THE CRIMINAL CASE OF THE COUNTERFEITER LAURENTIUS FROM BESENOVO IN 1253 AS A HISTORICAL SOURCE FOR MEDIAEVAL SYRMIA

Abstract

In a document issued by the Hungarian King Béla IV on 3. October 1253, an earlier verdict of the court was confirmed by which the estates of Laurentius, the Administrator of Besenovo, a place in Syrmia, were confiscated for the reason of having him caught in the criminal act of counterfeiting money. Basing it on this document, the author of the paper discusses about the history of the Syrmia region in the 13th century. The document contains the first mention of the place Besenovo in history, which most likely belonged to the Benedictine Monastery of St. Grgur (Grgurevci). At the same time this document supplies the first chronological data revealing the fact that in the centre of the region and the County of Syrmia a Lucrum Camerae - where coins were also minted - already existed at this time, whose employers revealed the crime. The document also tells of the interesting social structure of the population and a prosperous economic life in the Syrmia region of the 13th century, which continued in spite of the recent invasion of the Tartars (Mongols). And finally, we also learn that among the confiscated property of the above mentioned counterfeiter there were vinyards and wine presses, as yet another proof of the fact that Syrmium was a region where famous, good quality wine was produced.