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The Burgraviate of Nuremberg (german: Burggrafschaft Nürnberg) was a
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
from the early 12th to the late 15th centuries. As a
burgraviate
Burgrave, also rendered as burggrave (from german: Burggraf, la, burgravius, burggravius, burcgravius, burgicomes, also praefectus), was since the medieval period in Europe (mainly Germany) the official title for the ruler of a castle, especial ...
, it was a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
seated in the town of
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
; almost two centuries passed before the burgraviate lost power over the city, which became independent from 1219. Eventually, the burgraviate was partitioned to form
Brandenburg-Ansbach
The Principality or Margraviate of (Brandenburg-)Ansbach (german: Fürstentum Ansbach or ) was a principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Franconian city of Ansbach. The ruling House of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern princes of the land ...
and
Brandenburg-Bayreuth
The Principality of Bayreuth (german: Fürstentum Bayreuth) or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (''Markgraftum Brandenburg-Bayreuth'') was an immediate territory of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a Franconian branch of the Hohenzollern dyna ...
.
History
Nuremberg was probably founded around the turn of the 11th century, according to the first documentary mention of the city in 1050, as the location of an Imperial castle between the
East Franks
East Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's empire ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was created through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided the former empire int ...
and the Bavarian
March of the Nordgau
The Margraviate of the Nordgau (german: Markgrafschaft Nordgau) or Bavarian Nordgau () was a medieval administrative unit ('' Gau'') on the frontier of the German Duchy of Bavaria. It comprised the region north of the Danube and Regensburg (Ratisb ...
.
[Nürnberg, Reichsstadt: Politische und soziale Entwicklung]
(Political and Social Development of the Imperial City of Nuremberg), ''Historisches Lexikon Bayerns
The Historische Lexikon Bayerns (abbr: ''HLB'') or Historical Lexicon of Bavaria is a specialist, historical lexicon about the History of Bavaria, which has been published as a genuine online publication. It is the first specialised lexicon on ...
'' From 1050 to 1571, the city expanded and rose dramatically in importance due to its location on key trade routes.
King Conrad III established the
burgraviate
Burgrave, also rendered as burggrave (from german: Burggraf, la, burgravius, burggravius, burcgravius, burgicomes, also praefectus), was since the medieval period in Europe (mainly Germany) the official title for the ruler of a castle, especial ...
and the first administration and courts over the surrounding Imperial territories. The first burgraves were from the Austrian House of
Raabs but, with the extinction of their male line around 1190, the burgraviate was inherited by the last count's son-in-law, of the
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, Prince-elector, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzol ...
. From the late 12th century to the
Interregnum
An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...
(1254–73), however, the power of the burgraves diminished as the
Staufen Staufen refers to:
*Hohenstaufen, a dynasty of German emperors
*Staufen im Breisgau, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
*Staufen, Aargau, in Switzerland
*Staufen (protein), a protein found in the egg of ''Drosophila''
*Staufen, Austria
The ...
emperors transferred most non-military powers to a castellan, with the city administration and the municipal courts handed over to an Imperial mayor (german:
Reichsschultheiß) from 1173/74.
This castellan not only administered the imperial lands surrounding Nuremberg, but levied taxes and constituted the highest judicial court in matters relating to poaching and forestry; he also was the appointed protector of the various ecclesiastical establishments, churches and monasteries, even of the
Bishopric of Bamberg
The Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg (german: Hochstift Bamberg) was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire. It goes back to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bamberg established at the 1007 synod in Frankfurt, at the behest of King Henry II ...
. The privileges of this castellanship were transferred to the city during the late-14th and early-15th centuries. The strained relations between the burgraves and the castellan finally broke out into open enmity, which greatly influenced the history of the city.
Nuremberg is often referred to as having been the 'unofficial
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
' of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
, particularly because
Imperial Diets (''Reichstage'') and courts met at
Nuremberg Castle
Nuremberg Castle (german: Nürnberger Burg) is a group of medieval fortified buildings on a sandstone ridge dominating the historical center of Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany.
The castle, together with the city walls, is considered to be one ...
. The
Diets of Nuremberg
The Diets of Nuremberg, also called the Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire), Imperial Diets of Nuremberg, took place at different times between the Middle Ages and the 17th century.{{cite book, author=Johann Heinrich Kurtz, title=History of the Chri ...
were 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, supported by the Hohenstaufen emperors.
Frederick II (reigned 1212–50) granted the ' ( en, Great Letter of Freedom) in 1219, including
town rights
Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
,
Imperial immediacy
Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular pri ...
