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SHORT NOTES

of coinage. Compared with Mittelmark, the numismatic materials from the arca examined by the author have a higher proportion of halved denarii and West Pomeranian coins. A large part of the book consists of catalogues of find-spots of coins from ca 1250-1319, from the region examined by the author, from Mittelmark and Altmark, and from other find-spots containing Brandenburg coins as well as other coins regarded as Brandenburg ones by researchers. (JA)

Marian Biskup and Roman Czaja (eds.), Państwo Zakonu Krzyżackiego w Prusach. Władza i społeczeństwo [The State of the Teutonic Order in Prussia: The Authorities and Society], Warszawa 2008, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 580+40 pp., 78 ills., 17 maps, indexes

This latest Polish synthesis of the history of Teutonic Prussia is the work of: Marian Biskup, Roman Czaja, Wiesław Długokęcki, Marian Dygo, Sławomir Jóźwiak, Andrzej Radzimiński and Janusz Tandccki. In the authors’ intention, the book, which covers the political and social history of the Teutonic Order, is part of a larger synthesis. It differs from previous histories in that it takes into account the research achievements of the last 25 years and departs from the national point of view, visible especially in older Polish and German historiogra-phy. Chapter I (pp. 23-50) presents a geographical characterization of Prussia and its history before it was conąuered by the Teutonic Order. The largest part of the book (pp. 51-401) discusses the political history of the Teutonic Order’s State: the conquest of Prussia, the organization of the apparatus of power, the social base, ideology, relations with foreign countries, ecclesiastic organization, the development of settlement and the crisis of the State after the 1409-11 war against Poland and Lithuania. The last chapter (pp. 403-94) characterizes the individual groups of society in Teutonic Prussia. In the preface, the editors announce that the second part of the synthesis will present the economic and cultural history of Teutonic Prussia. (JA)

Iwona Pietrzyk, Kancelaria i dokument Przemyślidów opawskich w XIV i początkach XV w. [The Chancellery and Documents of the Opava Premyslides in the 14th and Early 15th Centu-ries], Katowice 2008, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, 194+8 pp., 23 ills., 5 tables, annex, sum. in English and German, series: Prace naukowe Uniwersytetu Śląskiego w Katowicach, No. 2557

The book concerns the period from the time when the Duchy of Opava seceded from the Czech Kingdom (1318) to the death of the last dukes of Opava: John II (1424) and Premek (1433). The author has based her research on 188 surviving documents (also copies and registers) and five letters issued by the rulers. She points out that the chancellery had a staff of only 2-3 persons. Each monarch organized the chancellery anew, without benefiting from the services of the clerks