the manor of the Radziwiłł family seeking to hire and attract to the duchy as many qualified craftsmen from abroad as possible; Protestant type of the estate as a guarantee of the prospects of unrestrained religious life.Settled in the Duchy of Biržai, Germans had certain features of social exceptionality but they also featured high-degree integration into the local society. German townspeople had good conditions for their economic activity; they could become members of the magistrate; they had real estate in the city of Biržai as well as land in the estates of Biržai and Papilys. German merchants played an important role in the expansion of the network of economic relations in the Duchy of Biržai: they ensured a certain concentration of commercial capital in the markets and fairs of Biržai; they acted as intermediaries in the trade of products from the manors of the duchy with Riga; they provided loans and information about the changes on the market of agricultural products. The expression of activities of German craftsmen covering a broad professional spectrum in the Duchy of Biržai was directly related to the needs of the objects of Biržai Castle and the nobleman’s manor. Usually, Germans from Livonia used to become merchants, while Germans from Courland and Prussia were craftsmen. The environment of landed nobility was especially German in the society of the Duchy of Biržai. They did not distinguish from other local noblemen by their way of life; they held land under the same conditions; they were involved in the military service for the Radziwiłł family and would become the clients of the manor and the officers of the duchy (castle superintendents, estate managers). The right of inheritance of land and the protectionist policy of the Radziwiłł family determined that the Duchy of Biržai was home to a number of German noble families (Wiechmann, Melder, Tynkhaus, Grotthus, etc.) who used to purchase land from local nobles or received it from the Radziwiłł family by the right of fief. In return of good military service, German nobles received especially numerous landholdings at the northern border of the Duchy of Biržai. [From the publication]