testaments in premyslid bohemia Brno from 1331, though repeated until the end of the Middle Ages.68 Written acquisition, possible in the 13thcentury in the form of a deed, was probably still not very common. As already stated, more frequent documentation about the wills of burghers can be found from the second half of the 14th century.69 But it was not until the 15th century, when special town registers were established, that records of last wills became common. Then, mastering the various forms of last wills and the recording of them belonged to the training of town notaries, as evidenced by the surviving textbook.70 Bequests and pious donations could only be made in the Czech lands from the time when at least part of the population owned immovable property that could be bequeathed. In the Czech lands, a group of people that had available property arose during the 12th century. Before then, only members of the ruling family could dispose of their possessions, as did Euphemia, the wife of the Prince of Olomouc. Beginning in the 12th century, the magnates who became noble landowners during that century started to bequeath their property. The last wills were generally made verbally in front of witnesses. However, there are written records about some of them: memorial records that were obtained by church institutions, in whose favor a will or pious donation was made in the event of death; a record in the history of the monastery; or deeds, also written by the scribe of the receiving monastery or chapter. If the testator had his own seal, he attached it to the will. Sometimes, regularly when the inheritance fell under the royal escheat, also required was the affixing of a seal or the confirmation by the ruler or the bishop, or possibly by other officials. The oldest testaments are also, like most memorial records,71 not preserved in the original, but mostly in later royal confirmations. 316 68 Jordánková – Sulitková 2006, pp. 42–43. 69 Cf. Boháček 1975, p. 102. On the wills of the burghers, which, however, are preserved to a greater extent only in the late Middle Ages, see the articles in: Jíšová – Doležalová 2006. 70 Mareš 1908, pp. 20–25. 71 Cf. Pražák 1958; Pražák 1975. Conclusion
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjYyNDk=