Hus a pražští konšelé v předvečer revoluce : staroměstské soudní knihy pro dluhy a možnosti jejich výpovědi pro dějiny města

The study focuses on an analysis of the Old Town Judicial Books for Debts from the 15th century (Libri judiciorum pro pecuniam, Prague City Archives /AMP/, Collection of Manuscripts /Sbírka rukopisů/, sign. 997 and 998), which are a source kept as a series, which allows an admittedly limited but immensely interesting insight into the power, social and economic life of the town. Through their data, they make it possible to specify further some of the existing inaccuracies in the composition of town councils, to supplement the persons holding the post of Old Town magistrate, or to extend the number of entries on burgher surrenders. By observing the burghers, who attended the sessions of the courts opened in 1407 through 1413, allows us, however, to capture more precisely in a limited way the power and nationality conflicts, which were taking place in the town in the period before the outbreak of the Hussite revolution (1419–1434). Their analysis proves that there really was a definitive victory of the Bohemian side in 1408, which was led by Johánek Ortlův /Johanco Ortlini/ and Čeněk the cloth cutter /Czenco pannicida/. It seems that Johánek with his adherents became the uncrowned ruler of the town in 1408 through 1413 as was later managed in the post-revolutionary period by the brothers Jan and Pešík from Kunvald and some other burghers. Hence, we can see already in pre-Hussite Prague the beginnings of breaking of the existing habits in the internal administration of the town and its domination by only one interest group of burghers with a strong leader at its head.