The ''Statutum in favorem principum'' ("Statute in favour of the princes") of 1231, reaffirmed in 1232, counts as one of the most important sources of law of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

on German territory. In May 1231 Frederick II's son Henry,

King of Germany This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany (''Regnum Teutonicum''), from the division of the Frankish Empire in 843 and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 until the collapse of the German Emp ...

, issued the grant under pressure from the German secular princes during his rebellion against his father. The terms were very similar to those conceded to the ecclesiastical princes or bishops in the ''

Confoederatio cum principibus ecclesiasticis The ''Confoederatio cum principibus ecclesiasticis'' ("Treaty with the princes of the church") was decreed on 26 April 1220 by Frederick II as a concession to the German bishops in return for their co-operation in the election of his son Henry ...

'' at the time of the Henry's coronation (in 1220), conferring similar rights. Frederick II confirmed the grant in May 1232. In this law, the Emperor relinquished a number of important Royal rights (''"Regalia"'') to the secular princes. Among other things, they received the rights to mint coins and levy tolls in the German part of the Holy Roman Empire. In particular, however, Frederick granted them the right of approval over any legislation proposed in future by the Emperor. The decreeing of this law together with the previous ''Confoederatio'' made the power and influence of the territorial princes in relation to the Empire and the towns extraordinarily great. Frederick's aim was to leave his Empire north of the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

secure under the direct rule of the princes, allowing him to concentrate his efforts on the southern part of the Empire. This rule of the land by the princes was nevertheless secured at the expense of the centralised power of the monarchy. As a result, this law is the basis of

federalism Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments ( provincial, state, cantonal, territorial, or other sub-unit governments) in a single ...

in Germany.

External links

Version of 1231: Edition in MGH, Constitutiones II, pp. 418–20Version of 1232: Edition in MGH, Constitutiones II, pp. 211–13

Sources

*Zippelius, Reinhold. ''Kleine deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte'', 7th. ed. Munich: 2006 . {{Authority control 1230s in law Legal history of the Holy Roman Empire 1230s in the Holy Roman Empire 1232 in Europe Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor