Imperium

Romanum Sacrum
Roleplaying in the Holy Roman Empire

A supplement for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition

By Joshua Cameron
Introduction
The Holy Roman Empire was an enigmatic and fascinating entity which lasted a whole millennium and encompassed most of Central Europe. The
foundations were built by Charlemagne and begun by Otto the Great and the position of Holy Roman Emperor was held by many great men
throughout history such as Frederick I and many of the mighty Habsburg dynasty. Every major political player in the middle ages vied for position
with or in the Holy Roman Empire.

This supplement may be used to play a game during any portion of the mid to late Holy Roman Empire, but it is best used when running a game in
the Empire set between 1580 and 1640, the years leading up to and during the Thirty Years War. Religious strife roused by the Reformation grips the
land as the Peace of Augsburg continues to break down, The Ottomans still plague the Empire from the east and south, outside political rivals such as
France and Spain seek to reclaim what lands that once were theirs, and the petty squabbling and skirmishes between members within threaten to tear
apart the foundations of a great Empire.

Where will you stand?

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 Lands of the Holy Roman Empire
Treatise on the Reichsstand written by Herr Scholar Deiter von Osterwald
Dear reader,

Follows is my best attempt at codifying our great Empire. As a preface, one should know that Our Holy Roman Empire consists of a quagmire of
noble titles, subdivisions of powers, permanent and temporary lands and estates, and includes a mix of secular and religious powers. Even prominent
scholars, such as me, have trouble keeping up with the changes that take place on a yearly basis and no one person has all of the information.

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Structure of the Empire
My first venture is to allow for a small digression into the sub-units of which the Empire is made up. They can be classified according to several
related but distinct dichotomies:

 Allodial (semi-free) and feudal

 States of the Empire and non-states
 Immediate and mediate lands or people
 Sovereign and subject
 Temporal (secular) and spiritual (ecclesiastic)

These sub units are divided further more specifically herein, but the above serves as an immediate and broad division of our Emperor’s lands.

Geographical Structure
The external boundaries of the Empire have varied over time. In particular, the western boundary has shifted many times eastward, as greedy and
treacherous French kings have encroached on the Empire as they enlarged their domains. Thus Provence in 1246, Dauphiné in 1349, and the
bishoprics of Metz, Toul, and Verdun in1558 were incorporated into France.

The Empire itself consists of Imperial lands (Reichsländer, properly speaking), and neighboring lands. The latter category includes Lorraine,
Burgundy, and Lombardy. Bohemia is part of the Imperial lands because its king is an elector, but its status as a kingdom is unique within the
Empire.

The exact status of Northern Italy within the Empire has become rather confusing over time. The Italian peoples are…enthusiastic…and despite our
Empire’s best efforts, many of the disjointed provinces of that area shift so quickly back and forth, it is difficult to claim any of these locations as the
Empire proper.

The Swiss cantons are also technically still beholden to our Emperor, even though they have been granted free status many years ago. Depending on
the year and the local sentiment at the time, their position within the Empire can vary greatly.

Internal Units
The territorial components of the Empire usually fall into one of the following categories:

 Principalities (Fürstentümer, principatus), subdivided into

o Electorates
o Duchies
o Principalities
o Palatine Counties, Margraviats, Landgraviats, princely Counties (gefürstete Grafschaften)
 Imperial Counties (Reichsgrafschaften)
 Free Lordships (freie Herrschaften, dominia)
 Ecclesiastical territories (Praelaturae)
 Free Imperial cities (Reichsstädte)
 Free Imperial villages (Reichsdörfer, pagi imperii)

Independently of the above classification, territories can also be classified into feudal and allodial. A feudal territory is held from the Emperor as a
fief, that is, by virtue of a certain type of contract. In exchange for enjoyment of the territory, the vassal owes certain duties, and is subject to certain
restrictions and oversight of the Emperor. An allodial territory is a territory for which no feudal contract exists. It is subject to the Emperor as
sovereign but not to the Emperor as overlord. The term "free", also applies to certain counties, indicating that the territory is allodial. Major
ecclesiastical territories are typically allodial.

Since Maximilian I, the Imperial states have been organized into Imperial Circles (Reichskreise). The original six Circles (Swabia, Bavaria,
Franconia, upper Saxony, lower Saxony, and Westphalia) were increased in 1512 to 10 (Austria, Rhine, Saxony, and Burgundy). The role of the
circles is to serve as administrative units in the enforcement of Imperial law and order. Each was headed by a prince as Kreisoberst, and regional
assemblies called Kreistage were held (which could include territories that were not imperial states).

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Descriptions of Territory Governance
Within each of the Imperial Circle, each territory has its own basis of governance. Below is a brief description of the many different types one will
encounter within the Empire. Bear in mind, that each of these may differ greatly from region to region. One can make certain assumptions about the
rule of the area, just knowing the territory’s denomination.

Archduchy
The title of Archduke denotes a noble rank above Duke and below King. It is used primarily by princes of the Houses of Habsburg and
Habsburg-Lorraine. Austria is the most well-known Archduchy in the Empire.

Archstewardship
This division of territory is usually extremely small. Along with a Commandry, these are the rarest forms of division in our Empire. An
Archstwewardship is ruled by a seneschal appointed by a royal family. These areas are usually only a town or two or perhaps many towns
divided and spread out over a large area.

Bailiwick
A bailiwick is the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff. The term was also applied to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by
a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a
sphere of authority, experience, activity, study, or interest.

Burgraviate
A Burgrave is literally the count of (i.e. appointed over) a castle or fortified town. This is similar to a castellan.

Commandry
A very rare form of territory in the Empire, these small areas of land usually only encompass a single manor and its surrounding villages
and towns. These are almost always ruled by an established commander of a knightly order.

County
A County is the land under the jurisdiction of a Count or Graf. This is traditionally a fiefdom.

Duchy
A duchy, sometimes referred to as a dukedom, is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. Traditionally, a grand duchy is
generally independent and sovereign.

Free and Imperial City

A free imperial city (freie Reichsstadt) is a city formally ruled by the Emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire,
which are governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops. Free Cities also have independent
representation in the Reichstag of the Empire. There is distinction on paper made between Reichsstädte (Imperial Cities) and Freie Städte
(free cities). Imperial Cities are those formally ruled by secular princes. As vassals of the Emperor, they pay taxes to the Emperor and are
required to supply troops for his military campaigns.

Freiherren
Freiherren are considered to be nearly equal to the title of Baron. A Freiherr's landed property was is always allodial. Barons who received
their title directly from the Holy Roman Emperor are known as Reichsfreiherr, although the title is sometimes shortened to Freiherr.

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Landgraviate
A Landgraviate refers to an area to which the ruling Count (sometimes referred to as a Landgrave) has feudal duty directly to the Holy
Roman Emperor himself. His jurisdiction stretches over a sometimes quite considerable territory, which is not subservient to an
intermediate power like a Duke, a Bishop or Count Palatine.

Lordship
A Lordship is a somewhat generic term for a territory as Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior
(especially a feudal tenant who holds directly from the king, i.e., a baron).

Margraviate
These lands are ruled by a Margrave who is a hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of our Empire. Border
provinces usually have more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a Margrave usually
has larger and more active military forces than other lords. The Margrave may also have had larger territorial area under his control as a
result of expansions of territory at the border. The Margraves usually had more autonomy from the Emperor compared to other types of
hereditary lords.

March
A March or Mark is a border region similar to a frontier. Such areas may no longer be considered a frontier, but the title may still be used.
Marches can be ruled by any level of nobility.

Prince-Abbacy
Land ruled by a Prince-Abbot. A Prince-Abbot 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 — a territory that is ruled by the head of an abbey. The
holder, however, does not hold the ecclesiastical office of bishop.

Prince-Bishopric
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. Thus the principality is ruled politically by a prince-bishop could be
wholly or largely overlap with his diocesan jurisdiction, but not necessarily. If the see is an archbishopric, the correct term is prince-
archbishop; the equivalent in the regular (monastic) clergy is prince-abbot.

Prince-Provost
Prince-Provost is a rare territory as well s the title for a monastic superior with the ecclesiastical style of provost who is a Prince of the
Church in the sense that he also ranks as a secular 'prince', notably a Reichsfurst (the son of a monarch) of the Empire.

Principality
This is an area of land ruled over by a prince or princess of a monarch.

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Imperial Institutions
The Reichstag
The Reichstag (German for Imperial Diet) is the legislative institution of the Holy Roman Empire. It is an assembly of all immediate territories (ie;
all states in the Holy Roman Empire with only the King in authority above them). The role, location and the time between diets is typically never
fixed. It is also a meeting of the King and the leading Dukes of the empire as to the governance of the kingdom. Until the late 15th Century, the
Reichstag would meet irregularly when summoned by the king. In 1489, the first benches were created for the Electors and the other landed nobility.
Further benches were created for the counts, cities and prelates in following years.

The Imperial Electors

The antecedents of the College of Electors can be found in the ancient Teutonic tribes of our land. Many smaller tribes would confederate together
and the kings of each would elect one of their numbers to lead them. While in France and other realms the succession of the kingship had become
hereditary, in our lands succession remains elective.

The College of Electors is mentioned in the elections of 1125, 1152 and 1198. Pope Urban IV asserted in a letter in 1264, that by right of custom
immemorial, seven princes held the right to elect the Emperor: the Archbishops of Cologne, Mainz and Trier, and the Dukes of Bavaria, Franconia,
Saxony and Swabia. The three Archbishops ruled some of the richest sees in Europe, and the four Dukes held ancient hereditary offices. The Duchies
of Franconia and Swabia had become extinct in 1196 and 1268, and had their rights inherited by the Margrave of Brandenburg and the Count
Palatine of the Rhine respectively. However, as the House of Wittelsbach ruled both Bavaria and the Count Palatinate, the other electors refused to
allow two Wittelsbachs to have electoral rights, beginning a long feud between Bavaria and the Palatinate in which the latter victored. Meanwhile,
the King of Bohemia asserted his right as the Imperial Cupbearer to participate in elections in which the other electors challenged on the grounds his
lands were not Germanic. The Declaration at Rhense in 1338 ensured that the electors did not require Papal confirmation. The Golden Bull of 1356
finally resolved the feuds amongst the electors. In it, the Archbishops of Cologne, Mainz and Trier, the Duke of Saxony, the Count Palatinate, the
Margrave of Brandenburg and the King of Bohemia were all conferred the right of electorship.

Imperial Courts
Our Empire has had two supreme courts in existence. The first was the Reichshofrat (also called the Aulic Council). It was the court of the Emperor,
held where they took residence. After the end of the Hohenstaufens the court was almost always held at the permanent residence of the Emperor in
their own lands. The Aulic Council held exclusive jurisdiction in criminal affairs and feudal processes in all immediate territories. After the Battle of
Austerlitz, the Aulic Council was reformed as a war council for the Austrian Empire.

The other court is the current Reichskammergericht (Imperial Chamber Court). It was created in 1495 by the Reichstag in Worms as the supreme
court of the Holy Roman Empire, despite the Aulic Council having exclusive jurisdiction in many important areas. The Imperial Chamber Court is
notorious for the length of criminal proceedings and the time necessary to reach conclusion - several cases took hundreds of years. No proceeding can
be taken to the Court unless the ruler of the territory held a privilegium de non appellando in which the highest judicial authority of the territory was
created by the ruler of the territory.

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The Reichskreise
As mentioned above, the Empire as a whole is divided into many different large areas of land known as Reichskreise. Below is a description of each
along with the major and minor lands within. Some of the Circles are immense, and all are listed. This is meant to be a comprehensive guide to the
whole Empire, however this is only a primer to each territory. In addition to the Reichskreise, many other territories fall or fell under Imperial
governance such as the Kingdom of Bohemia, some parts of Italy, France, and the Swiss Confederacy.

Map of the Imperial Circles with Major Cities

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 Österreichischer Reichskreis
Austrian Circle
The Austrian Circle is one of the four Imperial Circles created in 1512, 12 years after the original Reichsreform created six Circles. The Austrian
Circle is largely coterminous with the so-called Erblande ("Hereditary Lands") of the Habsburg family.

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An Der Etsch
Type: Bailiwick
Official Name: Deutschordensballei An der Etsch und im Gebirge (or Teutonic Order's Bailiwick on the Adige and in
the mountains).

Established about 1260, an administrative grouping of lands held by the Teutonic Order in Tyrol.

Austria
Type: Archduchy
Official Name: Erzherzogtum Österreich

The Archduchy of Austria is one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire It is the center of the Habsburg
Monarchy. The March of Austria was established in 976 by Emperor Otto II, then raised to duchy by Emperor Frederick I
Barbarossa in 1156, to Habsburg in 1278, and has been a self-bestowed "Archduchy" since 1358.

Carinthia
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Herzogtum Kärnten

The Duchy of Carinthia was established in 976 by Emperor Otto II, and has been held by the Archdukes of Austria. Carinthia
remains a semi-autonomous state with its own constitutional structure. The Habsburgs retain Carinthia and regard it as part of
their ―Inner Austrian‖ territories which they hold onto tightly.

Carniola
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Herzogtum Krain

Carniola is the southernmost stretch of land in the Austrian circle. Formerly March of Carniola established in 1040 by Emperor
Henry III, it was raised to duchy in 1364. The area has a mix of Slavic and Germanic people. Some cultural tension still remains
in this area.

Styria
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Herzogtum Steiermark

Known as ―the green heart of Austria‖, Styria is the second largest territory of the Habsburg lands in our Empire. It was
originally the March of Styria established about 970 by Emperor Otto I to combat the Magyars, it was raised to a duchy in 1180.
It is currently recovering from the many Ottoman invasions directed at Styria over the last century.

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Trent
Type: Prince-Bishopric
Official Name: Hochstift Trient

From 1004 Emperor Henry II the Saint and his successor Conrad II separated several smaller territories in the northeast of the
Veronese march and granted them to the Trient diocese. Originally a Bavarian fief, by 1027 the prince-bishopric was
established. It was created to favor passage to Imperial armies across the Alps towards Italy along the two ancient roads, the
Via Claudia-Augusta and the Via Altinate, entrusting the area to two bishops instead of often rebellious lay princes.

Tyrol
Type: County
Official Name: Tirol

The large amounts of silver and copper mines, known since antiquity, and its strategic position commanding the Brenner Pass
across the Alps give the region a fairly important role in Habsburg territories. Tyrol is considered one of the Habsburg
Kronlands, or crown lands.

Minor Territories in the Austrian Circle

Brixen
Prince-Bishopric established in 1027 by Emperor Conrad II, Prince-Bishopric since 1179.

Chur
Prince-Bishopric established in the 4th century, prince-bishopric since 1170, territory held by the League of God's House since 1367.

Gorizia
County separated from the Patriarchate of Aquileia about 1127, held by the Archdukes of Austria since 1500.

Istria
March established in 1040 by Emperor Henry III. Taken from Venice and held by the Archdukes of Austria since 1374.

Swabian Austria
The remaining Landgraviate Habsburg home territories in Swabia since 1386, including Breisgau, Burgau, Sundgau and parts of
Vorarlberg.

Tarasp
A small Lordship bordering (and sometimes claimed by) the Swiss Cantons.

Trieste
The Free City of Trieste was originally a Venetian port, now strategically held by the Habsburgs.

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 Bayerischer Reichskreis
Bavarian Circle
The most significant state by far in the circle is the Duchy of Bavaria (also an electorate), with the states of the Upper Palatinate, the Archbishopric of
Salzburg, and the imperial city of Regensburg having a secondary importance.

