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Article: Free and Imperial Cities
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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FREE AND IMPERIAL CITIES
FREE AND IMPERIAL CITIES.
The free and imperial cities
(Freie und Reichsst
ä
dte)
were a privileged elite among the 2,500 or so towns within the Holy Roman Empire. The term "free city" originally applied to towns founded by a bishop that later won self-governance, whereas "imperial cities" dated back to royal settlements established by the emperor or developing under his immediate protection. This distinction lost most of its original meaning by 1500 as the free and imperial cities became characterized by their common status of immediacy
(Reichsunmittelbarkeit)
under the jurisdiction of the emperor, to whom they paid annual tribute. The other municipalities ...
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