THE CITY OF CELJE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 15TH CENTURY

Druga polovica 15. stoletja je čas, ki je pomenil za Celje velike spremembe. Spremembe so se začele že leta 1451, ko jim je Friderik II. Celjski podelil mestne pravice, čeprav se je Celje kot mesto omenjalo že v listinah o pokneženju Celjskih iz leta 1436. Poleg mestnih pravic jim je določil še pomerij, oprostil jih je tlake in plačila davkov pri prodaji vina ter jim podelil hišo v kateri so si uredili rotovž. Leta 1455, po smrti Friderika, je Ulrik II. to listino potrdil in jo dopolnil s pravico meščanov do izvolitve lastnega sodnika. Leta 1456, ko je umrl še zadnji predstavnik Celjskih grofov, je prišlo do bojev za njihovo dediščino, mesto Celje pa je nato prešlo pod oblast Habsburžanov, na kar je nakazovala že obojestranska dedna pogodba med rodbinama leta 1443. Pod novim vodstvom je prišlo do sprememb v sami upravi mesta, glavno besedo so še vedno imeli sodniki, Habsburžani pa so v mesto postavili še vicedoma, ki je bil vmesni element med vodstvenimi organi Celja ter deželnim knezom. Pod vodstvom Habsburžanov so do konca zgradili obzidje, prestavili špital v mesto, gradili so mostove čez Savinjo in skrbeli za to, da hiše niso bile zapuščene in zanemarjene. Na področju gospodarstva so jim podelili privilegije, kot so bili prosto lovljenje rib in ptic (kar jim je omejila domača oblast), uvedli so obvezno skladiščenje v Celju za vse, ki so mimo tovorili trgovsko blago, zmanjšali število krčem v okolici in uvedli obvezno uporabo mitnic. Pomembna novost pa je bila tudi vodenje računskih knjig.The second half of the 15th century was a period of great significance for Celje. Although documents on the elevation of the Counts of Celje to the rank of princes mention Celje as a town as early as in 1436, the changes actually began in 1451 when Frederick II of Celje granted the city its town privileges. He also defined Celje’s legal boundaries, exempted the residents from socage and paying wine taxes, and gave the city a house in which a town hall was established. After Frederick’s death in 1455, Ulrich II endorsed the charter and supplemented the document with the townsfolk\u27s right to elect their own judge. In 1456, when the last representative of the Counts of Celje died, a battle began for their estate and the city came under Habsburg rule, which was already indicated in a mutual inheritance agreement signed between the families in 1443. Under the new leadership the city administration underwent changes. Judges still had the last word, but the Habsburgs appointed a vidame to the city, who acted as an intermediary between the leadership of Celje and the provincial prince. Under the leadership of the Habsburgs the city walls were fully constructed, the hospital was transferred to the city, bridges were built over the Savinja River and it was ensured that houses were not deserted and uncared-for. In the field of economy the city was granted privileges like free fishing and bird hunting (which was limited by the national authorities), an obligatory storage facility was introduced in Celje for all people who transferred commercial goods through the area, the number of taverns in the surrounding area was limited and the obligatory use of tollhouses was introduced. An important novelty was also the keeping of account books