Meszne w uposażeniu plebańskim parafii diecezji krakowskiej w świetle tzw. Liber Retaxationum z 1529 roku
MESZNE IN THE EMOLUMENT OF THE PARISHES OF THE DIOCESE OF KRAKÓW IN LIGHT OF LIBER RETAXATIONUMOF 1529

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the article is to show the role of meszne in the emoluments of the parish vicars of the parish churches operating in the Kraków Diocese in the first half of the 16th century. Meszne was a tribute that appeared in Polish lands with colonization under German law. It was most often paid on St Martin’s Day, i.e.11 November, in grain, generally in equal amounts of rye and oats. The significance of this tribute to parsonage budgets has been addressed only marginally in the literature to date. It has been pointed out that meszne may have had a significant impact on the functioning of the parish in some cases, but more often than not it was a rather small element of income and for this reason was downplayed by some authors. A source that allows us to understand the actual role of meszne in the functioning of the parishes of the Kraków Diocese of the first half of the 16th century is the socalled Liber Retaxationum of 1529. It notes the components of the parsonage emoluments of almost all parishes then functioning in the Kraków Diocese. The results collected indicate that meszne was included in the emoluments of 45% of the parishes, and for as many as 30% it was the most important component In this situation, there is no doubt that its revenues had an impact on the functioning of the parishes. Consequently, it can be concluded that meszne contributed significantly to the development of the medieval parish network in the Diocese of Kraków.

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