List of states in the Holy Roman Empire
Encyclopedia
This is the main page for the list of States which were part of the Holy Roman Empire
, as alphabetized in the adjacent template, at any time within the empire's existence between 962 and 1806.
In the 18th century the Holy Roman Empire consisted of over 1,800 separate immediate territories governed by distinct authorities. In 1792 there were approximately 150 secular territorial rulers with the status of Imperial Estate.
It is not limited to feudal entities that possessed Reichsunmittelbarkeit, that is, under direct authority of the Holy Roman Emperor, but includes quite some other lordships, sous-fiefs and allodial fiefs.
There is also a separate list of Free Imperial Cities, as well as a list of participants in the Imperial Diet as of 1792.
Note that in the "Circle" column, "n/a" denotes a state that had ceased to exist before the Reichsreform
.
Other abbreviations used in the list are:
"The special status of these families manifested itself in the constitution of the Empire as it evolved in the 16th c. (Please see first a general presentation of the constitution of the Holy Roman Empire.) To the status of territorial ruler corresponded a seat and vote in one of the colleges of the Imperial Diet. In the late 16th century, the multiplication of votes due to territorial fragmentation led to reforms. After the Diet held at Augsburg in 1582, the list of votes remained fixed, notwithstanding further territorial divisions. Furthermore, the right to vote became attached to a land, rather than to a person or family (of course, land was inheritable within families). A member of the Diet with seat and vote (individual or shared) was called a Reichsstand, or state of the Empire.
"At some point (abt 1911, 103 n2 cites various possible dates, from the turn of the 16th c. to 1653 to the 18th c.), the definition of Hochadel became congruent with being a Reichsstand (adjective: reichsständisch). The reason is that the Emperor, as 'fons nobilitatium,' had the power to create new princes, counts and barons of the Empire, a power which he began to use more frequently. The existing princes, counts and barons were obviously loathe to see the value of their title diminished. The members of the Diet complained and, after 1582, it became the rule that such new princes and counts would not of right have a seat at the Diet. Furthermore, in 1653 the Electoral Capitulation included strict rules on the process by which the Emperor could create new states of the Empire. In particular, any new member had to possess an immediate territory of sufficient size, and had to be accepted by his peers (princes or counts).
"Thus a distinction emerged between families that were part of the Diet in 1582 :
the 'old princely' and 'old comital' (altfürstliche, altgräfliche) families — families who were admitted to the Diet between 1582 and 1803:
the 'new princely' (neufürstliche) and 'new comital' (neugräfliche) families — families or individuals who received the title of Reichsfreiherr, Reichsgraf or Reichsfürst but were not admitted to the Diet.
"Only the first two groups were part of the Hochadel. Those in the third group were titular counts and princes but in no way accepted as part of the Hochadel.
"Thus it would seem that having a seat and vote in the Reichstag would be a clear criterion for belonging to the Hochadel. But there were further complications:
"In principle, the possession of a territory was a pre-condition for admission in the Diet. However, in the second half of the 18th century a number of counts sat on the counts' benches without any such territory. They were called "personalists" because they had been admitted on a personal basis (ad personam), and some jurists did not consider them to be part of the upper nobility (for example, Pütter 1795, 143).
"Possession of a large immediate territory was a condition for entry, but not a condition for remaining in the Diet. It happened that territories became subjected to another state of the Empire, thus losing immediate status; yet the owner remained in the Diet.
"Consequently, whereas, in the 16th century, it was fairly easy to say who was in the upper nobility and who wasn't, it had become more difficulty by the turn of the 19th century.
"Three concepts came into play:
"The three were 'usually' related, in that the sovereign of a territory was a state of the Empire, and a state of the Empire usually had sovereignty over an immediate territory; but there were exceptions both ways. Various authors emphasized one or a combination of these elements. Thus, Runde (1791) required all three; Pütter emphasized sovereignty; Gönner and Leist emphasized seat and vote at the Diet (in distinction with the imperial knighthood, see below). Among 19th century authors, the main division was between those who required all three criteria , and those who considered Reichsstandschaft to be the sole criterion (Hohler, Klüber, Zoepf, Rehm).
"Using the second, slightly broader concept, at the end of the 18th century the high nobility consisted of those families which had seat and vote at the Imperial Diet, with title of either prince or count (the last baronial family died out in 1775), numbering about 25 princely (fürstliche) and 80 comital (gräfliche) families."
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...
, as alphabetized in the adjacent template, at any time within the empire's existence between 962 and 1806.
In the 18th century the Holy Roman Empire consisted of over 1,800 separate immediate territories governed by distinct authorities. In 1792 there were approximately 150 secular territorial rulers with the status of Imperial Estate.
Table of states
Whilst any such list could never be truly definitive, nevertheless the list (accessible by the template at the top of this article) attempts to be as comprehensive as possible.It is not limited to feudal entities that possessed Reichsunmittelbarkeit, that is, under direct authority of the Holy Roman Emperor, but includes quite some other lordships, sous-fiefs and allodial fiefs.
There is also a separate list of Free Imperial Cities, as well as a list of participants in the Imperial Diet as of 1792.
Key
- The "Circle" column shows the Imperial CircleImperial CircleAn Imperial Circle comprised a regional grouping of territories of the Holy Roman Empire, primarily for the purpose of organizing a common defensive structure and of collecting the imperial taxes, but also as a means of organization within the Imperial Diet and the Imperial Chamber Court.Each...
(Reichskreis) that the state belonged to. - The "Bench" column shows where the state was represented in the Imperial Diet (Reichstag).
| Circles | Benches | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Aust | Austrian Circle Austrian Circle The Austrian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It was one of the four Imperial Circles created in 1512, 12 years after the original Reichsreform created six Circles.... |
EL | Council of Electors Prince-elector The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an... , the exclusive elite formally electing the Holy Roman Emperor |
| Bav | Bavarian Circle Bavarian Circle The Bavarian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire.The most significant state by far in the circle was the Duchy of Bavaria , with the states of the Upper Palatinate, the Archbishopric of Salzburg, and the imperial city of Regensburg having a secondary importance.- Composition... |
EC | Spiritual Bench Prince-Bishop A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office... of the Council of Princes (individual voice) |
| Burg | Burgundian Circle Burgundian Circle The Burgundian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire created in 1512 and significantly enlarged in 1548. In addition to the Free County of Burgundy , the circle roughly covered the Low Countries, i.e... |
PR | Secular Bench of the Council of Princes (individual voice) |
| El Rhin | Electoral Rhenish Circle Electoral Rhenish Circle The Electoral Rhenish Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, created in 1512.The circle derived its name from four of the seven prince-electors whose lands along the Middle Rhine comprised the vast majority of its territory.... |
RP | Rhenish prelates (Council of Princes) |
| Franc | Franconian Circle Franconian Circle The Franconian Circle was an Imperial Circle established in 1500 in the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised the eastern part of the former Franconian stem duchy — roughly corresponding with the present-day Bavarian Regierungsbezirke of Upper, Middle and Lower Franconia — while western... |
SP | Swabia Swabia Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined... n prelates (Council of Princes) |
| Low Rhen | Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle The Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised territories of the former Duchy of Lower Lorraine, Frisia and the Westphalian part of the former Duchy of Saxony.... |
FC | Franconia Franconia Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken... n count Count A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is... s (Council of Princes) |
| Low Sax | Lower Saxon Circle Lower Saxon Circle The Lower Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. Covering much of the territory of the mediæval Duchy of Saxony , firstly the circle used to be called the Saxon Circle , only to be later better differentiated from the Upper Saxon Circle the more specific name prevailed.An... |
SC | Swabia Swabia Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined... n counts (Council of Princes) |
