This collection is especially valuable to those researching earlier than the 1800s in Belgard, as this collection of books starts in 1610. Das Fünf Ämter Chor is a five-office group of various guilds. These include: Bäcker, Häcker, Tischler, Böttcher, and Klein Schmiede. All but the last of the files belong to the collection “Cechy miasta Białogardu” or “Innungen Belgard” in German. The final file belongs to the Magistrat Belgard, currently listed under the Polish name, “Akta miasta Białogardu” and the subcollection, “Kamera miejska.” The “Kamera miejska” collection has the signature 65/188/0/2. However, the subcollection for guilds should belong to the collection “Cechy,” or “guilds” in Polish, with the signature 65/188/0/4. Later documents indicate its name as the Fünfamtergewerks, or the five office guild of crafts. The final file was found in

• Das Fünf Ämter – Amtsbuch (1681-1724) [65/233/0/6/17]
• Das Fünf Ämter Chor – Aufnahmebuch (1709-1838) [65/233/0/6/18]
• Das Fünf Ämter Chor – Mitgliederverzeichnis (1644-1662) [65/233/0/6/19]
• Das Fünf Ämter Chor – Mitgliederverzeichnis (1649-1767) [65/233/0/6/20]
• Fünf Ämter Chor Belgard. – Verschiedenes (1610-1898) [65/188/0/2/73]

The Verschiedenes book lists the guild as only a four Ämter. Some of the more important points to note is that this collection was incorrectly organized by the Szczecin Archive inside the catalog for the baker’s guild. This collection contains much more information than for just people with the baker’s profession. It also included the carpenters, coopers, locksmiths, and hackers (the term “hacker” could apply to numerous professions such as the Holzhacker and Fleischhacker, whether a woodcutter or a butcher). It is difficult to determine without further critical examination how the term “hacker” applies here. It is also interesting to note a similarly titled “Haken” guild in Belgard, although that was the merchant’s guild.

Signature number 18 appears to be an Aufnahmebuch, or book of those selected to be in the guild, though part of the identifying tag was folded over. Earlier spellings for the Häcker guild was “Höcker.”

From the documents, it is possible that the Fünf Ämter guild was a patron of the Sankt Georg chapel in Belgard.

This collection has not been transcribed yet.

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