Comment: Citizenship of a city allowed its owners to execute many rights. A citizen was authorized to perform public functions or run independent business enterprise. Citizenship could be granted to any male who met specific conditions. In case of Gdansk the first one was turning 21 and proving legitimate origin (from legally married parents). Moreover, those who applied for full citizenship had to prove that they had been living in the city for at least a year and a day, and oblige themselves to buy a real estate and get married in a year. Next qualification was religious confession of candidates. The Arians, the Socinians, the Quakers and the Mennonites were refused citizenship. Less important was nationality of candidates. Apart from Germans and Poles, numerous Dutchmen, Flemings, Swedes, Englishmen and Frenchmen were coming with intention of settling down in the city. Often they applied for support of the royal court in their efforts to gain citizenship of Gdansk, which sometimes let them avoid paying high fee required from each candidate. Such possibility was taken for example by French merchants Jean and Claude Matty (Mathy) and Claude Colliarde. Among foreigners applying for citizenship of Gdansk we can also come across Czechs, Hungarians, Russians, Italians, Spaniards, even an Arab named Diarbeckier. Citizneship was refused only to Jews and Scots, who were not accepted in most towns of Prusy Krolewskie (the Royal Prussia).

Citizenship of Gdansk was granted by the Council or ordynki (representations of citizens). After a legitimate origin and personal freedom of a candidate were checked by a special court - Sad Wetowy, called Weta, a treasurer acting on behalf of the Council was writing a candidate's personal data in the book. The whole procedure was concluded by paying a required fee and taking an oath by a candidate. Actual administrative and office actions connected with citizenship were taken care of by Weta. Those included: drawing up detailed registers of people accepted to municipal law and gathering all necessary extra materials, such as birth and legitimate origin certificates. Weta was also entitled to collect fees for citizenship and issuing certificates on basis of the books.

From all Gdansk books of citizenship only a few, from 1536-1791, have survived. Basing on them we can tell that in the 18th century over ten and half thousand people were granted citizenship of the city, 5765 of whom were foreigners. It was a considerable percent for the city of 60 thousand inhabitants which was Gdansk at the time. It shows that Gdansk was one of the most attractive cities for new settlers.
(Monika Paner)

External description: Original, in German, pergameneous book sized 320x510 mm, leather binding with brass clasps, 149 pages, inside a front cover a colorful print showing a Gdansk citizen in an armour, made in 1740 by Jan Gellentin - a warrant officer from a fortress of Wisloujscie.
Location: The State Archive in Gdansk, Files of city of Gdansk, Weta - books of citizenship, family lists, cat. no. 300,60/8.