Archiwum zewnętrzne Rady Ryskiej w Łotewskim Państwowym Archiwum Historycznym

The Archives of the City of Riga, and particularly so called External Archives of Riga City Council (band No 673) deserves special attention of the Polish researcher while working in the holdings of the Latvian State Historical Archives. Documents and correspondence gathered in this fond allow to trace the presence of the "Polish factor" in Livonia and the city itself, the nature of contacts between the city authorities and Polish and Lithuanian dignitaries and the royal court, and finally to examine the meaning of Riga and Livonia for the economy and security of Poland. External Archives of Riga City Council are divided into four parts. In part 1, among the documents from about 1220 to 1869, are groups of archival documents from “the Polish era" such as: extensive correspondence between the city and fortress of Dźwinoujście (German Dünamünde), documentation of conflict with the Jesuits and urban riots (eg calendar riots 1584–1589), files related to the functioning of the Riga Castle, copies of for parliamentary acts regarding Riga and Livonia and governing system of Livonia, the city correspondence with Jan Zamoyski, the representatives of the Radziwill Family and Chodkiewicz Family, documentation of the negotiations on Riga’s surrender to Poland and the issues dealt by Sigismund III and General Commissioners with between 1598 and 1599. Part 2 contains documents from the years 1225–1585, among them only a few refers to the Polish times (these are mainly information concerning the acquisition of Livonia, Riga and property and privileges of Archbishop William Hohenzollern). Part 3 (Aulica – Polonica) contains hundreds of documents, arranged in chronological order (1560–1630). In this section one will find: the town petitions and instructions for Riga’s envoys to the Diet and regional diets, to kings, princes of Courland and Polish and Lithuanian nobles, coverage of the missions of Riga’s envoys, information about the progress of the Diet’s sessions, the decisions of rulers in the affairs of the city and correspondence on participation of Riga in hostilities in Livonia. The last part of the Archives no. 4 (Moscowitica-Ruthenica), contains documents from 1229 to 1708. With the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries there has been preserved mainly correspondence between Riga and Vitebsk and Polotsk and Lithuanian officials. It concerned the contentious issues (eg, the orthodox church of St. Nicholas taken into possession by Riga) and trade–related matters.