Imperial Knight
Encyclopedia
The Free Imperial Knights, or the Knights of the Empire was an organisation of free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire
, whose direct overlord was the Emperor
, remnants of the medieval free nobility (edelfrei
) and the ministeriales
. To protect their rights and avoid vassalage to more powerful nobles, they organized themselves into three unions (Partheien) in the late 15th century and into a single body in 1577, and fought to win recognition. This status, beholden only to the Emperor himself rather than through a more powerful noble, meant the Reichsritter were "immediate subjects" (their fealty was unmediated by another lord). As such, the Imperial Knights exercised a limited form of sovereignty within their territories.
Their immediate status was recognized at the Peace of Westphalia
. They never gained access to the Reichstag
, the parliament of lords, and were not considered Hochadel, the high nobility, belonging to the Lower Nobility
.
) and the stronger elements of the unfree ministeriales
that had won noble status.
Around 1300 the manorial economy suffered contraction due to the fluctuation in the price of agricultural foodstuffs. Ministeriales who were in a stronger economic position were better able to survive the weakening of their basis as landowners. The vast majority languished in poverty, resorting to selling lands to the Church, or to brigandage
.
The minority of ministeriales rich enough to weather the crises soon came to be identified with the remnants of the free nobility, and were thus seen as constituting one noble order. By 1422 some of these nobles had achieved jurisdictional autonomy under the Emperor (‘immediacy’), and the corporation of free imperial knights was born. The other ministeriales that did not manage to receive the status of immediate vassal
s of the Emperor were gradually transformed into a titled nobility of free status: the Freiherren (Barons). By 1577 the Imperial Knights achieved the status of a noble corporate body within the empire: the corpus equestre.
In the Peace of Westphalia
, the privileges of the Reichsritterschaften were confirmed. The knights paid their own tax (voluntary) to the Emperor, possessed limited sovereignty
(rights of legislation, taxation, civil jurisdiction, police, coin, tariff, hunt; certain forms of justice), and the ius reformandi (the right to establish an official Christian denomination in their territories). The knightly families had the right of house legislation, subject to the Emperor’s approval, and so could control such things as the marriage of members and set the terms of the inheritance of family property. Imperial knights did not, however, have access to the Reichstag
.
All matters relating to the Imperial Knights' legal status as immediate vassals of the Emperor (house laws, debt, etc.) were managed by the Imperial Aulic Council.
From 1577 on, the Imperial Knights met in a Congress called the General Correspondence Convention, but the Circles and especially the Cantons became somewhat more important as their proximity meant that their interests were more closely aligned.
Some immediate imperial fiefs, however, fell outside the structure of the Circles and their Cantons. The autonomous barony (Freiherrschaft) of Haldenstein (in modern day Switzerland, canton Graubunden) is an example.
By the late eighteenth century, the organization of the circles was as following:
Franconian Circle (six cantons)
Swabian Circle (five cantons)
(Note: The semi-autonomous District Ortenau was affiliated with canton Neckar-Schwarzwald. District Ortenau served as the chief organizational connection to the empire for the Alsatian immediate nobility that had been absorbed by the French reunions of the seventeenth century.)
Rhenish Circle (three cantons)
Arising from the feudal connection between tenure of land and jurisdiction, the status of immediate subject was further distinct from that of a state of the Empire. There were many immediate territories that were not states of the Empire, and there could be states that were not immediate. Examples of tiny immediate territories include villages (Gochsheim
and Sennfeld
near Schweinfurt
), and some farms in Upper Swabia. The status of immediate subject of the Emperor could be held by an institution: the family of Thurn und Taxis held the imperial post as an immediate fief from the Emperor.
Mediate entities were subjects arranged under an intermediate jurisdiction between the entity itself and the Emperor.
in 1806 and the end of the Holy Roman Empire
, the Imperial Knights' possessions, which were generally enclaves, formerly completely independent under the Kaiser, became part of the territories of the High Nobles, by whose territory they were surrounded. They, for the most part, took the title Freiherr
and submitted themselves to their new lords.
From early on, the membership of the corporation of Imperial Knights controlled access to admission to its Circles and Cantons. There were two kinds of membership possible within the order: personal and landed. Landed members were families enrolled in a Circle and Canton who owned an immediate fief, and thus were subordinate to the Emperor directly. The personal members (Personalisten) were non-landed members – regularly admitted – who had not yet acquired estates under knightly jurisdiction. As a result, the Personalisten were not included in claims made for compensation. Consequently, the numbers of landed families were probably closer to 400, with the Personalisten adding another 100, bringing the total number of knightly families to around 500 at the time of the corporation’s dissolution.
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Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, whose direct overlord was the Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
, remnants of the medieval free nobility (edelfrei
Edelfrei
The term edelfrei was originally used to describe those German noblemen who were distinguished from other free knights by the payment of three times their weregild.Such knights were known as Edelfreie or Edelinge...
) and the ministeriales
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
. To protect their rights and avoid vassalage to more powerful nobles, they organized themselves into three unions (Partheien) in the late 15th century and into a single body in 1577, and fought to win recognition. This status, beholden only to the Emperor himself rather than through a more powerful noble, meant the Reichsritter were "immediate subjects" (their fealty was unmediated by another lord). As such, the Imperial Knights exercised a limited form of sovereignty within their territories.
Their immediate status was recognized at the Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
. They never gained access to the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
, the parliament of lords, and were not considered Hochadel, the high nobility, belonging to the Lower Nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
.
Origins
The Free Imperial Knights arose in the 14th century, the fusion of the remnants of the old free lords (EdelfreiEdelfrei
The term edelfrei was originally used to describe those German noblemen who were distinguished from other free knights by the payment of three times their weregild.Such knights were known as Edelfreie or Edelinge...
) and the stronger elements of the unfree ministeriales
Ministerialis
Ministerialis ; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally servitor, agent, in a broad range of senses...
that had won noble status.
Around 1300 the manorial economy suffered contraction due to the fluctuation in the price of agricultural foodstuffs. Ministeriales who were in a stronger economic position were better able to survive the weakening of their basis as landowners. The vast majority languished in poverty, resorting to selling lands to the Church, or to brigandage
Brigandage
Brigandage refers to the life and practice of brigands: highway robbery and plunder, and a brigand is a person who usually lives in a gang and lives by pillage and robbery....
.
The minority of ministeriales rich enough to weather the crises soon came to be identified with the remnants of the free nobility, and were thus seen as constituting one noble order. By 1422 some of these nobles had achieved jurisdictional autonomy under the Emperor (‘immediacy’), and the corporation of free imperial knights was born. The other ministeriales that did not manage to receive the status of immediate vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
s of the Emperor were gradually transformed into a titled nobility of free status: the Freiherren (Barons). By 1577 the Imperial Knights achieved the status of a noble corporate body within the empire: the corpus equestre.
In the Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
, the privileges of the Reichsritterschaften were confirmed. The knights paid their own tax (voluntary) to the Emperor, possessed limited sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
(rights of legislation, taxation, civil jurisdiction, police, coin, tariff, hunt; certain forms of justice), and the ius reformandi (the right to establish an official Christian denomination in their territories). The knightly families had the right of house legislation, subject to the Emperor’s approval, and so could control such things as the marriage of members and set the terms of the inheritance of family property. Imperial knights did not, however, have access to the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
.
All matters relating to the Imperial Knights' legal status as immediate vassals of the Emperor (house laws, debt, etc.) were managed by the Imperial Aulic Council.
Organization
Lacking access to the Reichstag, in 1650 the immediate knights organized themselves into three 'Circles' (Ritterkreise): the Franconian, Swabian, and Rhenish Circles. The Circles were divided into cantons, each of which exercised a high degree of autonomy, possessing a director (Ritterhauptmann), and a directorate (Ritterräte und Ausschüsse) of noble councilors assisted by non-noble clerical and legal staffs.From 1577 on, the Imperial Knights met in a Congress called the General Correspondence Convention, but the Circles and especially the Cantons became somewhat more important as their proximity meant that their interests were more closely aligned.
Some immediate imperial fiefs, however, fell outside the structure of the Circles and their Cantons. The autonomous barony (Freiherrschaft) of Haldenstein (in modern day Switzerland, canton Graubunden) is an example.
By the late eighteenth century, the organization of the circles was as following:
Franconian Circle (six cantons)
- Odenwald (seat: Kochendorf near Heilbronn)
- Steigerwald (seat: ErlangenErlangenErlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
) - Altmühl (seat: WilhermsdorfWilhermsdorfWilhermsdorf is a municipality in the district of Fürth in Bavaria in Germany. As of 2006 it has a population of 5,073. It is twinned with Feld am See in Austria and Jahnsdorf, also in Germany.-Neighboring municipalities:Wilhermsdorf borders*Emskirchen...
near Emskirchen) - Baunach (seat: NurembergNurembergNuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
) - Rhön-Werra (seat: SchweinfurtSchweinfurtSchweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
) - Gebürg (seat: BambergBambergBamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
)
Swabian Circle (five cantons)
- Danube (seat: EhingenEhingenEhingen is a town in the Alb-Donau district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, situated on the left bank of the Danube, approx. 25 km southwest of Ulm and 67 km southeast of Stuttgart.-Statistics:...
) - Hegau-Allgäu-Bodensee (seat: RadolfzellRadolfzellRadolfzell am Bodensee is a town in Germany at the western end of Lake Constance approximately 18 km northwest of Konstanz. It is the third largest town, after Constance and Singen, in the district of Konstanz, in Baden-Württemberg....
) - Kocher (seat: Esslingen)
- Kraichgau (seat: HeilbronnHeilbronnHeilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
) - Neckar-Schwarzwald (seat: TübingenTübingenTübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
)
(Note: The semi-autonomous District Ortenau was affiliated with canton Neckar-Schwarzwald. District Ortenau served as the chief organizational connection to the empire for the Alsatian immediate nobility that had been absorbed by the French reunions of the seventeenth century.)
Rhenish Circle (three cantons)
- Upper Rhine (seat: MainzMainzMainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
) - Middle Rhine (seat: FriedbergFriedberg, HesseFriedberg is a town and the capital of the Wetteraukreis district, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 26 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.-Division of the town:The town consists of 7 districts:* Bruchenbrücken...
) - Lower Rhine (seat: KoblenzKoblenzKoblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
)
Immediate and mediate status
Whether or not an individual, an institution, or an area was directly subject to the Emperor's authority defined the status of ‘immediate’ and ‘mediate’ subject of the Empire (reichsunmittelbar, reichsmittelbar). The distinction was not restricted to noble subjects of the Emperor; for example, a number of high officials in the imperial courts and the chancery were immediate, whether noble or not.Arising from the feudal connection between tenure of land and jurisdiction, the status of immediate subject was further distinct from that of a state of the Empire. There were many immediate territories that were not states of the Empire, and there could be states that were not immediate. Examples of tiny immediate territories include villages (Gochsheim
Gochsheim
Gochsheim is a municipality in the district of Schweinfurt in Bavaria, Germany. Historically, along with its neighboring village of Sennfeld, it had the rare situation of being a Reichsdorf or Imperial Village....
and Sennfeld
Sennfeld
Sennfeld is a municipality in the district of Schweinfurt in Bavaria, Germany. Historically, along with its neighboring village of Gochsheim, it had the rare situation of being a Reichsdorf or Imperial Village....
near Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt is a city in the Lower Franconia region of Bavaria in Germany on the right bank of the canalized Main, which is here spanned by several bridges, 27 km northeast of Würzburg.- History :...
), and some farms in Upper Swabia. The status of immediate subject of the Emperor could be held by an institution: the family of Thurn und Taxis held the imperial post as an immediate fief from the Emperor.
Mediate entities were subjects arranged under an intermediate jurisdiction between the entity itself and the Emperor.