| Upp Rhin | Upper Rhenish Circle Upper Rhenish Circle The Upper Rhenish Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1500 on the territory of the former Duchy of Upper Lorraine and large parts of Rhenish Franconia including the Swabian Alsace region and the Burgundian duchy of Savoy.... |
WE | Westphalia Westphalia Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"... n counts (Council of Princes) |
| Upp Sax | Upper Saxon Circle Upper Saxon Circle The Upper Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, created in 1512.The circle was dominated by the electorate of Saxony and the electorate of Brandenburg. It further comprised the Saxon Ernestine duchies and Pomerania... |
WT | Wetterau Wetterau The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains.... counts (Council of Princes) |
| Swab | Swabian Circle Swabian Circle The Swabian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1500 on the territory of the former German stem-duchy of Swabia. However, it did not include the Habsburg home territories of Swabian Austria, the member states of the Swiss Confederacy nor the lands of the Alsace... |
RH | Rhenish Bench of the Council of Imperial Cities Imperial City -Places:* Imperial City, Beijing, the central section of Beijing* Imperial City , a walled fortress and palace in the former capital of Vietnam.* Free imperial city, city formally responsible only to the emperor in the Holy Roman Empire,.... |
| None | "Circle-free" Territories of the Holy Roman Empire outside the Imperial Circles Beside the Imperial Circles of the Holy Roman Empire comprising a regional grouping of territories of the Holy Roman Empire there remained many imperial territories unencircled, for instance:... |
SW | Swabian Bench of the Council of Imperial Cities |
Note that in the "Circle" column, "n/a" denotes a state that had ceased to exist before the Reichsreform
Imperial Reform
In 1495, an attempt was made at an Imperial Diet in the City of Worms to give the disintegrating Holy Roman Empire a new structure, commonly referred to as Imperial Reform ....
.
Other abbreviations used in the list are:
| Abp. | Archbishopric |
| Bp. | Bishopric |
| Co. | Countship (sometimes also called county County A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain... ) |
| D. | Duchy Duchy A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era... |
| Ldg. | Landgraviate |
| Mrg. | Margraviate |
| Pr. | Principality Principality A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince.... |
| RA | Reichsabtei (Imperial abbacy, a monastery enjoying Reichsunmittelbarkeit) |
Definition of terms
- Imperial Abbey ReichsabtReichsabtImperial abbeys were religious houses within the Holy Roman Empire which for some period during their existence had the status of Reichsunmittelbarkeit : that is, such houses were answerable directly to the Emperor and were thus sovereign territories , independent of other lordships...
: A Reichsabt, literally 'Imperial Abbot' or 'Abbot of the Empire', was an Abbot whose abbey was granted within the Holy Roman Empire the status of Reichsabtei (or Reichskloster), literally 'Imperial Abbey' (or - Monastery), meaning that it enjoyed Reichsunmittelbarkeit, like an Imperial City, making him a prince of the church, with the rank of a Prince of the Empire, like a prince-bishop. - Imperial CircleImperial CircleAn Imperial Circle comprised a regional grouping of territories of the Holy Roman Empire, primarily for the purpose of organizing a common defensive structure and of collecting the imperial taxes, but also as a means of organization within the Imperial Diet and the Imperial Chamber Court.Each...
: An Imperial Circle (in German Reichskreis, plural Reichskreise) was a regional grouping of states of the Holy Roman Empire, primarily for the purpose of organising a common defence and of collecting imperial taxes, but also as a means of organisation within the Imperial Diet. - Imperial Diet (Reichstag): The Imperial Diet was the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire. The same name was used within the North German Confederation and within Germany until 1945.
- Imperial Estate: An Imperial State or Imperial Estate (German singular: Reichsstand, plural: Reichsstände) was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet. Several states had no seats in the Empire, while some officials (such as the Hereditary Usher) were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.
- Imperial Free City: In the Holy Roman Empire, an imperial free city (German: freie Reichsstadt) was a city formally responsible to the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which belonged to a territory and were thus governed by one of the many princes (Fürsten) of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops. Free cities also had independent representation in the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire.
