Authorities, finances, and citizens of Pomerania towns at the onset of the Prussian period

Abstract

As the result of the First Partition of Poland, the Royal Prussia with the Pomeranian voivodeship fell under the Prussian reign in September 1772, and subsequently was made into a new province — the West Prussia. One of the first decisions of the Prussian authorities was the introduction of new administration. The province’s highest authority was the Kwidzyn Chamber of War and Domains who ruled over the cities via tax districts. The head of each of the tax districts was a tax official who controlled the city finances and craft, and took care of the economic development of the cities and raising their fiscal capabilities. The Chamber’s rule over the cities meant the dissolution of the respective local governments and autonomy, together with the introduction of strong national rule. On the basis of the “Bylaw for the royal cities (with the exception of Elbląg)” of September 13, 1773, magistrates, nominated by the Prussian authorities, replaced local authorities. These were headed by national officers, mayors. The magistrate additionally consisted of a treasurer (“kamlarz”), responsible for the city’s finances, a writer, and one advisor, all also nominated. The magistrate’s competences were related to the city’s law system, financial, and economic issues, oversight of education, hospitals, churches, appointment of Protestant clergy and teachers, matters related to the public order and safety, as well as execution of law. Apart from the mentioned top posts in the cities under our scrutiny, there were also posts and institutions for the individual branches of the city’s administration and economy, whose number differed across cities, depending on the cities’ size and economic functions. After having been taken into Prussian custody, the cities, along with their autonomy, lost their financial independence. The city’s treasurer was required to prepare a preliminary budget, which could be put into practice only upon the approval of the chamber’s officials. The spending of any, even petty, sum of money, was possible following the positive opinion of the governing powers. The analysis of the budget structure of the cities under scrutiny shows that their income was low and spendings consisted mostly of the salaries of the officials and debt management. Serious investments or renovations did not fit into the budget and could only be undertaken in case of accumulating budget surpluses or receiving government funding. The population of the analysed cities in the 1870s was between 460 and 1750.