The Manuscript Collection of the Prague City Archives is one of the institution's oldest and most valuable components, with its origins dating back to the archive’s establishment in 1851. It primarily comprises official town books from the former independent Prague municipalities—Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town, and Hradčany—up to their unification in 1784. These manuscripts record legal and administrative matters, including privileges, statutes, council elections, court rulings, property transfers, and testaments, offering an insight into urban governance and daily life. Beyond these civic records, the collection includes guild books, ecclesiastical documents, and records from subordinate urban courts. A distinct group of manuscripts stems from private or institutional initiatives and covers a wide thematic range—from theological and legal treatises to chronicles, liturgical codices, and even musical and literary works. Highlights include fragments of the earliest St. Wenceslas legend Crescente fide and of Cosmas of Prague’s chronicle, writings by Jan Hus and other reformers, and richly illuminated song books.
Repository: Archiv hlavního města Prahy