Role in the Reich
The Imperial Knights were called very often to war by the Kaiser and therefore won significant influence in the Military and the Administration of the Empire and also over the more powerful nobles. Every Canton had its own Ritterhauptmann or Captain and kept detailed records of noble families and properties. The Imperial Knights were exempt from imperial taxes and were not required to quarter troops.Decline
Over time the title of, Reichsritter, or Imperial Knight became a title of nobility rather than occupation. Many Imperial Knights even as early as the 16th century are more famous for their scholarly, artistic, or diplomatic work than their military achievements. With the founding of the Confederation of the RhineConfederation of the Rhine
The Confederation of the Rhine was a confederation of client states of the First French Empire. It was formed initially from 16 German states by Napoleon after he defeated Austria's Francis II and Russia's Alexander I in the Battle of Austerlitz. The Treaty of Pressburg, in effect, led to the...
in 1806 and the end of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, the Imperial Knights' possessions, which were generally enclaves, formerly completely independent under the Kaiser, became part of the territories of the High Nobles, by whose territory they were surrounded. They, for the most part, took the title Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
and submitted themselves to their new lords.
Numbers and membership
Exact numbers of Free Imperial Knights are difficult to assess. It is often stated that there were 350 knightly families in all three Circles, owning around 1,500 estates (c. 200 German square miles, or about 4,400 English square miles), with a total population of 400,000-450,000 inhabitants. These figures, however, are drawn from claims for compensation made after the upheavals of the French Revolution, and are not an accurate description of the total membership in the order.From early on, the membership of the corporation of Imperial Knights controlled access to admission to its Circles and Cantons. There were two kinds of membership possible within the order: personal and landed. Landed members were families enrolled in a Circle and Canton who owned an immediate fief, and thus were subordinate to the Emperor directly. The personal members (Personalisten) were non-landed members – regularly admitted – who had not yet acquired estates under knightly jurisdiction. As a result, the Personalisten were not included in claims made for compensation. Consequently, the numbers of landed families were probably closer to 400, with the Personalisten adding another 100, bringing the total number of knightly families to around 500 at the time of the corporation’s dissolution.
A partial list of Free Imperial Knights
- Adelmann (Kocher)
- Adelsheim (Odenwald)
- Aichinger (Gebürg)
- Altenstein (Baunach)
- Arnim (Gebürg)
- Assenburg (Middle Rhine)
- Attems (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
- AufseßAufseßAufseß is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany.Located in the beautiful Franconian Switzerland on the Beer Road, it is best known for the connection with the noble family of von und zu Aufsess. Members of the Imperial Knight family include Jobst Bernhard von Aufsees...
(Gebürg)
-B-
- Bartenstein (Kocher)
- Bassenheim (Middle Rhine)
- Bastheim (Rhön-Werra)
- Bauz (Odenwald)
- Bechtolsheim (Steigerwald, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
- Beckers (Upper Rhine)
- Bellersheim (Middle Rhine)
- Bemelberg (Danube)
- Benzel (Neckar-Shwarzwald)
- Berckheim (District Ortenau)
- Berga (Altmühl)
- Berlichingen (Odenwald, Kocher)
- Bern (Kocher)
- Bernhausen
- Beroldingen
- Berstett
- Bettendorf
- BibraBibra familyFor other Bibra and Bibran entries, go to Bibra disambiguation pageBibra family was one of the leading families in Franconia and Thuringia from the mid-15th century to about 1600. Later on the family rose from Reichsritter to Reichsfreiherr...
(Rhön-Werra, Steigerwald, Baunach, Altmühl, Gebürg) - Bissingen (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
- Bobenhausen (Rhön-Werra)
- Bock (Upper Rhine, District Ortenau, Kocher)
- Bocklin (District Ortenau)
- Bodeck (District Ortenau)
- Bodmann (District Hegau)
- Boinenburg (Rhön-Werra)
- Bokdorf (Braunach)
- Boos-WaldeckCount Ludwig Joseph von Boos-WaldeckCount Ludwig Joseph von Boos-Waldeck was a German noble who promoted the settling of Texas by Germans....
(Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine) - Borié (Rhön-Werra)
- Botzheim (Upper Rhine, District Ortenau)
- Boyneburg-Bömelberg (lordship of Gemen; mediatized 1803)
- Brandenstein (District Ortenau)
- Brandi (Gebirg)
- Breidenbach-Breidenstein (Middle Rhine)
- Breidenbach-Bürresheim (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
- Brockdorf (Gebürg)
- Bubenhofen (Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
- Buchenau (Rhön-Werra)
- Bulach (District Ortenau)
- Burscheid (Upper Rhine)
- Buseck (Middle Rhine)
- Buttlar (Middle Rhine)
- Buwinghausen (Kocher)
-C-
- CastellCounts of CastellThe family appears already in 1057 with Robbrath de Castello. The County of Castell was created in AD1200, in the modern region of Franconia in northern Bavaria, Germany. Rulership of Castell was shared between the brothers Louis and Rupert II in 1223, and later with the brothers Albert II,...
(Steigerwald) - Chalon gen. Gehlen (Middle Rhine)
- Coudenhove (Middle Rhine)
- Crailsheim (Odenwald, Steigerwald, Altmühl)
- Cronenberg (Middle Rhine)
-D-
- Dalberg (Baunach, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
- Degenfeld (Rhön-Werra,Odenwald, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine, Kocher, Kraichgau)
- Deuring (District Hegau)
- Diede (Middle Rhine)
- Diemar (Rhön-Werra)
- Dienheim (Upper Rhine)
- Drachsdorf (Rhön-Werra)
- Dungern (District Ortenau)
- Dürckheim (Altmühl, District Ortenau)
-E-
- Ebersberg (Rhön-Werra)
- Edelsheim (Middle Rhine)
- Egkh (Neckar-Shwarzwald)
- Egloffstein (Gebirg, Steigerwald, Altmühl)
- Eichler (Altmühl)
- Ellrichshausen (Odenwald)
- EltzEltzThe House of Eltz is a noted German noble family of the Uradel. The Rhenish dynasty has had close ties to the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia since 1736.-History:...
(Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine) - Enzberg (District Hegau)
- Erthal (Rhön-Werra, Baunach, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine, Kocher, District Ortenau)
- Esbeck (Upper Rhine)
- Esch (Middle Rhine)
- EybAlbrecht von EybAlbrecht von Eyb was one of the earliest German humanists.-Life:After preliminary studies at Erfurt, he went to Italy and devoted himself to humanistic study at the University of Pavia and University of Bologna...
(Odenwald, Altmühl, Danube) - Eyben (Middle Rhine)
- Eys (Middle Rhine)
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- Fahnenberg (Rhön-Werra)
- Falkenhausen (Altmühl)
- Fechenbach (Odenwald)
- Feiguier (Upper Rhine)
- Forster (Odenwald, Altmühl)
- Forstmeister (Middle Rhine)
- Forstner (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
- Frais (Upper Rhine)
- Franckenstein (house of) (Steigerwald, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine, District Ortenau)
- Fren(t)z (Raitz von)Raitz von FrentzRaitz von Frentz is the name of a baronial family, that belongs to the German ancient nobility . The Barons Raitz von Frentz have to be distinguished form the dynastic family "von Frenz", a branch of the Dukes of Limburg, that was extincted in the 14th century.-History:The Raitz von Frentz is one...
(Middle Rhine) - Freyberg (Danube, District Hegau, Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
- Fries (Altmühl)
- Fuchs (Baunach)
- Fuchs von Bimbach (Steigerwald)
- FuggerFuggerThe Fugger family was a historically prominent group of European bankers, members of the fifteenth and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists like the Welser and the Höchstetter families. This banking family replaced the de'...
(Danube, Kocher) - FürstenbergFürstenberg (baronial family)Fürstenberg is the name of a German noble family of Westphalia, descended from one Hermanus de Vorstenberg, a liegeman of the Archbishop of Cologne, who was among the prince electors of the Holy Roman Empire. Hermanus held a castle for his lord called "Fürstenberg" in Ense-Höingen in Soest; this...
(Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
-G-
- Gagern (Upper Rhine)
- Gail (District Ortenau)
- Gailing (District Ortenau)
- Gaisberg (Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
- Gebsattel (Rhön-Werra)
- Gedult-Jungenfeld (Upper Rhine)
- Geismar (Upper Rhine)
- Geispitzheim (Upper Rhine)
- Gemmingen (Odenwald, Upper Rhine, Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher, Kraichgau)
- Gerstorff (Middle Rhine)
- Geuder (Gebürg, Altmühl)
- GeyerFlorian GeyerFlorian Geyer , also known as "Florian Geier from Giebelstadt", was a Franconian nobleman, diplomat and knight...