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Bavaria
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Freistaat Bayern

Established in 907, and held by the House of Wittelsbach from 1180, Bavaria is sub divided into many smaller territories such as
Bavaria-Munich and Bavaria-Landshut, which are constantly shifting and changing hands. Bavaria is one of the oldest territories
in the Empire and is also one of the most densely populated.

Upper Palatinate
Type: Duchies
Official Name: Herzogtum Pfalz-Neuburg (main territory)

This Wittelsbach territory was newly established in 1505 after the Landshut War of Succession. The Upper Palatinate is actually a
grouping of many smaller Palatinate offshoots with Palatinate-Neuburg being the largest and centrally important.

Regensburg
Type: Imperial City
Official Name: Rengschburg

The city is located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen Rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. In 1245
Regensburg became a Free Imperial City as an important trade center. At the end of the 15th century Regensburg became part
of the Duchy of Bavaria, but its independence was restored by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1496.

Salzburg
Type: Prince-Archbishopric
Official Name: Salzburg

This territory was a bishopric established in 696 by Saint Rupert and was elevated to archbishopric from 798 and then again as
prince-archbishopric from 1213. It derives its name from the barges' carrying salt on the Salzach River, lending the area to have a
lucrative trade network.

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Minor Territories in the Bavarian Circle
Berchtesgaden
A Prince-Provostry established in 1111 with Reichsfreiheit granted by Frederick I Barbarossa in 1156. It is currently held by a canonry,
i.e. a collegiate foundation, of Augustinians led by a Prince-Provost.

Freising
A Prince-Bishopric established as a bishopric by Saint Corbinian in 724 and elevated Prince-Bishopric from 1294. It includes the city
of Munich.

Haag
County’s Reichsfreiheit granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1245 and made an official county in 1509.

Leuchtenberg
Ladgraviate established about 1146, principality from 1433 onward.

Niedermünster
Princess-Abbacy of Niedermünster Abbey in Regensburg is a women's religious community, dedicated to Saint Erhard of Regensburg
established about 788, Reichsfreiheit granted by Henry II in 1002.

Obermünster
Princess-Abbacy of Obermünster Abbey, Regensburg, is a collegiate house of canonesses (Frauenstift) in Regensburg, second only to
Niedermünster Abbey in wealth and power.

Ortenburg
County established about 1120, Reichsfreiheit and confirmed in 1479 by Frederick III of Habsburg.

Passau
Bishopric established in 739 by Saint Boniface, Reichsfreiheit granted by Otto III in 999.

Regensburg
This Bishopric was founded in 739 by Saint Boniface; it was originally subordinate to the archbishop of Salzburg. In the 13th century,
the Bishopric of Regensburg became an Imperial State.

St. Emmeram's Abbey

Prince-Abbacy established in 739, held by the Bishops of Regensburg until 975, Reichsfreiheit granted by Adolph of Nassau in 1295.

Störnstein
Small Lordship which is a fiefdom of the Bohemian Crown.

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 Bourgondische Kring
Burgundian Circle
In addition to the Free County of Burgundy, the circle roughly covered the Low Countries and some shifting borders with France. Many of these
territories came under the stewardship of the Holy Roman Empire after the death of Mary of Burgundy who controlled much of the area.

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Brabant
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Hertogdom Brabant

Originally a Landgraviate, this area of the Low Countries is now under the House of Habsburg by dowry of Mary of Burgundy.
The Duchy of Brabant extends from Luttre, south of Nivelles, to 's Hertogenbosch, with Leuven as the capital city.

Burgundy
Type: County
Official Name: Freigrafschaft Burgund

A tumultuous past has shaken the County of Burgundy over the last 300 years. Changing hands many, many times, it is
currently under Habsburg rule and as such, admitted into the Burgundian Imperial Circle. The County lies on the hotly
contested borders between France and the Empire.

Flanders
Type: County
Official Name: Graafschap Vlaanderen

Contested by Burgundy and France, this Lowland County was acquired in 1482 as the last Burgundian ruler Mary of
Burgundy died, making her young son Philip I of Castile of the House of Habsburg the new count, and her husband
Maximilian I of Austria the regent.

Holland
Type: County
Official Name: Graafschap Holland

The Lowland County of Holland into the hands of the Bavarian house of Wittelsbach through marriage in 1299. The house of
Wittelsbach retained possession of Holland until 1433, when civil strife plagued the area and Archduke Maximilian I assumed
the guardianship over the Netherlands after the death of Mary of Burgundy.

Luxembourg
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Großherzogtum Luxemburg

Luxembourg remained a County of the Holy Roman Empire until 1354, when Charles IV elevated it to the status of a Duchy.
The Duchy consists of the old county of Luxembourg, the marquisat of Arlon, the counties of Durbuy and Laroche as well as
the districts of Thionville, Bitburg and Marville.

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Minor Territories in the Burgundian Circle
Artois
County who has changed hands from France and the Empire quite often.

Drenthe
A County long subject to the Utrecht diocese. Ceded to the Habsburgs, who incorporated it into Burgundian Circle.

West-Frisia & Groningen

Small Lordships within the Low Countries.

Gueldres
Duchy united with Jülich under Habsburg Netherlands.

Hainaut
County claimed from France under the Habsburg Netherlands.

Limburg
Duchy held by the Dukes of Brabant under Habsburg Netherlands.

Mechelen
Lordship held by the Dukes of Brabant under Habsburg Netherlands.

Namur
County brought under Habsburg Netherlands.

Overijssel & Utrecht

Former territory of the Bishopric of Utrecht called Oversticht originally until the Charles V in 1528 claimed himself "Lord of
Overijssel", thereby giving the province its modern name and making it a Lordship.

Utrecht
In 1527, the bishop of Utrecht sold his worldly power over his territories to Emperor Charles V, converting this Prince-Bishopric into a
Lordship of the Habsburg Netherlands.

Zeeland
County held by the Counts of Holland and part of Habsburg Netherlands.

Zutphen
County held by the Duke of Gueldre and part of Habsburg Netherlands.

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 Electoral Rhenish Circle
Kurrheinischer Reichskreis
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.

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Cologne
Type: Prince-Bishopric
Official Name: Kurfürstentum Köln

Cologne consists of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne (Erzbistum Köln). It is ruled by the
Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of the empire.

Mainz
Type: Prince-Bishopric
Official Name: Erzbistum Mainz

In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz is the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of
the Alps. Aside from Rome, the See of Mainz is the only other see referred to as a "Holy See.‖ The archbishopric is a
substantial ecclesiastical principality of the Empire. It includes several non-contiguous blocks of territory: lands near Mainz on
both the left and right banks of the Rhine; territory along the Main above Frankfurt (including the district of Aschaffenburg); the Eichsfeld region in
Lower Saxony and Thuringia; and the territory around Erfurt in Thuringia. The archbishop is also, traditionally, one of the Imperial Prince-Electors,
the Arch-chancellor of Germany, and presiding officer of the electoral college.

Electoral Palatinate
Type: County
Official Name: Pfalzgrafschaft bei Rhein

The Electoral Palatinate is a conglomeration of palatinates administered by a count palatine. Its rulers serves as prince-electors
of the Empire. . The Electoral Palatinate includes territory that lay on the east bank of the Rhine, containing the cities of
Heidelberg and Mannheim.

Trier
Type: Prince-Bishopric
Official Name: Kurfürstentum Trier

The Prince Bishopric consists of the temporal possessions of the larger Archbishopric of Trier (Erzbistum Trier), it is ruled by
the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of the Empire. The capital of the electorate is the city of Trier, with its main
residence being Coblence.

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Minor Territories in the Electoral Rhenish Circle
Arenberg
This County attained imperial immediacy in 1549 under Jean de Ligne.

Beilstein
Lordship held by the Counts of Nassau-Dillenburg since 1343 located on the eastern slope of the Westerwald range.

Koblenz
An administrative Bailiwick that is a grouping of lands including the immediate Lordship of Elsen, held by the Teutonic Knights.

