Dokument i kancelaria biskupa krakowskiego Jana Grota (1326-1347)

Abstract

The analysis of documents written in the office of Cracow bishop Jan Grot in the period of 1327-1347 proves that there was a dictate of this office. It is characterized by the occurrence of a fixed set of formulas which are are limited as to their contents and are free in their stylistic expressions. What influenced the choice of a particular kind of form was the category of legal procedure with which the document dealt.

The bishop’s for of bishop’s documents was only to a small extent written by the bishop’s office. The genesis of the majority of formulas comes from the 13h-century tradition of the Cracow cathedral office. It was also significant to use patterns from papal documents as well as foreign offices, e.g. form Germany. Grotowic’s form of documents was also influenced by stylistic figures worked out in other milieus, mainly Silesian (the offices of Wrocław bishops and Silesian princes) and from Great Poland (first of all the office of Gniezno archbishops).

One can presume that the office did not write only documents. It seems very likely that it also took part in producing diocesan and capitular statutes. Perhaps they belonged also to the group who continued Cracow calendar and annal.