(Odenwald) - Geyso (Rhön-Werra)
- Giech (Gebirg)
- Gleichen (Rhön-Werra)
- Goeler (Kraichgau)
- Göllnitz (Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
- Görtz (Rhön-Werra, Middle Rhine)
- Greiffenclau (Odenwald, Baunach, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine, Kocher)
- Grosclag (Odenwald)
- Groß (Gebirg, Baunach)
- Grupe
- Gudenus (Upper Rhine)
- Gültingen (Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
- Günerode (Middle Rhine)
- GuttenbergHouse of GuttenbergThe House of Guttenberg is a prominent Franconian family which traces its origins back to 1149 with a Gundeloh v. Blassenberg . Though, the first mention in a document is dated 1158. The name Guttenberg is derived from Guttenberg and was adopted by a Heinrich von Blassenberg around 1310...
(Rhön-Werra, Gebirg, Baunach, Middle Rhine)
-H-
- Habermann (Rhön-Werra)
- Hacke (Upper Rhine)
- Hagen (Upper Rhine)
- Hahn (Middle Rhine; mediatized 1803)
- Hahnsberg (Middle Rhine: lordship of Bruck; mediatized 1803)
- Hallberg (Upper Rhine)
- Haller (Altmühl)
- Harling (Upper Rhine, Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
- Hatzfeld (Odenwald, Middle Rhine: lordship of Wildenberg; mediatized 1803)
- Haxhausen (Odenwald, Upper Rhine)
- Heddersdorf (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
- Hees (Upper Rhine)
- Helmstatt (Kraichgau)
- Hess (Kocher)
- Hessberg (Gebirg)
- Hettersdorf (Odenwald, Baunach)
- Heuslin v. Eusenheim (Rhön-Werra, Gebirg)
- Hofen (Kocher)
- Hoheneck (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
- Hohenfeld (Middle Rhine)
- Holtz (Odenwald, Kocher)
- Holtzschuher (Steigerwald)
- Horben (District Allgäu-Bodensee)
- Horneck (Gebirg, Baunach, Upper Rhine)
- Hornstein (Danube, District Hegau)
- Hoyen (Middle Rhine)
- Hundbiss (District Allgäu-Bodensee)
- HuttenUlrich von HuttenUlrich von Hutten was a German scholar, poet and reformer. He was an outspoken critic of the Roman Catholic Church and a bridge between the humanists and the Lutheran Reformation...
(Rhön-Werra, Middle Rhine)
-I-
- Ichtrazheim (District Ortenau)
- Ifflinger (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
- Imhof (Baunach, Upper Rhine)
- IngelheimAnselm Franz von IngelheimAnselm Franz von Ingelheim may refer to:*Anselm Franz von Ingelheim , Archbishop of Mainz 1679-1695*Anselm Franz von Ingelheim , Bishop of Würzburg, 1746-1749...
(Odenwald, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
-J-
- Jett (Upper Rhine)
- Jakob (Upper Rhine)
-K-
- Kageneck (Danube)
- Kalbsried (Rhön-Werra)
- Karg (Gebirg, Baunach)
- Keller (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
- Kellerbach (Upper Rhine)
- Kerpen (Upper Rhine)
- Kesselstatt (Middle Rhine)
- Kieningen (Upper Rhine)
- Knebel (Middle Rhine, District Ortenau)
- Kniestedt (Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
- Knöringen (Altmühl)
- Koeth (Upper Rhine)
- Kofler (Upper Rhine)
- Kolowrat (Danube)
- Koniz (Baunach)
- Kress (Altmühl)
- Krohn
- Künsberg (Gebirg, Baunach, Steigerwald)
-L-
- Lang (Kocher)
- Langwerth (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
- Lasser (Danube)
- Lehrbach (Odenwald, Upper Rhine)
- Lentnersheim (Altmühl)
- Leonrodt (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
- Leonrodt (Neckar-Schwarzwald) (Two separate families with the same name.)
