Notaries Public in Transylvania in the Late Medieval Transylvania.
Prerequisites for the Reception of a Legal Institution

Abstract:

The introduction in the 14th-century and the further development of public notaries in Transylvania – almost exclusively in urban communities inhabited by German population – can be regarded as a peculiarity of the medieval legal system from Hungary. This establishing of a group of professional law-experts in Transylvania with regard to the European notarial system has not been thoroughly studied up to this moment. Therefore, the aim of the current paper is to open a field of discussion regarding the subject, starting in the first place with general considerations concerning the level of literacy reached in the province and the reception of the written law in Transylvania.

Keywords:

Transylvania, Middle Ages, notary public, literacy, canon law, parish church.