Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Historica 27 (2023): THE CONVENT OF CLUJ-MĂNĂȘTUR’S ARCHIVE KEPT AT THE BATTHYANEUM LIBRARY (I) MARIA FRÎNC  1. Brief history of the Convent of Cluj-Mănăștur and its archive “Cum ea que aguntur in tempore vetustatis ne labantur, ideo patrocinio litterarum solent roborari”, 1 implores the convent of the monastery of St Virgin Mary of Cluj-Mănăștur in a letter from the second half of the fourteenth century. Such a cause is not singular in medieval written sources from this geographical and temporal area. Beyond displaying the scribe’s knowledge of Latin, this passage also reflects the importance of the letter, that of preserving the facts, which are recorded in the charter. 2 The need to register information is generated by the legal issues that the documents often contain regarding property rights. Thus, the growth of charter’s issuance is determined by the pragmatic need of society, that of guaranteeing the rights of ownership. 3 Initially, the royal chancellery was the only institution that had the right to issue documents. The increasing demand of charters determined the kings of Hungary to give the right to issue documents to other institutions. The places of authentication are among the offices to which the kings of Hungary gave the right to draw up documents with legal validity, strengthened by the use of their own and authentic seals. The places of authentication (loca credibilia) are ecclesiastical institutions, which beside their ecclesiastical duties, play an important role for the laity. 4 These are the offices to which the laity turned  Ph.D., Assistant Researcher, The Institute of History George Barițiu of the Romanian Academy, Cluj-Napoca; Documentarian, TRANS.SCRIPT – The Centre for Diplomatic and Medieval Documentary Palaeography, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca; e-mail: mariafrinc@gmail.com. 1 Susana Andea, Lidia Gross, Adinel-Ciprian Dincă, eds., DRH-C 17, doc. 119. 2 Francisc Pall, “Diplomatica latină cu referire la Transilvania (sec. XI-XV)” [Latin Diplomatic Regarding to Transylvania (11th- 15th Centuries)], in Documente privind Istoria României. Introducere [Documents Regarding Romanian History: Introduction], vol. 2 (București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Române, 1956), 291-293; Susana Andea, “Preambulul actelor în practica scrierii” [Documents’ Preamble in Writing Praxis], in Susana Andea, ed., Scris și societate în Transilvania secolelor XIII-XVII [Writing and Society in Transylvania, 13 th -17 th Centuries] (Cluj-Napoca: Argonaut, 2013), 18-27. 3 M. T. Clanchy, From Memory to Written Record: England 1066-1307 (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell Press, 2013), 83-89; Sigismund Jakó, “Începuturile scrisului în păturile laice din Transilvania medievală (unele probleme noi ale paleografiei latine)” [The Beginnings of Writing in the Secular Society of Medieval Transylvania (Some New Problems of Latin Palaeography)], in Studii și Cercetări de Istorie VII, no. 1-4 (January-December, 1956): 84-86; Martyn Rady, Nobility, Land and Service in Medieval Hungary (London: Palgrave Press, 2000), 62-64; Susana Andea, “Actul scris și valoarea lui probatorie în practica judiciară din Transilvania (sec. XIII-XIV)” [The Written Document and Its Probative Value in Judicial Practice in Transylvania (13 th -14 th Centuries)], AIICN hist. 53 (2014): 199-212. 4 Francisc Pall, “Contribuții la problema locurilor de adeverire din Transilvania medievală (sec. XIII-XV)” [Contributions to the Problem of Place of Authentication in Medieval Transylvania], SMIM 2 (1957): 393-402; Lidia Gross, “Locuri de adeverire din spațiul transilvan (secolele XIII-XVI). Studiu de caz: Conventul premostratens din Dealul Orăzii” [Place of Authentication of Transylvanian Area (13 th -16 th Centuries). Case Study: The Premostratensian Convent of Dealul Orăzii], AIICN hist., Supplement, 58 (2019): 108-111; Rita-Magdolna Bernád, “Locurile de adeverire din Transilvania” [The Places of Authentication of Transylvania], AAM II (IV) (2013): 10-12; Rady, Nobility, Land and Service in Medieval Hungary, 66-78; Károly Vekov, Locurile de adeverire din Alba Iulia (secolele XIII-XVI) [The Places of Authentication of Alba Iulia (13 th -16 th Centuries)] (Cluj-Napoca: CST & Gloria Press, 2003), 82-107; Gergely Kiss, “La culture juridique des clercs dans le Royaume de Hongrie sous les rois angevins au XIV e siècle”, Belvedere Meridionale 27, no. 2 (2015): 26-27; Mihai Safta, “Prolegomana la studiul guvernării prin actul scris – Locus credibilis și evoluția chirografelor” [Prolegomena to the Study of Governance Through the Written Word – Locus credibilis