The Dubrovnik Corpus of Serbian Imperial Documents as a Source for Chancery Research
The Dubrovnik Corpus of Serbian Imperial Documents as a Source for Chancery Research

Summary/Abstract: The Dubrovnik corpus of documents issued by Serbian medieval rulers of the Nemanjić dynasty provides the best available avenue of approach to the still inadequately treated issue of the Nemanjić chancery. This analysis focuses on documents issued in the final period of Nemanjić rule, after King Stefan Dušan assumed the imperial title (1346–1371). It confirms that documents were produced in accordance with a clearly defined typology by a regular, organized staff. Very proficient in supplying the various types of documents with appropriate external and internal features, these individuals also proved capable of adapting earlier document-making tradition to the demands presented by the rise of the Serbian rulers to imperial status. However, certain aspects of the production process seem to have remained underdeveloped (apparent lack of proper formularies and registers of outgoing items). This opened the way for greater involvement of addressees, a factor that should be taken into account in further research.

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