- Imperial immediacy (Reichsfreiheit or Reichsunmittelbarkeit, adjectives reichsfrei, reichsunmittelbar): Immediacy was a privileged feudal and political status, a form of statehood, which a city, religious entity or feudal principality of minor lordship could attain within the Holy Roman Empire. An immediate city, abbey or territory was under the direct authority of the Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe 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...
and the Imperial Diet, without any intermediary Liege lord(s). Advantages were that immediate regions had the right to collect taxes and tolls themselves, and held juridical rights (including the Blutgericht, 'high' justice including capital punishment) themselves. De facto immediacy corresponded to a semi-independence with a far-reaching autonomy. - Imperial ReformImperial ReformIn 1495, an attempt was made at an Imperial Diet in the City of Worms to give the disintegrating Holy Roman Empire a new structure, commonly referred to as Imperial Reform ....
: In 1495, an attempt was made at a Diet in the city of Worms to give the disintegrating Holy Roman Empire a new structure, commonly referred to as Imperial Reform (in German: Reichsreform). - Imperial StateImperial StateAn Imperial State or Imperial Estate was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet assemblies. Several territories of the Empire were not represented, while some officials were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.Rulers of Imperial States were...
: An Imperial State or Imperial Estate (German singular: Reichsstand, plural: Reichsstände) was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet. - MediatizationMediatizationMediatisation is the loss of imperial immediacy. Broadly defined it is the subsumption of one monarchy into another monarchy in such a way that the ruler of the annexed state keeps his sovereign title and, sometimes, a measure of local power...
: defined broadly, is the annexation of one monarchy by another monarchy in such a way that the ruler of the annexed state keeps his or her noble title, and sometimes a measure of power. Thus, for example, when a sovereign county is annexed to a larger principality, its reigning count might find himself subordinated to a prince, but would nevertheless remain a count, rather than be stripped of his title. - Prince of the Empire: A Prince of the Empire is any ruling Prince whose territory is a member of the Holy Roman Empire (not only German-speaking countries, but also many bordering and extensive neighbouring regions) and entitled to a voting seat (or in a collective voting unit, such as the Grafenbank) in Imperial Diet or Reichstag.
- Prince-abbotPrince-abbotA Prince-Abbot is a title for a cleric who is a Prince of the Church , in the sense of an ex officio temporal lord of a feudal entity, notably a State of the Holy Roman Empire. The secular territory ruled by the head of an abbey is known as Prince-Abbacy or Abbey-principality...
: A Prince-abbott is a cleric who is a prince of the church (like a prince-bishop) in the sense of an ex-officio temporal lord of a feudal entity, known as prince-abbacy or abbey-principality, in an area that is ruled by the head of an abbey. The designated abbey may be a monastery or a convent. Thus, because of the possibility of it being a convent, an abbey-principality is one of the few cases in which the rule can be restricted to female incumbents, styled princess-abbess. In many cases they were prince of the empire of a Reichsabtei in or near Germany, with a seat in the Imperial Diet. - Prince-BishopPrince-BishopA Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
: A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial prince of the church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent nobiliary titles held concurrently with their inherent clerical office. If the see is an archbishopric, the correct term is prince-archbishop; the equivalent in the regular clergy is a prince-abbot. - Prince-electorPrince-electorThe Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
: The prince-electors or electoral princes of the Holy Roman Empire (German: sing. Kurfürst, pl. Kurfürsten) were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Holy Roman Emperors. - SecularizationSecularizationSecularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
: Secularization is a process of transformation as a society slowly migrates from close identification with the local institutions of religion to a more clearly separated relationship. In this context, often referring to the transfer of Prince-Bishoprics to the control of lay rulers.
