The Oldest Patriciate of Medieval Bratislava: Noblemen or Burghers?

Najstarší patriciát v stredovekej Bratislave: šľachtici alebo mešťania?
Abstract: 

The oldest preserved seal of the Pressburg Burghers is attached to a charter from 1302; the words SIGILLVM CIVIVM IN PRESPVRCH can be seen in its circular inscription. The seal was probably made in the second half of the 13th century and provides evidence of a common identity of the burgher community. However, who were these "cives" mentioned in the inscription when this seal was made? From which social classes did the town political elite arise that made crucial decisions on behalf of the entire community around 1300? The author examines the social structuring of burgher citizens in the High Middle Ages of the Kingdom of Hungary. In his detailed analysis of the historical sources, he observes the relationships between categories of cives and hospites. The author examines whether there were differences between regular hospites and hospites of the castle. He closely deals with the disappearance of jobagiones from document sources referring to Bratislava after the Mongol invasion of Europe. Attention is also paid to the issue of the possibility of legal or social differences between the town nobility and the village nobility who own estates in the towns. Finally, the text deals with question of who were the comites mentioned in the oldest town documents and what role did they play in the founding of the city.