Source input to the history of St. Elisabeth hospital in The Old City of Gdańsk in the years 1429–1454

The subject of this edition are sources regarding the hospital of St. Elisabeth in the Old City of Gdańsk in the years 1429–1454 deposited in archives in Gdańsk and Berlin. They present various aspects of the institution’s operations in the first half of the 15th century. Alongside issues pertaining to the confirmation of its land estate border (no. 1), individual bestowals on its behalf conducted by assorted donors (no. 2, 5, 7, 8, 12) and the management of the hospital’s inventory (no. 4), it also contains documents confirming agreements of lifetime residencies in the hospital (no. 9, 10, 11). We also have here accounts created in reference to the foundation of vicarage in the hospital chapel (no. 3) and the matters of personnel working in the service of the hospital (no. 6). All of them show the complexity of issues the persons connected with the institution handled, most of all in the case of the hospitaler, and alongside him the commander of Gdańsk, who somewhat held a supervising function on behalf of the Teutonic Order. They also confirm the important role of women in terms of nurturing care provided by the hospital, including primarily the head of the female personnel, here referred to as the mother or the mother of the poor. On the other hand, they are also a testimony to the social significance of the institution in the city, presenting the circle of people closely connected to her at the time.

The subject of this edition are sources regarding the hospital of St. Elisabeth in the Old City of Gdańsk in the years 1429–1454 deposited in archives in Gdańsk and Berlin. They present various aspects of the institution’s operations in the first half of the 15th century. Alongside issues pertaining to the confirmation of its land estate border (no. 1), individual bestowals on its behalf conducted by assorted donors (no. 2, 5, 7, 8, 12) and the management of the hospital’s inventory (no. 4), it also contains documents confirming agreements of lifetime residencies in the hospital (no. 9, 10, 11). We also have here accounts created in reference to the foundation of vicarage in the hospital chapel (no. 3) and the matters of personnel working in the service of the hospital (no. 6). All of them show the complexity of issues the persons connected with the institution handled, most of all in the case of the hospitaler, and alongside him the commander of Gdańsk, who somewhat held a supervising function on behalf of the Teutonic Order. They also confirm the important role of women in terms of nurturing care provided by the hospital, including primarily the head of the female personnel, here referred to as the mother or the mother of the poor. On the other hand, they are also a testimony to the social significance of the institution in the city, presenting the circle of people closely connected to her at the time.