State of the Empire (Reichsstand)
The following excerpt from François Velde's Unequal and Morganatic Marriages in German Law provides an excellent overview on what a "State of the Empire" is."The special status of these families manifested itself in the constitution of the Empire as it evolved in the 16th c. (Please see first a general presentation of the constitution of the Holy Roman Empire.) To the status of territorial ruler corresponded a seat and vote in one of the colleges of the Imperial Diet. In the late 16th century, the multiplication of votes due to territorial fragmentation led to reforms. After the Diet held at Augsburg in 1582, the list of votes remained fixed, notwithstanding further territorial divisions. Furthermore, the right to vote became attached to a land, rather than to a person or family (of course, land was inheritable within families). A member of the Diet with seat and vote (individual or shared) was called a Reichsstand, or state of the Empire.
"At some point (abt 1911, 103 n2 cites various possible dates, from the turn of the 16th c. to 1653 to the 18th c.), the definition of Hochadel became congruent with being a Reichsstand (adjective: reichsständisch). The reason is that the Emperor, as 'fons nobilitatium,' had the power to create new princes, counts and barons of the Empire, a power which he began to use more frequently. The existing princes, counts and barons were obviously loathe to see the value of their title diminished. The members of the Diet complained and, after 1582, it became the rule that such new princes and counts would not of right have a seat at the Diet. Furthermore, in 1653 the Electoral Capitulation included strict rules on the process by which the Emperor could create new states of the Empire. In particular, any new member had to possess an immediate territory of sufficient size, and had to be accepted by his peers (princes or counts).
"Thus a distinction emerged between families that were part of the Diet in 1582 :
the 'old princely' and 'old comital' (altfürstliche, altgräfliche) families — families who were admitted to the Diet between 1582 and 1803:
the 'new princely' (neufürstliche) and 'new comital' (neugräfliche) families — families or individuals who received the title of Reichsfreiherr, Reichsgraf or Reichsfürst but were not admitted to the Diet.
"Only the first two groups were part of the Hochadel. Those in the third group were titular counts and princes but in no way accepted as part of the Hochadel.
"Thus it would seem that having a seat and vote in the Reichstag would be a clear criterion for belonging to the Hochadel. But there were further complications:
"In principle, the possession of a territory was a pre-condition for admission in the Diet. However, in the second half of the 18th century a number of counts sat on the counts' benches without any such territory. They were called "personalists" because they had been admitted on a personal basis (ad personam), and some jurists did not consider them to be part of the upper nobility (for example, Pütter 1795, 143).
"Possession of a large immediate territory was a condition for entry, but not a condition for remaining in the Diet. It happened that territories became subjected to another state of the Empire, thus losing immediate status; yet the owner remained in the Diet.
"Consequently, whereas, in the 16th century, it was fairly easy to say who was in the upper nobility and who wasn't, it had become more difficulty by the turn of the 19th century.
"Three concepts came into play:
- immediate status (Reichsunmittelbarkeit),
- sovereignty over a territory (Landeshoheit),
- seat and vote at the Diet (Reichsstandschaft).
"The three were 'usually' related, in that the sovereign of a territory was a state of the Empire, and a state of the Empire usually had sovereignty over an immediate territory; but there were exceptions both ways. Various authors emphasized one or a combination of these elements. Thus, Runde (1791) required all three; Pütter emphasized sovereignty; Gönner and Leist emphasized seat and vote at the Diet (in distinction with the imperial knighthood, see below). Among 19th century authors, the main division was between those who required all three criteria , and those who considered Reichsstandschaft to be the sole criterion (Hohler, Klüber, Zoepf, Rehm).
"Using the second, slightly broader concept, at the end of the 18th century the high nobility consisted of those families which had seat and vote at the Imperial Diet, with title of either prince or count (the last baronial family died out in 1775), numbering about 25 princely (fürstliche) and 80 comital (gräfliche) families."
Ecclesiastical orders
- The Teutonic Order
1529: College of Princes
1793: Council of Princes - The Order of St. JohnKnights HospitallerThe Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
1793: Council of Princes
Livonian territories
- Livonian ConfederationLivonian ConfederationTerra Mariana was the official name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia which was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade in the territories comprising present day Estonia and Latvia...
