A ''Freiheit'' (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

for liberty or freedom; plural ''Freiheiten'') was a quarter of medieval

Königsberg Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

. All land surrounding Königsberg belonged to the

Teutonic Knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...

, aside from specific tracts allocated to Königsberg's constituent towns or castle. The tracts, originally pastures and farmland, developed into suburbs subordinate in administrative, judicial, religious, and educational matters. The ''Freiheiten'' of

Königsberg Castle Königsberg Castle (, ) was the seat of the grand masters of the Teutonic Order and of the dukes and kings of Prussia in the city of Königsberg (since 1946 Kaliningrad, Russia). The original fortress on the site was built by the Teutonic Knights ...

included Burgfreiheit, Neue Sorge, Rossgarten, Sackheim, and

Tragheim Tragheim was a Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter of northern Königsberg, Germany. Its territory is now part of Kaliningrad, Russia. History Tragheim was first documented in 1299, but probably already existed as an Old Prussians, Old Prussian f ...

. The highest authority over these suburbs was the castle's Oberburggraf.

Altstadt ''Altstadt'' () is the German language word for "old town", and generally refers to the historical town or city centre within the old town or city wall, in contrast to younger suburbs outside. '' Neustadt'' (new town), the logical opposite of ...

's ''Freiheiten'' included Laak, Lastadie,

Neurossgarten Neurossgarten () was a quarter of northwestern Königsberg, Germany. Its territory is now part of Kaliningrad, Russia. History The name ''Neuroßgarten'' means "new horse pasture" in German, with the eastern Königsberg suburb of Rossgarten (o ...

, and Steindamm. They were subordinate to the town council of Altstadt. The island town of

Kneiphof Coat of arms of Kneiphof Postcard of Kneiphöfsche Langgasse Reconstruction of Kneiphof in Kaliningrad's museum Kneiphof (; ; ) was a quarter of central Königsberg (Kaliningrad). During the Middle Ages it was one of the three towns that co ...

controlled Vorstadt and Haberberg, while

Löbenicht View of Löbenicht from the Pregel, including its church and gymnasium, as well as the nearby Propsteikirche Löbenicht (; ) was a quarter of central Königsberg, Germany. During the Middle Ages it was the weakest of the three towns that com ...

controlled only the small districts Anger and Stegen. By the ''Rathäusliche Reglement'' of 13 June 1724, King

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the Soldier King (), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuchâtel. Born in Berlin, he was raised by the Hugu ...

merged Altstadt, Löbenicht, Kneiphof, and their respective suburbs into the united city of Königsberg. Königsberg Castle and its suburbs remained separate until the '' Städteordnung'' of Stein on 19 November 1808 during the era of

Prussian reforms The Prussian Reform Movement was a series of constitutional, administrative, social, and economic reforms early in 19th-century Prussia. They are sometimes known as the Stein–Hardenberg Reforms, for Karl Freiherr vom Stein and Karl August v ...

.Gause II, p. 334

Notes

References

* * * Former subdivisions of Königsberg {{Germany-hist-stub