Nieder-Isenburg
A County partitioned in 1502 into Isenburg-Grenzau and Isenburg-Neumagen. Roughly speaking, territories of the Archbishops of Trier
are located to the south, and territories of the Counts of Wied to the north.

Rheineck
Burgraviate fiefdom of Cologne around Burg Rheineck, held by the Freiherren of Varsberg.

Thurn and Taxis

The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis is a family that iss a key player in the postal services all over Europe. Not organized into
a location as such, but holds enough sway to be considered it’s own territory.

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 Fränkischer Reichskreis
Franconian Circle
Established in 1500 in the centre of the Holy Roman Empire, it comprised of the eastern part of the former Franconian stem duchy (Upper, Middle
and Lower Franconia), while western Rhenish Franconia belongws to the Upper Rhenish Circle. The title of a "Duke of Franconia" was claimed by
the Würzburg bishops. The Franconian Circle is mostly comprised of many, many small territories (although the inhabitants might disagree.)

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Bamburg
Type: Prince-Bishopric
Official Name: Hochstift Bamberg

The Bishops of Bamberg received the princely title by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen before his deposition by Pope
Innocent IV in 1245, whereby the diocese became an Imperial state.

Bayreuth
Type: Margraviate
Official Name: Fürstentum (Markgraftum) Kulmbach / Bayreuth

The Principality of Bayreuth, also known as Brandenburg-Bayreuth or Brandenburg-Kulmbach is a reichsfrei principality

centered on the Bavarian city of Bayreuth. The ruling Hohenzollern princes of the land are known as margraves, as the
principality was a margravate (but not a march).

Nuremburg
Type: Imperial City
Official Name: Nürnberg

Nuremberg is often referred to as having been the 'unofficial capital' of the Empire, particularly because Reichstage (Imperial
Diets) and courts meet at Nuremberg Castle. The Diets of Nuremberg are an important part of the administrative structure of
the Empire. The increasing demand of the royal court and the increasing importance of the city attracted increased trade and
commerce to Nuremberg over the centuries. In 1356 Nuremberg was named as the city where newly-elected kings of Germany must hold their first
Reichstag, making Nuremberg one of the three highest cities of the Empire. The royal and Imperial connection was strengthened when Sigismund of
Luxembourg granted the Imperial regalia to be kept permanently in Nuremberg in 1423.

Würzburg
Type: Prince-Bishopric
Official Name: Würzburg

The Bishopric of Würzburg iss a prince-bishopric located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg. Würzburg was a
diocese from 743. The current prince-bishops reside at the Würzburg Residence, which is one of the grandest baroque palaces in
Europe.

Minor Territories in the Franconin Circle

Ansbach
Margraviate established in 1398, held by the House of Hohenzollern.

Castell
Very small County of minor nobles both east and west of Würzburg.

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 Eichstätt
A Prince-Bishopric established in 741 by Saint Boniface, inhabbited from territories of their former Vogt officials, the extinct Counts of
Hirschberg.

Erbach
A very small County that was recently established in 1532.

Franconia
Teutonic Bailiwick based around Bad Mergentheim.

Hausen
Lordship held by Bamberg since 1007, joint sovereignty with Bayreuth and Nuremberg from 1538.

Henneberg
Princely County; Principality since 1310, line extinct in 1583 currently up for contention.

Hohenlohe
County with immediate nobility since 1450.

Limpurg
Lordship territory around Limpurg Castle near Schwäbisch Hall, held by the Schenken von Limpurg, hereditary cup-bearers of the
Empire for the Bohemian kings.

Löwenstein
Small County with imperial immediacy since 1494,

Reichelsberg
Lordship around Reichelsberg Castle near Aub, originally a fiefdom granted by Bamberg to Hohenlohe, since 1401 a fief of Würzburg.

Rieneck
County around Rieneck Castle, established in 1168, claimed as a fief by Mainz from 1366, line extinct in 1559 still contested.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Imperial City with Reichsfreiheit granted by Rudolph of Habsburg 1274.

Schwarzenberg
Lordship established in 1429 by the Lords of Seinsheim, territory around Schwarzenberg Castle near Scheinfeld.

23
Schweinfurt
Imperial City Since 1254. Schweinfurt was destroyed in the course of the Margravian War, in 1554. Currently rebuilding.

Weißenburg
Small Imperial City since 1296.

Welzheim
Small Lordship fiefdom of Württemberg since 1379.

Wertheim
County established in 1132, acquired by Löwenstein in 1574.

Windsheim
Imperial City since 1248; known for it’s beautiful and relaxing springs.

24
 Niederrheinisch-Westfälischer Reichskreis
Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle
The Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle is comprised territories of the former Duchy of Lower Lorraine, Frisia and the Westphalian part of the
former Duchy of Saxony. The circle was made up of numerous small states, however the Counts De la Marck were able to collect a significant
amount of territories, the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1521 on. The Empire's largest ecclesiastical territory was held by the Prince-
Bishops of Münster.

25
Aachen
Type: Imperial City
Official Name: Aix-la-Chapelle

Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Reichsfreiheit granted
by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1166. Over the next 500 years, most kings of Germany destined to reign over the Empire
were crowned "King of the Germans" in Aachen. The last king to be crowned here was Ferdinand I in 1531.

Cologne
Type: Imperial City
Official Name: Köln

Status acknowledged by Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg in 1475. Largest free port in the lower Rhine region. The
Archbishop of Cologne is one of the seven prince-electors and one of the three ecclesiastical electors. Besides its economic and
political significance Cologne is an outstanding centre of medieval pilgrimage, when Cologne's Archbishop Rainald of Dassel
gave the relics of the Three Wise Men to Cologne's cathedral in 1164

Minor Territories in the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle

Anholt
Lordship which was a former territory of the Utrecht bishops, reichsfrei since the 14th century, held by the Lords of Gemen.

Bentheim
County inherited by the Freiherren von Steinfurt in 1421, Bentheim-Bentheim since 1454, again held by Steinfurt from 1530

Berg
Duchy raised to duchy by King Wenceslaus of Luxembourg in 1380, part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg since 1521.

Blankenheim-Gerolstein
County inherited by Manderscheid in 1468.

Brakel
Imperial City that developed itself into quite an important trading town that belonged to the Hanseatic League. In the 14th century, this
Hanseatic town was at the height of its boom, bearing witness to which was the town's having its own court and market rights.

Cambrai
Prince-Bishopric diocese established in the 6th century, Reichsfreiheit granted by King Henry II in 1007, archbishopric fom 1559.

Cambrai (City)
Imperial City whose status that was challenged by the Cambrai bishops, declared a duchy by Emperor Maximilian I in 1510.

26
 Cleves
Duchy that has been part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg since 1521

Corvey
Prince-Abbacy established in 815 by King Louis the Pious.

Delmenhorst
County established by a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg, held by Oldenburg since 1436.

Diepholz
County established about 1160, to Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1585

Dortmund
Imperial City whose status was confirmed by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1236.

Duisburg
Imperial City given in pawn to Cleves by King Rudolph of Habsburg in 1290.

Düren
Imperial City whose status was confirmed by Emperor Otto III in 1000, given in pawn to Jülich by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
in 1241.

East Frisia
County located in the Lowlands who still use the old clan ways.

Echternach
Prince-Abbacy established about 698 by Saint Willibrord, immediacy granted by King Pepin the Short in 751.

Essen
Prince-Abbacy established in 845 by Saint Altfrid, immediacy granted by King Conrad I (911-918).

Fagnolle
Small Lordship held by the House of Ligne.

Gemen
Lordship held by the Counts of Holstein-Schauenburg.

Gimborn
Lordship held by the House of Schwarzenberg.

27
Herford
Prince-Abbacy; nunnery established in 789, immediate prince-abbacy since 1147, confirmed by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1152.

Herford (City)
Imperial City; Reichsfreiheit derived from Herford Abbey, challenged by Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1547.