- Livonian OrderLivonian OrderThe Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
(secularized 16th century, to PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) - Archbishopric of RigaArchbishop of RigaThe Archbishopric of Riga was an archbishopric in Medieval Livonia, a subject to the Holy See. It was established in 1186 as the bishopric of Livonia at Üxküll, then after moving to Riga it became the bishopric of Riga in 1202 and was elevated to an archbishopric in 1255.- Archbishops of Riga :The...
in LivoniaLivoniaLivonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
(secularized in 16th century, to PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) - Bishopric of DorpatBishopric of DorpatThe Bishopric of Dorpat was a medieval principality and a catholic diocese which existed from 1224 to 1558, generally encompassing what are now Tartu, Põlva, Võru and Jõgeva counties in Estonia. The Bishopric was part of Livonian Confederation...
(conquered by RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 1558) - Bishopric of Ösel-WiekBishopric of Ösel-WiekThe Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek was a semi-independent Roman Catholic prince-bishopric in what is now Saare, Hiiu and Lääne counties of Estonia.The bishopric was created as a state of Holy Roman Empire on 1 October 1228, by Henry, King of the Romans...
(sold 1560 to DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) - Bishopric of CourlandBishopric of CourlandThe Bishopric of Courland was the second smallest ecclesiastical state in the Livonian Confederation founded in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade...
(sold 1560 to DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
)
- Livonian Order
Territories of Old Princely Families
- Holstein-GottorpHolstein-GottorpHolstein-Gottorp or Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp is the historiographical name, as well as contemporary shorthand name, for the parts of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein that were ruled by the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. Other parts of the duchies were ruled by the kings of Denmark. The...
- Holstein-Gottorp-Oldenburg
- Holstein-GlückstadtHolstein-GlückstadtThe Duchy of Holstein in Glückstadt was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire. It consisted of the part of Holstein that was ruled by the king of Denmark; its capital was Glückstadt on the River Elbe.-History:...
Italian territories
- TuscanyGrand Duchy of TuscanyThe Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...
- MantuaDuchy of MantuaThe Duchy of Mantua was a duchy in Lombardy, Northern Italy, subject to the Holy Roman Empire.-History:After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Mantua was invaded by Byzantines, Longobards and Franks. In the 11th century it became a possession of Boniface of Canossa, marquis of Toscana...
- ParmaDuchy of ParmaThe Duchy of Parma was created in 1545 from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, centered on the city of Parma....
- MilanDuchy of MilanThe Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
- Modena and ReggioDuchy of Modena and ReggioThe Duchy of Modena and Reggio |Italian]] state that existed from 1452 to 1859, with a break between 1796 and 1814. It was ruled by the noble House of Este, from 1814 Austria-Este.-House of Este:...
- FinaleMarquisate of FinaleThe Marquisate of Finale was an Italian state in what is now Liguria, part of the former medieval Aleramici March. It was ruled for some six centuries by the Aleramici branch known as marquesses del Vasto and later Del Carretto, when Savona became a free commune.-History:The marquisate of Finale...
- GuastallaCounty of GuastallaThe County of Guastalla was a sovereign state of northern Italy centred on Guastalla. The title of count was created in 1406 for Guido Torelli: the Torelli family held Guastalla until 1539, when it was bought by Ferrante Gonzaga. Another branch held the county of Montechiarugolo until 1612...
See also
- Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman EmpireThe 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...
- Imperial StateImperial StateAn Imperial State or Imperial Estate was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet assemblies. Several territories of the Empire were not represented, while some officials were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.Rulers of Imperial States were...
- Imperial Circle Estates
- List of Reichstag participants (1792)
- Imperial Diet
- Prince-electorPrince-electorThe Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
- Prince of the churchPrince of the ChurchThe term Prince of the Church is nowadays used nearly exclusively for Catholic Cardinals. However the term is historically more important as a generic term for clergymen whose offices hold the secular rank and privilege of a prince or are considered its equivalent...
