Prosopographical Method and Data of Central, Administrative, and Judicial Officers of the GDL in the Lithuanian Metric, 1528–1564

In the digital age, databases are becoming a much more valuable recource for historians. From abstract perspective, as an archive of Grand Duchy Lithuania, Lithuanian Metrica has signs indicating that it is massive database. Appropriate methods needed to command such large amount information. A prosopography questionnaire lets us pick up data points from Metrica, which very useful researching groups persons governing body Lithuania. For example, with help prosopographical questionnaire, we can extract specific – personal, biographical, political career, social, economical regarding officers who served under Lithuania in sixteenth century. LM’s judicial documents, privileges, and testaments great source onomastics reconstructions marital statuses social networks. Testaments also accurately indicate dates death well capital deceased. Military lists give information influence person. Unfortunately, type sources inconsistent, lot researched group have “blind spots” on their questionnaires. This reason be partially resolved, different types LM provide similar data, thus make method tool working LM.