The history of the country is based only on reliable evidence, historical primary sources and documents, and not on some pages of outdated books, often removed from the general context of history. And if you do not have the appropriate professional qualifications, and you have only mastered the art of wooing or political manipulation, the art of glorifying it, then keep all kinds of talk about the mists of history, alleged influences and effects only at the family dinner table, but do not spread them to the public. Those mists and spells being cast will surely be disproved one day. Without the names of the customs officer and money prisoner Henrikos Šliageris, the bearded Hanus and the member of the Council of Gentlemen of Lithuania, the deputy of Birštonas and Motiejas Mikitinyčius, the private manager of many lands in the region, and their activities, it is impossible to understand the broad historical beginning of our region in the LDK system. Our primordial historical land was wide, rich in timber, forest animals, bee hives and other riches. With that, he attracted the rulers of the LDK and their officials. Vytautas Didysis and other Gediminaites hunted in areas not covered by our land, but they did not mark the borders of their estates or our land. This happened only at the beginning of the 16th century.
1501 The King of Poland, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Aleksandras Jogailaitis, with his privilege on the left bank of the Nemunas, within the boundaries of the Birštonas township, granted Henrik Šliageris many land holdings, marking the first southern boundaries of the Birštonas township according to water bodies.
LD Ku nigaikštis Aleksandras Jogailaitis.
Who is he – Henrikas Šliageris? Laimontas Karalius, Doctor of History, identifies him as a citizen of Kraków of German nationality, a merchant who came from Germany. From 1489 to 1501, he was the mint of the LDK Vilnius Mint. Since 1496 the Kaunas customs office was leased to him for three years (Kaunas customs officer Henrikas Šliageris 1496-1499, 1504, Kaunas history yearbook, 2002, kn.3, p.185-188). He is the first regional investor in real estate in Kaunas. The great financier was closely connected with Aleksander Jogailaičius in terms of money, often lending him or vouching for the Grand Duke considerable sums of money in his name. Here, in 1499, the customs officer guaranteed 155 graves (60 auxins, – VK) and 86 auxins for twelve persons, that is 9268 auxins and 20 auxins (account books of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Alexander Jogailaitis estate (1494-1504). Prepared by Rimvydas Petrauskas and Darius Antanavičius, V., 2007, p.181). 1500 the clerk of the grand duke’s treasury received from Šliager: “A total of five hundred auxins without two auxins and without sixteen auxins at 22 grosci per auxin, in Polotsk, the day after Saint Francis, Monday (X,5), in the year 1500 (Ibid., p .247). 1503, the same clerk of the treasury gave Henry the publican-cantor
In the tree.
fifty graves (3000 auxins) for service in Gardin (Ibid., p.323).
Mutually beneficial relations in the minting of money earned the gratitude of Lord Aleksandars Jogailaitis to Henrik Šlageris in the work of the Kaunas customs office. When in 1501 Aleksandras Jogailaitis became the king of Poland, he appointed Henrikas Šliageris as the head of the Krakow Mint.
Donation to Henrik Šliageris
In 1500, Aleksandras Jogailaitis gave Šliageri the Freda manor (now Kaunas Botanical Garden, VK) as a privilege, and in 1501 a land estate in Birštonas. This privilege, 522 years after its presentation, has not been presented in Lithuanian by anyone, and no one has reviewed it, so I strongly emphasize the authorship of this work…
This act will help the people of our region, schoolchildren, to understand that history is not based on legends, but on real documents of land holdings. We translated it from Russian:
“King Alexander’s privilege to Henrik Šliageris to Birštonas manor.
Kaunas Castle.
In the name of the Holy unbroken Trinity, amen. So that when human activity ceases by its nature, the pages of writing are not unprepared for eternity and the testimonies of past knowledge are not lost, so that we have knowledge from ancient times and so that we, Alexander, with God, the king of Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Žemaitia and other lords and estates grand duke, we note by this writing of ours, to those who shall see it or to those who shall hear it, to those who are now and to those who will be hereafter, to all who will need to know
With Our grace, for his faithful service, we gave a manor and a palace in Birštonas forest for Nemunas to our servant and helper Henrik Šliageris to acquire between the two rivers Balas (this is a river that changed its name from Spernia, became Bambena, married to Žuvintas – Dovinė, – VK) and named after Alytupis, then the Bala (Žuvinto) stream, from there the Bala (Žuvinto) valley. From that place, the banks of Bala are cut, they are the border from Alytupis to Bala stream. And we also gave Povila and his brother Grigus, the people belonging to our Birštonas township, to his estate. Narka Makovičius. Snorkeling with my brother. Mockų with his brother Takežius. We also allowed him wood for the construction of his manor house, and also for him
Lake Amalvo.
dependents to take firewood from the woods of our estates. But he does not have the right to go into the forest and take firewood and wood a mile from his estate (currently 7 km, – VK). And it is also allowed for him and our people to graze horses and cattle near their estate. And we allowed him to build mills and dams on those Obelytė and Alytupios streams near his estate. And that manor and the listed people are assigned by this our writing to our faithful Šliageris forever and his wife and their children and future grandchildren with all arable lands, with wooden beekeeping exchanges, with leafy forests, heaths, meadows, with dams and huge ponds, with mills with milling fee, with tribute money, honey and furs. And with all the taxes that will be newly introduced or changed, with all those specified in our letter. Let him adhere to this and perform service for us for the land, like all our nobles and our sled. Like him, all the people given to him and those he will still settle in the estate will have to perform that service. Our representatives of Vilnius and Trakai Voivodeships and Birštonas cannot seize them, nor judge them, nor check them. Only he himself can judge and check his people, and if any case arises, we ourselves, the ruler, have to look after them all. And he can sell, exchange, expand, and use everything written here for his own benefit, because we gave Henrik Šliager a land holding with all his rights and people, which cannot go to us or our descendants. And to confirm this, we decided to attach our seal to this letter. Written in 7708 (month and date erased, according to the Orthodox calendar or 1501 according to the Julian calendar – VK). (Lithuanian
The southern border in pagan times.
Metric. Book 25 (1387–1546). Notebook 25, document 120, Vilnius, 1998, p.179-180).
The donation deed was written in Vilnius. This original of the Metrics, among 10 other originals of the Lithuanian Metrics, is stored in Warsaw, in the Archive of Old Acts (AGAD). Unfortunately, more than 500 originals of Lithuanian Metrics (each from 500 to 2000 pages) are stored in Moscow, in the Russian State Archive of Old Acts. In Soviet times, thanks to great efforts, Lithuanian archivists managed to copy them, the copies are kept by LVIA. Vilnius University, Lithuanian Institute of History, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Russian scientists publish Metrics, readable in the original language, but they have still published less than 10 percent. Lithuanian Metrics – Chancelleries of Internal and Foreign Affairs of the LDK. A more detailed knowledge of the towns and villages of our region is impossible without knowledge of the Lithuanian Metrics and Kaunas Land Court Acts. No one will write history for us if we do not do it ourselves on the spot. Museums need qualified historians, especially those brought up at Vilnius University, who know the languages needed by historians. The historical memory of the country requires a careful and skilled activity, not a constant superficial repetition of bends.
The historical significance of the 1501 Act of Aleksander Jogailaitis
1. This act reveals the special role of the village of Birštonas in the history of the entire region. For the first time, the Birštonas vassals begin to colonize the left bank of the Nemunas. A year later, the estate of Hanus will appear – the future Balbieriškis, and in another 60 years, Prienai, Bagrėnai, Ašminta, Pajiesis, Liepalotas and other villages will emerge from the village of Birštonas.
2. This deed for the first time shows the southern borders of the village of Birštonas, as well as those of its later successors, the region of Prienai that emerged at the end of the 16th century, which continued along the southern border of the present-day municipalities of Alytus and Marijampole, and included lakes Žuvintos, Amalvos, Dovina river, present-day Gudelii, Lake Leiciškii. From there, in the western direction, in the current Gudelii old township, Birštonos valley, towards the right bank of the Jiesia river to Nemunas. Be proud, Biršton, be proud all over the country! These are our historical borders on the left bank of the Nemunas.
3. 1502 The donation of lands by Aleksandrs Jogailaitis to Hanus the bearded man further clarified the boundaries of Birštonas township and our entire region (we have presented this to the readers).
Fished.
4) The county of Prienai Butleri was later formed within the borders of the region indicated in the letter. With some exceptions, they also form the territory of the current municipality of Prienai.
In the next article, on the basis of detailed historical documents, I will examine in detail the northern borders of the region mentioned in 1503 and the problem of the emergence of Prieni. I also consulted with the greats of Lithuanian history research on that topic. In the article, I used the map made by the bright memory researcher Jonas Reitelaitis (VU MB Rs, f 102-439, p.75).
Will be more
Vytautas Kuzmickas