, mainly Prince-BishopPrince-BishopA Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
In English
- The Arenberg Archives and Cultural Centre. "The Dukes of Arenberg". http://www.arenbergcenter.com/en/histoire/ducs.htm. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
- Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture. "aeiou: The Annotable, Elektronic, Interactive, Osterreich (Austria), Universal Information System". http://www.aeiou.at/. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- "Austrian and German Mediatized Houses, 1871-1919". http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/rotunda/2209/Mediatized_Families.html. Retrieved July 4, 2006.
- "Braunschweig - Brunswick. A history". http://home.ica.net/~claus/braun1.htm. Retrieved July 6, 2006.
- Cahoon, Benjamin M. (2000–2006). "Europe Index" in WorldStatesmen.org. http://www.worldstatesmen.org/EUROPE.html. June 26, 2006.
- Cawley, Charles (2006). "Medieval Lands: A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families" in Foundation of Medieval Genealogy. http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- Dotor, Santiago (2004). "Historical Flags (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)" in FOTW: Flags of the World Web Site. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/de-sh_hi.html. Retrieved July 3, 2006.
- "Freiburg's History for Pedestrians" (2006). http://www.freiburg-madison.de/freiburg_history/. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
- Graz, Thomas. "Thomas's Glassware Tour to Central Europe: Old Glasses from Old Europe" in German History Ring. http://www.thomasgraz.net/glass/index2.html. Retrieved June 20, 2006.
- Hilkens, Bob (2000). "States and Regents of the World: An Alphabetical Listing of States and Territories and their Regents in the 19th and 20th Centuries". http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/capitolHill/rotunda/2209/index.html&date=2009-10-25+06:52:18. Retrieved June 27, 2006.
- "History of the House of Sayn". http://www.sayn.de/engl/haupt_familie_en.htm. Retrieved July 13, 2006.
- Kane, Ed (2000). "Castle Directory: Alphabetical Listing of German Castles and Fortifications". http://www.roadstoruins.com/directory.html. Retrieved July 28, 2006.
- The History Files: Kingdoms of Europe. Retrieved July 9, 2006 (Updated 25 February 2007).
- "Lippe(-Detmold): Chronology of Lippe" in Genealogy.net. http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/NRHE-WFA/lippe_chrono.html. Retrieved June 25, 2006.
- Martinsson, Örjan. "Historical Atlas: Europe". http://www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/europe.htm. Retrieved July 14, 2006.
- "Medieval German Counties". http://www.personal.psu.edu/dcj121/prosop/counts/counts.htm. Retrieved July 9, 2006.
- "Milestones in Pomeranian History, with particular attention to Lauenburg and Buetow". http://members.tripod.com/~radde/Milestones.html. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
- Pantel, Mike (2000). "The History of Baden-Wurttemberg". http://www.pantel-web.de/bw_mirror/history/bwhist_e.htm. Retrieved June 25, 2006.
- Principality of Liechtenstein. "Liechtenstein at a Glance: History". http://www.liechtenstein.li/en/eliechtenstein_main_sites/portal_fuerstentum_liechtenstein/fl-lik-liechtenstein_in_kuerze/fl-lik-geschichte.htm. Retrieved June 25, 2006.
- Reitwiesner, William Addams (1998). "One of the major questions about the Mediatized Houses is the word 'Mediatized'. What does it mean?". http://members.aol.com/eurostamm/mediatize.html. Retrieved July 1, 2006.
- Rozn, Val (1999–2003). "The German Reigning Houses: Titles, territories, regnal chronologies". http://grmrulers.angelfire.com/. Retrieved June 9, 2006.