(''Reichsfreiheit''), the privilege to mint coins and an independent
customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
policy, almost wholly removing the city from the purview of the burgraves.
Nuremberg soon became, with
Augsburg
Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...
, one of the two great trade centers on the route from
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
to Northern Europe.
List of burgraves
House of Raabs
* 1105 – c. 1137
Gottfried II of Raabs
Gottfried II of Raabs (died ) was Burgrave of the medieval Burgraviate of Nuremberg, jointly with his brother Conrad I, from 1105 until his death.
Life
Gottfried II was a member of the ''edelfrei'' von Raabs family. He was the son of Gottf ...
(ruled until c. 1137)
* c. 1137 – c. 1143
Conrad I (c. 1100 – c. 1143)
* c. 1143 – c. 1160
Gottfried III (ruled until c. 1160)
* c. 1160–1191/92
Conrad II
Conrad II ( – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdoms ...
(c. 1125/30 – 1191/92, died without male descendants)
House of Hohenzollern
* 1192–1200/1204
Frederick I Frederick I may refer to:
* Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht.
* Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978)
* Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105)
* Frederick I, Count of Zoller ...
(1139–1200/1204), originally Frederick III, Count of Zollern, and married
Sophia, daughter of Conrad II, later becoming burgrave through this union.
* 1204–1218
Frederick II (1188–1255, younger son of Frederick I)
* 1218–1261/1262
Conrad I ''der Fromme'' (c. 1186–1261/2, elder son of Frederick I and brother of Frederick II). Count of Zollern as Conrad III
* 1262–1297
Frederick III ''der Erber'' (c. 1218–1297, son of Conrad I)
* 1297–1300
John I John I may refer to:
People
* John I (bishop of Jerusalem)
* John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople
* John of Antioch (died 441)
* Pope John I, Pope from 523 to 526
* John I (exarch) (died 615), Exarch of Ravenna
* John I o ...
(c. 1279–1300, elder son of Frederick III). Ruled with his brother Frederick IV.
* 1297–1332
Frederick IV (1287–1332, younger son of Frederick III and brother of John I). Took over the sole rule of the burgraviate after the death of his brother.
* 1332–1357
John II ''der Erwerber'' (1309–1357, son of Frederick IV)
* 1357–1397
Frederick V Frederick V or Friedrich V may refer to:
*Frederick V, Duke of Swabia (1164–1170)
*Frederick V, Count of Zollern (d.1289)
*Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg (c. 1333–1398), German noble
*Frederick V of Austria (1415–1493), or Frederick III, ...
(1333–1397, son of John II)
* 1397–1420
John III (1369–1420, son of Frederick V). Also
Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
The Principality of Bayreuth (german: Fürstentum Bayreuth) or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (''Markgraftum Brandenburg-Bayreuth'') was an immediate territory of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a Franconian branch of the Hohenzollern dyna ...
from 1398.
* 1398–1427
Frederick VI (1371–1440, son of Frederick V). As Frederick I, also
Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
The Principality or Margraviate of (Brandenburg-)Ansbach (german: Fürstentum Ansbach or ) was a principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Franconian city of Ansbach. The ruling Hohenzollern princes of the land were known as margrave ...
from 1398,
Elector of Brandenburg
This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg during the period of time that Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Mark, or ''March'', of Brandenburg was one of the primary constituent states of the Hol ...
from 1415,
Margrave of Brandenburg
This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Margraviate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg during the period of time that Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Mark, or ''March'', of Brandenburg was one of the primary c ...
from 1417 and Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach from 1420.
References
Further reading
* Sigmund Benker, Andreas Kraus (ed.): ''Geschichte Frankens bis zum Ausgang des 18. Jahrhunderts'' ( en, History of Franconia to the end of the 18th century). 3rd edition. Beck, Munich 1997.
* Max Spindler, Gertrude Diepolder: ''Bayerischer Geschichtsatlas'' ( en, Bavarian Historical Atlas. Bayerischer Schulbuch-Verlag, Munich 1969
* Gerhard Taddey: ''Lexikon der deutschen Geschichte'' ( en, Encyclopedia of German history). 3rd edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 1998.
* Markus Twellenkamp: ''Die Burggrafen von Nürnberg und das deutsche Königtum (1273–1417)'' ( en, The Burgraves of Nuremberg and the German monarchy (1273–1417)). Korn und Berg, Nuremberg 1994. (Originally a PhD thesis, University of Bonn, 1993)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burgraviate Of Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
History of Franconia
Counties of the Holy Roman Empire