The Jewish community. Authority and social control in Poznań and Swarzędz 1650-1973

This book delves into the intricate dynamics and governance structures of Jewish communities in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 17th and 18th centuries, focusing on the examples of Poznań and Swarzędz. It explores various aspects such as the procedure for electing community officials, the roles they performed, the functioning of the rabbinical office, and the operation of community courts. Additionally, it examines the influence exerted by craftsmen's guilds and brotherhoods, the oversight maintained by community leaders over the populace, and the fiscal strategies adopted by the communities. The book also investigates the interactions between the central community of Poznań and its branch in Swarzędz, alongside the broader relations between Jewish and non-Jewish authorities.Anna Michałowska-Mycielska, a distinguished historian at the Institute of History, Warsaw University, specializes in researching the history and culture of Jews in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Her scholarly contributions include:- "Między demokracją a oligarchią. Władze gmin żydowskich w Poznaniu i Swarzędzu (od połowy XVII do końca XVIII wieku)" [Between Democracy and Oligarchy: Jewish Communal Authorities in Poznań and Swarzędz from the Middle of the Seventeenth to the End of the Eighteenth Century], Warszawa 2000- "Gminy żydowskie w dawnej Rzeczypospolitej. Wybór tekstów źródłowych" [Jewish communities in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Selection of Source Texts], Warszawa 2003- "Pinkas kahatu swarzędzkiego (1734-1830)" [Pinkas of the Swarzedz Kahal (1734-1830)], Warszawa 2005- "Sejmy i sejmiki koronne wobec Żydów. Wybór tekstów źródłowych" [Diets and Dietines in Poland and the Jews. Selection of Source Texts], Warszawa 2006- "Sejm Żydów litewskich (1623-1764)" [The Council of Lithuanian Jews (1623-1764)], Warszawa 2014Her works contribute significantly to the understanding of the sociopolitical landscape and the cultural heritage of Jewish communities during this period in Poland and Lithuania.