Jülich
Duchy; Reichsfreiheit confirmed by Emperor Louis IV of Wittelsbach in 1328, raised to duchy by Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg in
1356, part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg since 1521

Kerpen and Lommersum

Lordship annexed by Brabant from Cologne after the 1288 Battle of Worringen, inherited by Burgundy in 1406 and the House of
Habsburg in 1482.

Kornelimünster
Prince-Abbacy established in 814 by Saint Benedict of Aniane.

Lemgo
Imperial City established about 1190 by Lord Bernard II of Lippe, Reichsfreiheit ascertained by the Imperial Chamber Court.

Liège
Prince-Bishopric established about 315 by Saint Maternus of Cologne at Tongeren.

Lingen
County emerged from Tecklenburg in 1493, seized as a reverted fief by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg in 1547, with the Burgundian
Netherlands to King Philip II of Spain in 1555, conquered by Prince Maurice of Nassau in 1597.

Lippe
Lordship established about 1123, raised to county in 1528.

Manderscheid
County held Schleiden since 1445, raised to Imperial county by Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg in 1457, inherited Blankenheim-
Gerolstein in 1468.

Mark
County established about 1160, acquired Cleves in 1368, part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg sine 1521.

Minden
Became a Prince-Bishopric in 1180, when the Duchy of Saxony was dissolved.

28
 Moers
County held by Wied since 1493, to the Counts of Neuenahr in 1519, inherited by Adolf van Nieuwenaar in 1578, by Maurice of Nassau
in 1594.

Münster
Prince-Bishopric established by Saint Ludger about 805, reichsfrei territory emerged in 1180 from the Duchy of Saxony.

Nassau-Diez
County formerly of Diez, inherited by Nassau-Dillenburg in 1386.

Nassau-Dillenburg
County emerged from Nassau in 1303, split off Orange in 1559.

Oldenburg
County; formerly Danish.

Osnabrück
Prince-Bishopric whoe diocese was erected in 772 and is the oldest see founded by Charlemagne, in order to Christianize the conquered
stem-duchy of Saxony.

Paderborn
Prince-Bishopric whose doicese was founded in 799 by Pope Leo III. In the early years it was subordinated to the bishop of Würzburg.
Since 855 the clergy had the right to elect the bishop. The diocese included the larger part of Lippe, Waldeck, and nearly half of the County of
Ravensberg.

Pyrmont
County that gained its independence from the county of Schwalenberg in 1194. Independence was maintained until the extinction of the
comital line in 1494, when the county was inherited by the county of Spiegelberg. In 1557, the county was inherited by Lippe, then by the county of
Gleichen in 1583.

Ravensberg
County established about 1140 out of former County of Calvelage, held by Berg since 1346, part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg since 1521.

Rietberg
Very small County near Paderborn.

Sayn
County that emerged as a partition of Sponheim-Sayn in 1283. It is notable for its numerous co-reigns.

29
 Schaumburg-Hesse
Very small County that was part of Lower Saxony; largest of Schaumberg Counties.

Schleiden
Very small County in the Eifel hills.

Soest
Imperial City that liberated itself from the Bishop of Cologne in 1444. Being no longer capital of Westphalia, the city aligned itself with
the Duke of Cleves. The city had shown itself strong enough to defy the powerful Archbishop of Cologne, but lost much of its trade: the "liberated"
town was two-thirds surrounded by territories with other allegiances.

Spiegelberg
Small County famous for glass production on the hills, with mirror polishing being done in the valley of the Lauter river.

Stavelot-Malmedy
Prince-Abbacy that is the second-smallest territory in the Empire, after the Duchy of Bouillon.

Steinfurt
County founded in 1454, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg in 1486, County of Steinfurt in 1495

Tecklenburg
County located in the western foothills of the Teutoburg Forest.

Thorn
Prince-Abbacy that previously the abbess and the chapter were endowed with religious tasks but, since the 12th century, they served
secular matters and formed the government of a truly sovereign miniature principality, the smallest independent state in the Empire.

Verden
Imperial City granted immediacy in the 14th century.

Virneburg
Small County in a valley surrounded by four mountains. In the middle of Virneburg there is a fifth mountain on which Virneburg was
built.

Warburg
Imperial City that formed out of two towns. The two towns, the Old Town and the New Town, joined in 1436 into one town gaining
imperial immediacy.

Werden
Prince-Abbacy formed out of a small Benedictine monastery in Essen-Werden.

30
Wesel
Imperial City that is second only to Cologne in the lower Rhine region as a free port. It is an important commercial centre: a clearing
station for the transshipment and trading of goods.

Wickrath
County began in 1488 as the Lordship of Wickrath; raised to an immediate lordship and was given to the Knights of Hompesch. It came
to the Lords (later raised to Counts) of Quadt which renamed to Quadt-Wykradt in 1502.

Wied
Emerged as a County earlier than many other German states. From 1243–1462, Wied was united with an Isenburgian County as
Isenburg-Wied.

31
 Niedersächsischer Reichskreis
Lower Saxon Circle
Covering much of the territory of the Old Duchy of Saxony (except for Westphalia), 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 unusual aspect of this circle was that at various times
the kings of Denmark (in Holstein), Great Britain (in Hanover), and Sweden (in Bremen) were all Princes of a number of Imperial States.

32
Bremen
Type: Prince-Archbishopric
Official Name: Erzstift Bremen

Established in 787 by Charlemagne. The prince-archbishopric consists of about a third of the diocesan territory. The city of
Bremen is de facto (since 1186) no part of the prince-archbishopric but belonged to the archdiocese. Most of the Prince-
Archbishopric lay rather in the area to the north of the city of Bremen, between the Weser and Elbe rivers. Even more
confusingly parts of the prince-archbishopric belong in religious respect to the neighboured diocese of Verden, making up 10% of its diocesan
territory.

Brunswick-Lüneburg
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Herzogtum Braunschweig-Lüneburg

General name for all Welf territories in the region. The dukedom emerged in 1235 from the allodial lands of the House of Welf in
Saxony and was granted as an imperial fief to Otto the Child, a nephew of Henry the Lion. Its name came from the two largest
towns in the territory: Brunswick and Lüneburg. The duchy was divided several times during its history amongst various lines of
the House of Welf, but the rulers all continued to be styled as the "Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg" in addition to their particular title as "Prince of
Lüneburg" or "Prince of Wolfenbüttel", etc.

Hamburg
Type: Imperial City
Official Name: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg

In 1189, by imperial charter, Frederick I "Barbarossa" granted Hamburg the status of an Imperial Free City and tax-free access up
the Lower Elbe into the North Sea. In 1265, a putative forged letter was presented to or by the Rath of Hamburg. This charter,
along with Hamburg's proximity to the main trade routes of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, quickly made it a major port in Northern
Europe. Its trade alliance with Lübeck in 1241 marks the origin and core of the powerful Hanseatic League of trading cities.

Holstein
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Herzogtum Holstein

Adolf VIII, the last Count of Holstein-Rendsburg and Duke of Schleswig had died without heirs in 1459. As Schleswig had
been a fief of the Danish Crown it had to fall back to King Christian I of Denmark, who, himself a nephew of Adolf, also sought
to enter into possession of Holstein. He was backed by the local nobility, who supported the continued common administration
of both lands and by the 1460 Treaty of Ribe proclaimed him as the new Count of Holstein. Nevertheless the county south of the Eider River
remained a subfief of Saxe-Lauenburg, itself a fief of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1474 Emperor Frederick III elevated Christian to Duke of Holstein,
thus gaining imperial immediacy.

33
Lübeck
Type: Prince-Bishopric

Official Name: Fürstbistum Lübeck

When the Duchy of Saxony was dissolved with Henry's deposition in 1180, the Bishopric gained Imperial State
(reichsunmittelbar). Quarrels arose after the City of Lübeck gained imperial immediacy in 1226 and as the territory of the state
was centered around Eutin, the town in 1309 became the residence of the bishops.

Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Herzogtum Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King
Charles IV. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting House of Mecklenburg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin remained a relatively poor
state of the Holy Roman Empire along the Baltic littoral between Holstein and Pomerania. As a whole however, broken into
several territories, it commands great power in the northern Empire.

Minor Territories in the Lower Saxon Circle

Blankenburg
County established in 1123, from 1599 held by the Dukes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

Gandersheim
Prince-Abbacy established in 852 by Duke Liudolf of Saxony, Imperial immediacy confirmed by King Henry the Fowler in 919,
contested by Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel to this day.

Goslar
Imperial City that is favorite spot for summer residences of the emperors.

Halberstadt
Prince-Bishopric established by Charlemagne in 804 and created out of the division of Old Saxony.

Hildesheim
Prince-Bishopric that at the Reichstag at Mainz of August 15, 1235 Bishop Conrad II reached the official acknowledgement of
Hildesheim as a Prince-bishopric (Hochstift) by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen.

Lübeck (City)
Imperial City in which several conflicts about trade privileges were fought by against the Hanseatic League and Denmark with varying
outcomes.

34
 Magdeburg
Small Prince-Archbishopric; the diocese is comprised of the Slavonic districts of Serimunt, Nudizi, Neletici, Nizizi, and half of northern
Thuringia, which Halberstadt resigned.

Mühlhausen
Imperial City; one of the oldest towns in Thuringia. It said to have been fortified in 925, and is first documented in 967 as an Ottonian
village. Its early importance is shown by the grant of privileges made to it by the German King Henry the Fowler (876–936), and by the Imperial Diet
held here in 1135.

Nordhausen
Imperial City from 1220 and from around the same year the city began producing fermented grain liquor, which became famous under
the name Nordhäuser Doppelkorn.

Ratzeburg
Prince-Bishopric established in 1154 by Henry the Lion; originally a suffragan to the Archdiocese of Hamburg, which transformed into
the Archdiocese of Bremen in 1072.

Saxe-Lauenburg
Reichsfrei Duchy established in 1296.

Schwerin
Prince-Bishopric established in 1154 by Henry the Lion, residence at Bützow from 1239.

35
 Schwäbischer Reichskreis
Swabian Circle
Established in 1500 on the territory of the former German stem duchy of Swabia, this circle does not include the Habsburg home territories of
Swabian Austria, the member states of the Swiss Confederacy nor the lands of the Alsace region, which belonged to the Upper Rhenish Circle. The
Swabian League of 1488 had been a predecessor organization, that nevertheless disbanded in the course of the Protestant Reformation.

36
Augsburg
Type: Prince-Bishopric
Official Name: Fürstbistum Augsburg

Reichsfreiheit granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1276 at his confirmation as Emperor at the Reichstag held in Augsburg
(1276) of the Stadtbuch, or municipal register, containing the ancient customs, episcopal and municipal rights, etc. The
Reformation brought disaster on the Diocese of Augsburg. Martin Luther, who was summoned to vindicate himself in the
presence of the papal legate before the Reichstag at Augsburg (1518), begin conflict in the area.

Augsburg (City)
Type: Imperial City
Official Name: Paritätische Reichsstadt

Augsburg was decreed an Imperial Free City on March 9, 1276. With a strategic location as intersection of trade routes to Italy,
it became a major trading centre. Augsburg produces large quantities of woven goods, cloth and textiles and has became the
base for the Fugger banking empire, who donated the Fuggerei part of the city devoted to housing for needy citizens in 1516
and remains in use today. In 1530, the Augsburg Confession was presented to the Holy Roman Emperor at the Diet of Augsburg. Following the
Peace of Augsburg in 1555, after which the rights of religious minorities in imperial cities were to be legally protected, a mixed Catholic–Protestant
city council presided over a majority Protestant population.

Baden
Type: Margraviate
Official Name: Baden

Established in 1112, partitioned into Baden-Durlach and Baden-Baden from 1535 . Many subdivisions continue to change due to
inner conflict. Individually, the subdivisions lack importance, but when united, they hold a considerable amount of power
throughout the Swabian Circle.

Württemberg
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Württemberg

The Duchy began as the of Wurttemberg established in the 12th century, raised to duchy in 1495 by Maximilian I. Remains a
powerful political entity due to its large size. Survives despite many periods of religios and political turmoil from within and
without. Unusually for the Empire, since 1457 Württemberg has a bicameral parliament, the Landtag, known otherwise as the
"Diet" or "States" of Württemberg, that had to assent to new taxation.

Minor Territories is the Swabian Circle

Aalen
Imperial City that gained immediacy by Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1360.

37
 Aulendorf
Lordship held by the Lords of Königsegg from about 1350.

Baar
Landgraviate territory around Rottweil, held by the Counts of Fürstenberg since 1238.

Baindt
Prince-Abbacy which gained Reichsfreiheit in 1376.

Biberach an der Riß

Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1281.

Bopfingen
Small Imperial City since 1241.

Buchau
Prince-Abbacy established in 819 by Louis the Pious.

Buchau (City)
Imperial City originally a Prince-Abbacy since the 13th century. In 1417 The Abbey is declared a secular convent and accepts
daughters of aristocrats, mostly from Swabian Duchies.

Buchhorn
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1275.

Constance
Bishopric established about 585, Reichsfreiheit confirmed by Frederick I Barbarossa in 1155, residence at Meersburg from 1526.

Dinkelsbühl
Imperial City since 1351.

Eberstein
County whose fortune is bankrupt. Barely holding its status in the Empire.

Elchingen
Prince-Abbacy established about 1120, gained Reichsfreiheit in 1485.

Ellwangen
Prince-Provostry established in 1460 as successor of Ellwangen Imperial Abbey.

38
 Esslingen am Neckar
Imperial City since 1229; many conflicts with the Counts of Wurttemberg

Fugger
Freiherren acquired the former County of Kirchberg and Weißenhorn in 1507, ennobled by Maximilian I in 1511, hereditary Imperial
counts from 1530.

Fürstenberg
County with various territories, established from the bequest of Berthold V of Zähringen in 1218, Fürstenberg-Baar since 1441. Many
subdivisions.

Gengenbach
Prince-Abbacy established about 730 by Saint Pirmin, granted to Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg by Henry II in 1007.

Gengenbach (City)
Imperial City since 1360. Gengenbach is well known for its traditional Swabian-Alemanic "fasnacht", a kind of historically influenced
carnival, where tradition is followed, that involves wearing costumes with carved wooden masks.

Giengen an der Brenz

Imperial City since 1391.

Gundelfingen
Small Lordship acquired by Baden in 1507.

Gutenzell
Prince-Abbacy established in 1237, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Sigismund in 1437.

Hausen
Lordship territory around Hausen Castle near Beuron.

Heggbach
Prince-Abbacy established in 1231, gained Reichsfreiheit about 1428.

Heilbronn
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Charles IV in 1371.

Heiligenberg
County held by the Counts of Fürstenberg from 1535.

39
Hohenems
County whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Ferdinand I in 1560.

Hohenhöwen
Lordship established in 1415, with Stühlingen acquired by Pappenheim in 1582.

Hohenzollern
County of Zollern established in the 11th century, partitioned in 1576 into many smaller Counties.

Irsee
Prince-Abbacy established in 1186. It came close to collapse in the 14th century, when the community was reduced to a single monk,
and was saved only by the intervention in 1373 of Anna von Ellerbach, the second founder, sister of the Bishop of Augsburg

Isny
Imperial City from 1365. After three centuries of domination by feudal lords and territorial rulers, Isny's middle class was able to
purchase the town's independence in 1365. Isny's status as an Imperial Free City made it a self-governing republic

Justingen
Lordship territory around Justingen Castle near Schelklingen.

Kaisheim
Prince-Abbacy established in 1133, Imperial abbey since 1346.

Kaufbeuren
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1286.

Kempten Abbey
Prince-Abbacy established in 752; Reichsfreiheit granted by Henry IV in 1062.

Kempten im Allgäu
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1289.

Kinzigtal
Lordship territory around Wolfach, held by Fürstenberg since 1291.

Klettgau
Landgraviate held by the Counts of Sulz since 1410.

40
 Königsegg
Lordship territory around Guggenhausen, acquired the Imperial county of Rothenfels in 1565.

Leutkirch im Allgäu
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Adolf of Nassau in 1293.

Liechtenstein
Principality that was a former County of Vaduz and Lordship of Schellenberg, acquired by the Counts of Sulz and Klettgau in 1510.

Lindau
Prince-Abbacy established about 822, gained Reichsfreiheit in 1466.

Lindau (City)
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1275.

Mainau
Commandery of an administrative grouping of lands held by the Teutonic Order since 1272.

Marchtal Abbey
Prince-Abbacy established about 776, gained Reichsfreiheit in 1500.

Memmingen
Imperial City whoe Reichsfreiheit was granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1286.

Meßkirch
Lordship held by the Counts of Zimmern since 1354, fell to the House of Helfenstein in 1594.

Mindelheim
Lordship held by the House of Frundsberg since 1467, fell to the Duchy of Bavaria in 1586.

Neresheim
Prince-Abbacy established in 1095; Reichsfreiheit contested by the House of Oettingen-Wallerstein.

Nördlingen
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1215.

Ochsenhausen
Prince-Abbacy established about 1090, gained Reichsfreiheit in 1495.

41
Oettingen
County partitioned in 1522 into Oettingen-Oettingen, Oettingen-Wallerstein, and Oettingen-Spielberg.

Offenburg
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1240.

Petershausen
Prince-Abbacy established in 983 by Saint Gebhard of Constance; Reichsfreiheit granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen.

Pfullendorf
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1220.

Ravensburg
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1278.

Reutlingen
Imperial City that arose from the struggles of the Swabian Leauge.

Roggenburg
Prince-Abbacy established in 1126; gained Reichsfreiheit in 1482.

Rot an der Rot

Prince-Abbacy established in 1126; gained Reichsfreiheit in 1376.

Rothenfels
County of territory around Immenstadt held by the Counts of Montfort since 1332, acquired by Königsegg in 1565.

Rottenmünster
Prince-Abbacy established in 1224; Reichsfreiheit granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1237.

Rottweil
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Sigismund of Luxembourg in 1434; associate of the Swiss Confederacy as of 1519.

Salem
Prince-Abbacy established about 1134; Reichsfreiheit granted by Conrad III of Hohenstaufen in 1142.

Schussenried
Prince-Abbacy established by Rot an der Rot Abbey in 1183; gained Reichsfreiheit about 1440.

42
 Schwäbisch Gmünd
Imperial City since about 1250.

Schwäbisch Hall
Imperial City since 1280.

Sickingen
Lordship territory in the Kraichgau, held by the successors of Imperial Knight Franz von Sickingen.

Söflingen
Prince-Abbacy established about 1258 by the Counts of Dillingen.

St George in Isny
Prince-Abbacy established in 1096.

Teck
Duchy that was a former branch of the House of Zähringen, extinct in 1439, ducal title granted to Eberhard I of Württemberg by
Maximilian I in 1495.

Tettnang
Lordship held by the Counts of Monfort.

Thannhausen
Lordship reichsfrei territory around Tannhausen (not to be confused with Thannhausen).

Tengen
County held by the Mainau commandery of the Teutonic Order since 1488.

Überlingen
Imperial City; Reichsfreiheit confirmed about 1400.

Ulm
Imperial City who gained Reichsfreiheit in the 12th century.

Ursberg
Prince-Abbacy established about 1128, gained Reichsfreiheit in 1143.

43
 Waldburg
Archstewardship territory around the town of Waldburg. Partitioned into Waldburg-Trauchburg, Waldburg-Scheer, Waldburg-Wolfegg-
Zeil, Waldburg-Wolfegg, Waldburg-Waldsee, Waldburg-Zeil, and Waldburg-Wurzach

Wangen im Allgäu
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Rudolph of Habsburg in 1286.

Weil der Stadt

Imperial City since about 1275.

Weingarten
Prince-Abbacy established in 1056 by Duke Welf I of Bavaria, gained Reichsfreiheit in 1274.

Weißenau
Prince-Abbacy established in 1145, gained Reichsfreiheit about 1257.

Wettenhausen
Prince-Provostry established in 1130.

Wiesensteig
Lordship held by the House of Helfenstein.

Wimpfen
Imperial City since about 1300.

Zell am Harmersbach
Imperial City since the 14th century.

Zwiefalten
Prince-Abbacy established in 1089, gained Reichsfreiheit from Württemberg in 1750.

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 Oberrheinischer Reichskreis
Upper Rhenish Circle
The Upper Rhenish Circle was 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.

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Frankfurt am Main
Type: Imperial City
Official Name: Frankfurt am Main

From 855 the German kings and emperors were elected in Frankfurt and crowned in Aachen. From 1562 on the kings/emperors
were also crowned in Frankfurt, Maximilian II being the first. This was also the location of the Imperial election by the Golden
Bull of 1356.

Hagenau
Type: Imperial City
Official Name: Hàwenau

Hagenau owes its origin to the erection, by the dukes of Swabia, of a hunting lodge on an island in the Moder River. Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa fortified it and gave it town rights in 1154. On the site of the hunting lodge he founded an imperial
palace, in which were preserved the "Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire", i.e. the jewelled imperial crown, scepter,
imperial globe, and sword of Charlemagne. Subsequently Haguenau became the seat of the Landvogt of Hagenau, the imperial
advocatus in Lower Alsace. Richard of Cornwall, King of the Romans, made it an imperial city in 1257. In the 14th century, it housed the executive
council of the Decapole, a defensive and offensive association of ten Alsatian towns against the surrounding political instability.

Hesse-Kassel
Type: Landgraviate
Official Name: Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel

Established after the War of the Thuringian Succession in 1247, residence at Kassel, partitioned after the death of Landgrave
Philip I in 1567 into Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Rheinfels, Hesse-Darmstadt, Hesse-Marburg, and Hesse-Homburg.

Lorraine
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Herzogtum Lothringen

Former Upper Lotharingia, acquired by René of Anjou, Duke of Bar in 1431. Originally split between Upper and Lower
Lorraine, the dukes of Upper Lorraine gradually came to be known simply as the dukes of Lorraine, as Lower Lorraine
disintegrated into several smaller territories and only the title of a "Duke of Lothier" remained, held by Brabant. Nevertheless
several territories were split off from Upper Lorraine as well, like the County of Luxembourg and the Electorate of Trier which fell to Lower
Lorraine, or the County of Bar and the "Three Bishoprics" of Verdun, Metz and Toul. Lorraine has always been hotly contested by France.

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Savoy
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Duché de Savoie

Former county, part of the Kingdom of Arles inherited by Emperor Conrad II in 1032, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor
Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1361, raised to duchy in 1416. Savoy has been contested as it lies on the borders of France, the
Empire, and Italy.

Minor Territories in the Upper Rhenish Circle

Bar
Duchy united with Lorraine since 1483.

Basel
Prince-Bishopric established in the 8th century as successor of the ancient diocese of Augusta Raurica, gained independence from the
Kingdom of Burgundy about 1000, residence at Porrentruy (Pruntrut) from 1527.

Bretzenheim
Small Lordship held by Cologne.

Colmar
Imperial City; Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1226, part of the Décapole (alliance the Alsace region
of Imperial Cities to maintain their rights) since 1354.

Dagstuhl
Small Lordship Held by the Lords of Fleckenstein.

Falkenstein
Lordship held by the Counts of Daun since 1456, raised to county in 1518.

Friedberg
Imperial City since 1252.

Fulda
Prince-Abbacy established by Saint Boniface in 744, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick II in 1220.

Hanau
County Partitioned into Hanau-Lichtenberg and Hanau-Münzenberg,

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 Heitersheim
Principality held by the Order of St John since 1272, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Charles V in 1548.

Hersfeld
Abbacy established about 736 by Saint Sturm, Reichsfreiheit granted by Charlemagne in 775.

Isenburg
County subdivided in 1511 (Oberisenburg) into Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein, Isenburg-Birstein, Isenburg-Büdingen, Isenburg-Meerholz,
and Isenburg-Wächtersbach

Kaisersberg
Imperial City; part of the Décapole since 1354.

Königstein
County held by the Lords of Eppstein, raised to Reichsgrafen by Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg in 1505, inherited by Stolberg in
1535, seized by Mainz in 1581.

Kriechingen
County that was a former fief of Lorraine around Créhange.

Landau
Imperial City; Reichsfreiheit granted by Rudolph I of Habsburg in 1291, seized by the Bishop of Speyer in 1324, restored by Emperor
Maximilian I of Habsburg in 1511, joined the Décapole in 1521.

Leiningen
County subdivided since 1317 into Leiningen-Westerburg and Leiningen-Dagsburg.

Mensfelden
Lordship condominium of Trier and Nassau.

Metz
Prince-Bishopric established by 535, Reichsfreiheit confirmed by Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1357, occupied by King Henry II of
France in 1552.

Metz (City)
Imperial City occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552.

Mülhausen
Imperial City since about 1268, part of the Décapole since 1354, joined Swiss Confederacy in 1515.

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Münster im Elsaß
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1235, part of the Décapole since 1354.

Nassau-Saarbrücken
County established in 1381.

Nomeny
Margraviate held by the Bishopric of Metz until 1548, margraviate established by Emperor Maximilian II of Habsburg in 1567.

Oberehnheim
Imperial City since about 1240, part of the Décapole since 1354.

Odenheim
Provostry whose monastary was established in 1122, Imperial college of canons (Reichsstift) since 1494, moved to Bruchsal in 1507.

Olbrück
Lordship territory around Olbrück Castle near Niederdürenbach, originally held by Wied.

Palatinate-Simmern
Principality that split off from the Electoral Palatinate in 1410. Split into the subdivisions of Palatinate-Lautern, Palatinate-Zweibrücken,
and Palatinate-Veldenz

Prüm
Abbacy (re-)established by King Pepin the Short in 752, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1222.

Reipoltskirchen
Small Lordship since about 1300.

Rosheim
Imperial City since 1303, part of the Décapole since 1354.

Salm
County in Upper Salm since 1165, large parts held by the Wild and Rhinegraves from 1475 and partitoned in 1499, remains to Lorraine
until 1600. Subdivided into Salm-Dhaun, Salm-Grumbach, Salm-Salm, and Salm-Kyrburg.

Sayn-Wittgenstein
County whose former Counts of Sayn, a cadet branch of the House of Sponheim, acquired County of Wittgenstein in 1361, partitioned in
1607 into Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berlebur and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein.

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Schlettstadt
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1216, part of the Décapole since 1354.

Solms
County divided into the subdivisions of Solms-Braunfels, Solms-Lich, Solms-Laubach, and Solms-Rödelheim.

Speyer
Prince-Bishopric esablished before 614, Reichsfreiheit granted around 969 by Emperor Otto I.

Speyer (City)
Imperial City whose rights were acknowledged by the Speyer bishops in 1294, venue of several Reichstag assemblies, including the
1529 Protestation at Speyer.

Sponheim
County established in the 11th century by the Rhenish House of Sponheim, held jointly by the Margraves of Baden and the House of
Palatinate-Simmern since 1437.

Straßburg
Prince-Bishopric established in the 4th century, prince-bishopric since 982.

Straßburg (City)
Imperial City since 1262.

Toul
Prince-Bishopric established in 365 by Saint Mansuetus, Reichsfreiheit confirmed by King Henry I in 928, occupied by King Henry II of
France in 1552.

Toul (City)
Imperial City since the 13th century occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552.

Türkheim
Imperial City since 1312, part of the Décapole since 1354.

Verdun
Prince-Bishopric established about 346, Reichsfreiheit confirmed by Emperor Otto III in 997, occupied by King Henry II of France in
1552.

Verdun (City)
Imperial City since the 12th century (Wirten), occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552.

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Waldeck
County whose line was established about 1180, Reichsfreiheit granted by King Wenceslaus of Luxembourg in 1379.

Wartenberg
County established in 1232, inherited by Riedesel in 1428.

Wetterau
County established c. 950, held by the counts von Wetter-Tegerfelden in 1317

Weißenburg (City)
Imperial City since 1306, part of the Décapole since 1354.

Weißenburg
Prince-Provostry whose abbey was established about 660 by the Bishopric of Speyer, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Otto II in 967,
again held by Speyer from 1546.

Wetzlar
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1180.

Wild and Rhinegraves

County that was only Rhingraves since the 12th century; inherited Wildgraviate at Kyrburg in 1409, acquired (Upper) Salm in 1475.

Worms
Prince-Bishopric wstablished about 614.

Worms (City)
Imperial City whose Reichsfreiheit was granted by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1184.

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 Obersächsischer Reichskreis
Upper Saxon Circle
The Upper Saxon circle was dominated by the electorate of Saxony (the circle's director) and the electorate of Brandenburg. It further comprised the
Saxon Ernestine duchies and Pomerania.

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Brandenburg
Type: Electorate Margraviate
Official Name: Markgrafschaft Brandenburg

Brandenburg developed out of the Northern March founded in the territory of the Slavic Wends. Its ruling margraves were
established as prestigious prince-electors in the Golden Bull of 1356, allowing them to vote in the election of the Holy Roman
Emperor. The state thus became additionally known as Electoral Brandenburg or the Electorate of Brandenburg.

Pomerania
Type: Duchy
Official Name: Herzogtum Pommern

Ruled by the House of Griffins known as the ―Griffin Dukes―, the duchy originated from the realm of Wartislaw I, a Slavic
Pomeranian duke, and was extended by the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp in 1317, the Principality of Rügen in 1325, and the
Lauenburg and Bütow Land in 1455.

Saxony
Type: Electorate
Official Name:

Successor of Saxe-Wittenberg from 1356, held by the House of Wettin from 1423. Upper Saxony split into many different
partitions such as de Saxe-Weimar, Saxe-Altenbourg, Saxe-Cobourg, and Saxe-Eisenach.

Minor Territories in the Upper Saxon Circle

Anhalt
Principality that emerged from Duchy of Saxony in 1212, re-united under the House of Ascania in 1570, divided into Anhalt-Dessau,
Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Zerbst from 1603

Barby
County with Imperial immediacy in 1497.

Cammin
Principality that was originally a Bishopric that consists of the secular territory of the diocese established in 1140, under Pomeranian
overlordship, Principality from 1545.

Gernrode
Abbacy withImperial abbey established in 961 by King Otto I, held by the House of Ascania from 1616.

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Lohra and Klettenberg
Lordship held by the Counts of Hohnstein, fell to Halberstadt in 1593, administrated by Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

Mansfeld
County established in 1069 by King Henry IV, seized by Saxony in 1579.

Quedlinburg
Abbacy established in 936 by King Otto I.

Reuss
County established about 1080 by King Henry IV, partitioned in 1564 into Elder Line at Greiz and Junior Line at Gera.

Schönburg
County of various territories around the town of Schönburg; Imperial immediacy in 1182.

Schwarzburg
County united under the House of Schwarzburg 1538-1583. Divided into Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Stolberg
County whose lands located mostly east of the Harz, included Stolberg, Hayn, the lower County of Hohnstein (1417), as well as Kelbra
and Heringen (1413/17)

Walkenried
Abbacy established in 1127.

Wernigerode
County held by Stolberg from 1429.

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