Oraşul jucăuş. Contacte sociale, distracţii şi jocuri în Clujul secolului al XVI-lea
The Playful Town. Social Contacts, Entertainment and Games in 16th Century Cluj

Summary/Abstract: The article – based on the accesible primary sources (town statutes, the minutes of the court hearings, division-letters) – tackles the question of sixteenth century urban public places in Kolozsvár, where social interactions, amusement and leisure activities took place. (i.e. wine-growers’ tap-house, the shooting range of the burghers, children’s and young people’s playground). When the former prohibition of foreign wine import became mitigated in the sixteenth century, the taprooms of Kolozsvár had already an urban regulation that not only controlled the wine selling, but demanded the exceptional moral responsibility and behavior of the owner. These regulations took action against the breaches of the peace, as well. The taprooms, however, were not only places for drinking, but also for gambling and games, such as the dice or card games that not once ended with violence. Besides the grownup burghers, students also attended the other popular public place, the shooting range. The target-practice was with bow and arrow in the sixteenth century Kolozsvár, but usually these occasions were cooped with other leisure activities such as stone throwing or ball games. While the functions of the tap houses are well known due to the urban regulations, the local customary law just incidentally mentions the other public leisure places. Thus, the normative sources do not embark upon the real happenings of these areas. Some clues can be traced about how the burghers spent their spare time in the cases when the amusement turned into delinquency and an investigation started. Therefore, the best sources for this topic are the court hearings of the town.

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