Ságvári Ágnes (szerk.): Budapest. The History of a Capital (Budapest, 1975)
Documents
The 1703 Charter of the City of Pest October 23rd, 1703 We, Leopold, by the grace of God elected Holy Roman Emperor, etc., by this document make it known to all whom it may concern... that the citizens and inhabitants of the City of Pest, because the said city had in former times been numbered with the other Hungarian royal boroughs, and had been granted privileges and even greater rights than have been won and exercised by royal free boroughs, either through royal donation or according to the binding laws of this kingdom, and which rights have commonly appeared: likewise, because it appears sufficiently from their former privileges that the said citizens and inhabitants had been endowed with several greater rights, privileges, graces and concessions, therefore, in consideration of this and the humble petition made by a number of our loyal men to our Majesty for the benefit of the present learned and vigilant mayor, the chief magistrate, the other councillors and aldermen, the inhabitants, that is, the entire community of our aforementioned City of Pest, as well as in consideration of the fidelity and the services which the citizens, hospes and inhabitants have continuously and fervently been desirous of showing with ever ready willingness since the glorious recapture of the city and their settlement and residence there... and that they will be mindful of a similar willingness to render suit and service in all times to come and that they promise themselves and, indeed, have offered a sum of money to be devoted to the public needs of the state as proof of their due fidelity and grateful obedience... We have therefore most graciously deigned to grant that our said city of Pest, with all its citizens and inhabitants, be restored to its former state and be reunited with our kingdom and its estates, and that, in addition, it shall freely exercise all rights, freedoms and privileges which have been granted to our royal free boroughs according to the laws and common customs of the kingdom, that it shall be numbered with the Fourth Estate of the kingdom as aforetime, that it shall possess a vote there, that it shall likewise be invited to the public Diets by means of a royal summons, that it shall be acknowledged as a possession of the Holy Crown, shall in no way be separated from it, shall never be sold, never be given in pledge. Further, that the Council and the citizens together shall be regarded and recognized as truly and incontrovertibly of noble estate; that it shall only bear the burden of public taxes and charges together with the nation, and pay the dues of the Diet as in the case of the other royal free boroughs, that it shall have intraterritorial rights, or municipal authority, within its area and possessions, as well as in its properties enjoyed in possession to this date, that is, in Szent-László and Burgundia and in what belongs to these, comprised in the legal term of appurtenances, and that, as with other landowners, the Council itself shall be entitled to establish socage tenure with manorial dues on the produce and fruits of such lands and buildings, to govern these freely under the law, and to collect without disturbance the dues imposed on all tenants as is customary with landowners... Furthermore that the citizens of this city shall not be subjected to coercion by any man under any law or pretext in violation of the ancient liberties of royal free boroughs to pay the petty tenth, as for lambs, bees, nor the ninths nor any other tax in their stead; and local trade within the city, which is mainly the retailing of wine, or whatsoever it may be called, is forbidden to any foreigner, nor is trade in this kind pursued publicly or in secret, indirectly or directly, permitted to any man, nor the church, V 84
