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Country
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NL
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Name of institution (English)
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The Hague City Archives
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Language of name of institution
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dut
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Contact information: postal address
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Spui 70, 2511 BT The Hague
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Contact information: phone number
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0031 703537013
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Contact information: web address
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https://haagsgemeentearchief.nl/
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Contact information: email
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haagsgemeentearchief@denhaag.nl
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Reference number
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0351-01
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Type of reference number
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Archival reference number
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Title (English)
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The Hague Judicial Archives
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Title (official language of the state)
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Rechterlijke archieven 's-Gravenhage
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Language of title
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dut
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Creator / accumulator
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Baljuw
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Rechterlijk archief
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Schepenen belast met boedelzaken
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Secretaris als beheerder van de consignatiekas
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Date(s)
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1538/1811
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Language(s)
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dut
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Extent
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81.125 linear metres
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Type of material
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Textual Material
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Physical condition
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Good
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Scope and content
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The Rechterlijke archieven 's-Gravenhage fonds comprises documentation produced by various judicial institutions of The Hague. It is divided into areas of jurisdiction (matrimonial matters, estate affairs, visitation of the penitentiary, etc.), institutions, and officers: Archief van het college van Baljuw (Schout) en Schepenen en van de opvolgende colleges series (Archive of the Board of the Bailiff and Aldermen and subsequent boards), Archief van de beheerder van de consignatiekas (Archive of the administrator of the consignment office) and Archief van de baljuw (Archive of the bailiff). It also contains two artificial sub-collections of varia (Achtergebleven en gedeponeerde archiefstukken) and transcriptions (Transcripties). These series contain diverse types of documentation, including resolutions, letters, minutes, sentences, inventories, lists of prisoners, and many others. Given the fact that The Hague was the home of a vibrant Sephardic community, some of the judicial cases preserved in this fonds are concerning Portuguese and Spanish Jews. It is the case, for instance, of an affair involving David de Solis, who was released from prison on the condition of sailing to Brazil in 1675 (106, fol. 27v., July 22, 1675). Volumes 100-108, containing records of criminal sentences from the 17th to the 18th century, may certainly provide interesting information on criminality among members of the Sephardic community in The Hague.
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Archival history
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The Provisioneel Collegie van Crimineele en Civile Justitie van 's Hage (Provisional College of Criminal and Civil Justice of the Hague), elected on February 2, 1795, put a lot of effort into organising the archives of the former Schepenbank (aldermen's court) and of the Baljuw (bailiff). Their major source of concern was related to pending cases. Nonetheless, the archives were not neglected.
Although the descriptions of the first known inventories are not detailed enough to ascertain which documents had been lost, it is evident that the constant relocations of the court after 1811 (three times in four years) caused significant document losses.
In 1881, the Rechterlijke archieven (old judicial archives) of The Hague were transferred under the responsibility of the archivist of the court. Afterwards, many documents were added to this fonds, mainly to a miscellaneous collection, including documents from the old administrative archives of The Hague. Part of those documents eventually ended up returning to their previous collections.
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(source: Geselschap, J. E. J. and R. Grootveld. "Inventaris van de rechterlijke archieven van 's-Gravenhage")
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Administrative / Biographical history
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In the 16th century, the organisation of justice in The Hague gained a more complex structure, which lasted until 1795 without significant changes.
The courts of The Hague also held jurisdiction over Haagambacht and Scheveningen. However, the Hof van Holland (Court of Holland) exercised jurisdiction over Binnenhof and its surroundings, the so-called "gebied van de grafelijkheid" (realm of the count).
Since 1525, an electoral college, called the "Het lichaam van den Haag" (the body of The Hague), annually nominated fourteen people, from which seven "schepenen" (aldermen) were chosen by the stadtholder. The "baljuw" (bailiff) was appointed by the States of Holland from 1574 onwards.
On February 2, 1795, the bailiff, the aldermen, and a secretary were appointed by a popular assembly, creating a new college, the Provisioneel Collegie van Crimineele en Civile Justitie van 's Hage (Provisional College of Criminal and Civil Justice of The Hague). A definitive college, elected on March 31, took office on April 2, 1795. Its statutes were adopted on May 2, 1796. On October 1, 1802, new regulations were approved by the departmental administration of Holland. The Provisioneel Collegie was then composed of seven members, appointed for the first time by the departmental administration from a pair drawn up by the municipal administration, whose positions were for life. During the period of French domination, the French judicial organisation was introduced under the imperial decree of November 8, 1810. On February 28, 1811, the College van schepenen (College of Aldermen) was dissolved and the archives were sealed.
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(source: Geselschap, J. E. J. and Grootveld, R. "Inventaris van de rechterlijke archieven van 's-Gravenhage")
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System of arrangement
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The fonds is either organised by areas of jurisdiction or by officials or courts. Records are tendentially arranged in chronological order.
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Author of the description
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Kevin Soares, 2022
