Letter of privilege of the city of Szombathely, 1607 - Privilegium Civitatis Sabariensis Anno Domini MDCVII

The most precious and well-known source of the medieval and early modern history of the city of Szombathely is the city's charter of privileges issued in 1407 by the city's landlord, Bishop János Hédervári of Győr, and its episcopal and royal renewals. In addition to the payment of 200 gold forints per year, the privilege exempted the citizens of the city from all other tax payments; Our publication provides a facsimile of the original document, its Latin text and its Hungarian translation. The study on the history of the privilege letter is complemented by short biographies of the bishops and rulers who issued and confirmed the privilege. The certificate of privilege, which ensured the rights, rank and emerging self-government of Szombathely, was kept as the most treasured document in the city's archives for centuries. By publishing this basic document of unique importance from the point of view of urban history, the publishers of the volume want to promote a better understanding of the settlement's past, at the same time contributing to the strengthening of the local ties and identity of the citizens.