Jews in Drohobycz and the Drohobycz Estate in the First Half of the Eighteenth Century

Zelman Wolfowicz, a sub-tenant of the Drohobycz starostwo estate, was an outstanding figure in the history of the town and estate in the middle of the eighteenth century. The period he was in office was marked by the usurpation of power and different abuses of authority: falsification of tax registers and the illegal collection of taxes for his own benefit, disregard for the rules in the process of electing kahal leaders, and using physical force against his opponents. This article reveals certain aspects of relations in the Jewish community, as well as the impact of the activities of Zelman Wolfowicz and his entourage on the life of the Christian population of Drohobycz and the local estate. In addition, the source material has made it possible to reconstruct fragments of the long-term contest for power between Zelman Wolfowicz and Jdzef Dawidowicz, a local customs tenant. This confrontation influenced relations in the Jewish community, whose representatives joined in the conflict supporting the opposing parties.