Z badań nad elitami małomiasteczkowymi w Polsce XV—XVI wieku (Rajcy i ławnicy miasta Kamionki w ziemi lubelskiej)
From the studies on provincial elites in the 15th—16th century in Poland (Town councilors of Kamionka in Lublin area)

Summary/Abstract: The article is an attempt to show elites of small cities from the point of view of microhistory. The author investigated the subject in question by means of statistical methods (which strongly highlighted the majority of issues connected with personal rotation within the scope of municipal authorities), but also managed to present “living” figures (which was to specify factors accelerating career development, such as connections, affluence, resourcefulness, especially predispositions, etc.). For the purposes of narration clarity, a certain symbolic and much simplified model of this urban community actively participating in the life of the city (a circle of people connected with the owner of the city, a circle of the most prominent families, and a circle of pre-townsmen) was created. Much attention was devoted to the process of permeating peasants into an urban community and a fixed representation of peasants inhabiting the suburbs of Kamionka in a body of town councilors. The problem of the migration of urban population “from” and “to” other places was dealt with. On the basis of several examples, a diversity of contacts between townsmen from Kamionka and other centres (family and economic connections, etc.) was shown. In conclusion, the author states that characteristic features of provincial elites involved a big personnel rotation within the authorities, a high mobility of the most influential townsmen and their relatively good material position.

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