- Leutrum (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
- Leyden (Kocher)
- Leyder (Danube)
- Leyen (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
- Liebenfels (District Hegau)
- Liebenstein (Danube, Kocher)
- Lichtenstern (Baunach)
- Lochner (Rhön-Werra, Gebirg)
- Loë (Middle Rhine)
- Löw (Middle Rhine)
- LöwensteinLöwenstein-WertheimLöwenstein-Wertheim was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, part of the Franconian Circle. It was formed from the counties of Löwenstein and Wertheim ....
(Odenwald)
-M-
- Maiershofen
- Malapert-Neufville
- Mansbach
- Marioth
- Marschall von Ostheim
- Massenbach
- Mayerhofen
- MetternichMetternich (disambiguation)Metternich usually refers to Prince Klemens von Metternich , famous Austrian politician and diplomat.It may also refer to any of several members of the House of Metternich.* Tatiana von Metternich-Winneburg...
(Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine: county of Ochsenhausen; mediatized 1803) - Migazzi
- Molsberg
- Mozzian
- Müller
- Münch
- Münster
-N-
- Neipperg
- Nesselrode
- Neuenstein
- Neveu
- Nordeck zu Rabenau
-O-
- Oberkirch
- Oberndorff
- Oelhaften
- Oetinger
- Ostein (Middle Rhine: lordship of Buxheim; mediatized 1803)
- Osterberg
- Ow
-P-
- Palm
- PappenheimGottfried Heinrich Graf zu PappenheimGottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim was field marshal of the Holy Roman Emperor in the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
- Pappius
- Paumgarten
- Pergen
- Plittersdorf
- Pöllnitz
- Prettlack
- Preuschen (Middle Rhine)
- Preysing
- Prör
- Pruglach
-Q-
- Quadt (Upper Rhine: county of Isny; mediatized 1803)
-R-
- Raitz von FrentzRaitz von FrentzRaitz von Frentz is the name of a baronial family, that belongs to the German ancient nobility . The Barons Raitz von Frentz have to be distinguished form the dynastic family "von Frenz", a branch of the Dukes of Limburg, that was extincted in the 14th century.-History:The Raitz von Frentz is one...
(Middle Rhine) - Raknitz
- Rassler
- Rathsamhausen
- Ratzenried
- Rau
- Rechberg
- Redwitz
- Rehling
- Reibeld
- Reichlin
- Reigersberg
- Reischach
- Reitzenstein
- Reutner
- Rhode
- Riaucour
- RiedeselRiedeselRiedesel is a German family name that began to appear in legal documents in the early 13th century. They were of the knightly class, though not all had the official status of Ritter or knight. Its exact geographical and temporal origins are uncertain. However, all of the early references are from...
(Rhön-Werra: the lordships of Lauterbach, Stockhausen, Moos und Freienstein; mediatized 1803) - Riedheim
- Riez
- Ritter
- Roeder
- Rosenbach
- RotenhahnBurg RotenhanRotenhan Castle is a castle ruin about two kilometres north of the village of Eyrichshof in Lower Franconia in the south German state of Bavaria. Eyrichshof lies within the borough of Ebern in the district of Haßberge...
- Roth-Schreckenstein
- Rüdt
- Rumerskirch
-S-
- Saint-André
- Saint-Vincent
- Salis-Haldenstein (Graubunden)
- Schall
- Schaunberg
- Schaumberg
- Scheldt
- Schenk
- Schenk von Schweinsberg
- ScherenbergRudolf von ScherenbergRudolf II von Scherenberg was Bishop of Würzburg from 1466 until his death.Rudolf von Scherenberg was the son of Erhard von Scherenberg and Anna von Massbach. On April 30, 1466, he was appointed as bishop to replace Johann von Grumbach. He was confirmed as bishop on June 20, 1466...
- Schergenstein
- Schertel
- Schilling
- Schler
- Schlus
- Schmidburg
- Schmitz
- SchönbornSchönborn- Places :* Schönborn, Brandenburg, in the Elbe-Elster district, Brandenburg* Bad Schönborn, in the district of Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg* Schönborn, Rhein-Hunsrück, in the Rhein-Hunsrück district, Rhineland-Palatinate...
