Medieval Documents in a Modern Inventory. The Case of the Archive of the Town and the Seat of Sebeș

Initially created out of a practical necessity, that of facilitating the tracking of goods, inventories are also attributed a cultural value, encompassing the cultural wealth of a community. Gradually, written sources lose their legal value, being replaced by historical value. In this context, documents are viewed as witnesses of the past, very important for development of local identity. Some letters have been lost over time, but their existence can be argued through mentions in inventories. Thus, the inventories of a community’s institution, created repeatedly and at different times, are important indicators for recovering local history and outlining the community’s cultural value. The inventory of the town and district of Sebeș fits into this interpretative key of representing the community’s cultural value and local history.