- Rozn, Val (2002). "The Imperial Nobility and the Constitution of the Holy Roman Empire". http://grmrulers.angelfire.com/Constit.html. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
- Rozn, Val (2002). "The Last Years of the Ancient Empire". http://grmrulers.angelfire.com/last.html. Retrieved June 24, 2006
- Sainty, Guy StairGuy Stair SaintyGuy Stair Sainty, KC*SG is an art dealer and author on royal genealogy and heraldry.-Life and education:Guy Stair Sainty was born on 7 December 1950, the eldest son of Christopher Lawrence Sainty and his second wife Virginia Cade Stair. His father was Chief Engineer and Director of Carrier...
. "European Royal Houses". http://www.chivalricorders.org/royalty/main.htm. Retrieved June 23, 2006. - Sainty, Guy Stair. "The Knights of Saint John in Germany". http://www.chivalricorders.org/orders/stjohn/johanger.htm. Retrieved July 1, 2006.
- "Schaumburg-Lippe" in Genealogy.net. http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/NSAC/SLP/. Retrieved June 25, 2006.
- "Sovereigns in Germany". http://home.freeuk.net/liwf/history/europe/germany/. Retrieved June 22, 2006.
- Voss, Hans Peter. "History of Schleswig Holstein". http://www.gottschfamily.net/duchy.html. Retrieved July 3, 2006.
In other languages
- Bursik, Heinrich (1998). "Die Herrschaft Hohenberg und die Markgrafschaft Burgau". http://www.tatort-tarot.de/spip/article.php3?id_article=249. For Google-translated English version http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.tatort-tarot.de/spip/article.php3%3Fid_article%3D263&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dgrafen%2Bvon%2Btoggenburg%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN. Retrieved July 9, 2006.
- "Das Fürstenhaus Bentheim-Tecklenburg". http://www.fuerstenhaus-bentheim.de/. For Google-translated English version, see http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.fuerstenhaus-bentheim.de/platter/platter.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dgrafschaft%2Bvon%2Bbentheim-alpen%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D. Retrieved July 11, 2006.
- Höckmann, Thomas (2006). "Territorial arrangement of North Rhine-Westphalia 1789". (Translation from the original in German through Google Search). http://66.218.71.231/language/translation/translatedPage.php?lp=de_en&text=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hoeckmann.de%2fgeschichte%2fnrwhist.htm. (Excellent articles and links about the States of the Holy Roman Empire). Retrieved June 26, 2006.
- "Mittelalterliche Genealogie im Deutschen Reich bis zum Ende der Staufer". http://www.genealogie-mittelalter.de/. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- Ortwein, Friedrich J. "Die Herren zu Rappoltstein" (The Lords of Rappoltstein)". http://www.ortwein-web.de/WAS_RAP/RAPChronik/7%20Herren.pdf. (For English translation: http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://www.afv-wasgovia.de/RAPHerren1/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dgrafen%2Bvon%2Brappoltstein%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D). Retrieved June 25, 2006.
- "Die Reichsstände". http://www.monarchieliga.de/verfassung/00-verfassung.htm. Retrieved July 8, 2006.
- Wember, Heinz. "Die Genealogie (Genealogy) von Montfort: Bludenz, Bregenz, Feldkirch, Heiligenberg, Herrenberg, Langenargen, Pfullendorf, Rheinegg, Rothenfels, Sargans, Tettnang, Tosters, Tübingen, Vaduz, Wasserburg, Werdenberg, Zollern". http://www.gen.heinz-wember.de/montfort/. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- List of imperial circles of 1532
- List of states of the Holy Roman Empire of 1521
Maps and illustrations
- Höckmann, Thomas (2006). "Historical maps - Germany at the end of the 18th century". http://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/index.htm. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
- Westermann, Großer Atlass zu Weltgeschichte (in German; exquisite detailed maps)
External links
- Carantha: History of Slovenia-Carantania
- The Catholic Encyclopedia
- Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
- Genealogie delle Dinastie Nobili Italiane (On ruling families and polities in present-day Republic of Italy)