(Gebirg: lordship of Wiesentheid; mediatized 1803) - Schrottenberg
- SchützSchützSchütz is a German surname, deriving from schützen , and related to Schutz...
- SchwartzenbergHouse of Schwarzenberg-History:The family was first mentioned in 1172. A branch of the Seinsheim family was created when Erkinger I of Seinsheim acquired the Franconian barony of Schwarzenberg, the castle Schwarzenberg and the title Baron of Schwarzenberg, in 1405–21. At this time, they also possessed some fiefdoms in...
- SeckendorfVeit Ludwig von SeckendorffVeit Ludwig von Seckendorf , German statesman and scholar, was a member of a German noble family, which took its name from the village of Seckendorf between Nuremberg and Langenzenn....
- Seefried
- SeinsheimSeinsheimSeinsheim is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria in Germany. It is best known for its connection with the countly Seinsheim family which died out with the exception of the princely House of Schwarzenberg branch of the family....
- Senfft
- Serpes
- Sickingen
- Sodden
- Sohlern
- Sparr
- Spaur
- Specht
- Speshardt
- Speth
- Stadion (Steigerwald, Danube: lordship of Warthausen; mediatized 1803)
- StauffenbergStauffenbergThe Schenken von Stauffenberg are an aristocratic Roman Catholic family from Swabia in Germany, whose best-known member was Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – the key figure in the 1944 "20 July plot" to assassinate Adolf Hitler....
(Gebürg, Rhön-Werra and Steigerwald) - Stein
- Steinhorst
- Stetten
- Stolzingen
- Stubenberg (all three circles)
- Sturmfeder
- Syberg
-T-
- Tätessin
- Than
- Thannhausen
- Thrumbach
- Thumb
- Thungen
- Thurn
- Thurn und TaxisThurn und TaxisThe Princely House of Thurn and Taxis is a German family that was a key player in the postal services in Europe in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of many castles.- History :...
- Törring-Seefeld (Danube: county of Guttenzell)
- Truchseß von Wetzhausen (Baunach: possessions of the Princes and Counts of Truchseß-Waldburg; mediatized 1803)
- Tucher
- Türkheim
-U-
- Üxküll
- Uiberbruck
- Ullmer
- Ulm
- Umgelter
- Varnbühler
- Venningen
- Vieregg
- Vittinghoff
- Vogt-hunolstein
- Voit
- Voit von Rieneck
- Voit von Salzburg
- Von Beetzen
- Vorster
-W-
- Waldenburg-Schenkern
- Waldenfels
- Walderdorff
- Waldkirch
- Waldner
- Wallbrunn
- Wallmoden-Gimborn (Middle Rhine: lordship of Gimborn-Neustadt; mediatized 1803)
- Wambolt
- Warsberg (Lower Rhine)
- Weihmar
- Weiler
- Weitersheim
- Welden
- Welling
- Welschberg
- Welser
- Wendt (Middle Rhine:lordship of Hardenberg; mediatized 1803)
- Wenz
- Westernach
- Westphalen
- Wetzel
- Wiesenthau
- Wildberg
- Wildungen
- Winkler
- Winkler von Mohrenfels
- WolfskehlWilhelm von GrumbachWilhelm von Grumbach was a German adventurer, chiefly known through his connection with the so-called Grumbach feuds , the last attempt of the Imperial Knights to prevail against the power of the territorial Princes of the Holy Roman Empire.-Florian Geyer:A member of the old Franconian noble...
- Wöllwarth
- Wollzogen
- WredeKarl Philipp von WredeKarl Philipp Josef Wrede, Freiherr von Wrede, 1st Fürst von Wrede , Bavarian field-marshal, was born at Heidelberg, the youngest of three children of Ferdinand Josef Wrede , created in 1791 1st Freiherr von Wrede, and wife, married on 21 March 1746, Anna Katharina Jünger , by whom he had two more...
- Wurmser
- Würtzburg (Gebürg)
-Z-
- Zech
- Zobel
- Zöllner
- Zyllnhardt