Memory of the World - Latin America and the Caribbean
Proceedings ofthe Town Hall of La Habana [Colonial Period 1550-1898)
Four centuries of a city´s history are unveiled in the documentary series Proceedings of the Town Hall of La Habana colonial period 15501898 The original unique and antique documents are kept in the Archivo Histórico de la Oficina del Historiador de La Habana These 273 volumes served for the creation of the Archivo Histórico Municipal in 1938 rescuing essential documentary heritage for the Cuban and HispanoAmerican nations The documents demonstrate both local history and the exchange between the metropolis its colony and the ties of Cuba to the world The series consists of two groups the original books 15501898 and the transcribed books 15501809 The former stands out for its richness of content and form the latter as a record of the City Council´s work in the second half of the 19th century to guarantee the permanence of the documents The records bear the mark of a colonial institution They gather the approaches and discussions regarding problems of interest to the inhabitants of the place whether of economic political or social natureOf the 211 original books nine compile documents from the 18111837 period The volumes were formed in the binding process during the republican period when the attached material justifications of topics discussed was set aside and put in separate volumes The transcribed books contain 8484 proceedings and have the same organization as the previous ones Initially the need to transcribe the proceedings was related to the land distribution record which was a cornerstone for many in personal and family financial matters In its beginnings the City Council was made up of the most prominent figures of Havana society Of the 62 transcribed books two contain royal decrees and dispatches from the years 1675 1688 16931723 and 17941798 When the originals were transcribed the royal decrees and other royal dispositions were copied into separate volumes These volumes in particular use sealed paper from the 18821883 biennium
Cuba -