Testament kobiecy na przykładzie testamentu Caroliny Knizek (Gnizek) ze Szczepanka spisany na wypadek nagłej śmierci

The article presents a will written in case of a sudden death and the legal procedure involved in its preparation. In Silesia, the procedure for making a will was legally regulated. Among those drafting the documents were professional judges as well as communal scribes, called up whenever one wanted to make provisions in case of one’s sudden death. In the present paper, the will was analyzed to verify whether the legal procedure had been followed, and to determine the family situation of the testator. The article demonstrates the need for a more in-depth investigation of the will, including an analysis of the statements of witnesses to the will-drafting. It also shows the potential to expand the source inquiry so as to include official registry documents and the legal condition of the estate.