La que se muestra a continuacin es una lista de todas las Ciudades Imperiales Libres del Sacro Imperio Romano-Germnico,

en 1792:

1. Aquisgrn (al. Aachen)

2. Aalen
3. Augsburgo (al. Augsburg)
4. Biberach
5. Bopfingen
6. Brema (al. Bremen)
7. Buchau
8. Buchhorn
9. Colonia (al. Kln)
10. Dinkelsbhl
11. Dortmund
12. Espira (al. Speyer)
13. Esslingen am Neckar
14. Frncfort del Meno (al. Frankfurt am Main)
15. Friedberg
16. Gengenbach
17. Giengen
18. Goslar
19. Hamburgo (al. Hamburg)
20. Heilbronn
21. Isny de Algovia (al. Isny im Allgu)
22. Kaufbeuren
23. Kempten (al. Kempten im Allgu)
24. Leutkirch im Allgu
25. Lindau
26. Lbeck
27. Memmingen
28. Mhlhausen
29. Mlhausen
30. Nordhausen
31. Nrdlingen
32. Nremberg (al. Nrnberg)
33. Offenburg
34. Pfullendorf
35. Ravensburg
36. Ratisbona (al. Regensburg)
37. Reutlingen
38. Rothenburg ob der Tauber
39. Rottweil
40. Schwbisch Gmnd
41. Schwbisch Hall
42. Schweinfurt
43. berlingen
44. Ulm
45. Wangen
46. Weil
47. Weienburg (Nordgau)
48. Wetzlar
49. Wimpfen
50. Windsheim
51. Worms
52. Zell am Harmersbach

Otras ciudades que en algn momento anterior a 1792 haban sido Ciudades Libres Imperiales, pero que para entonces ya no las
eran son:
 1. Basilea (al. Basel) (se convirti en uno de los cantones suizos en 1501, independencia reconocida en 1648)
2. Berna (al. Bern) (se convirti en un cantn suizo en 1351, el Imperio reconoci su indeoendencia en 1648)
3. Besanzn (fr. Besanon) (anexionada por Espaa en 1648)
4. Brakel (anexionada por el obispado de Paderborn)
5. Cambrai (a Francia, 1677)
6. Colmar (al. Kolmar) (anexionada por Francia en 1673, independencia confirmada en 1697)
7. Constanza (al. Konstanz) (anexionada por Austria en 1548)
8. Donauwrth (a Baviera, 1617)
9. Duisburgo (al. Duisburg) (al Clveris, en 1290)
10. Dren (al Jlich)
11. Esmalcalda (al. Schmalkalden) (a Hesse en 1581)
12. Estrasburgo (al. Strassburg, fr. Strasbourg) (anexionada por Francia en 1681, confirmeda en 1697)
13. Gelnhausen (a Hesse-Kassel, en 1745)
14. Haguenau (al. Hagenau) (anexionada por Francia entre 1670-1979)
15. Herford (a Brandeburgo)
16. Kaysersberg (anexionada por Francia en 1648)
17. Landau (anexionada por Francia en 1648)
18. Lemgo (a Lippe)
19. Maguncia (al. Mainz) (de vuelta bajo el control de su propio arzobispado en 1462)
20. Metz (anexionada por Francia en 1552)
21. Munster (anexionada por Francia en 1648)
22. Obernai (anexionada por Francia en 1648)
23. Rosheim (anexionada por Francia en 1648)
24. Sarrebourg (fr., en al. Sarreburg) (aexionada por Francia)
25. Schaffhausen (se convirti en un cantn suizo en 1501, independencia reconocida en 1648)
26. Slestat (al. Schlettstadt) (anexionada por Francia, 1670s)
27. Soest (al Ducado de Clveris/Brandeburgo en 1609)
28. Solothurn (se convirti en un cantn suizo en 1481, su independencia del Imperio fue recoocida en 1648)
29. Toul (anexionada por Francia en 1552)
30. Turckheim (anexionada por Francia en 1648)
31. Verden (al Ducado de Verden en 1648)
32. Verdn (anexionada por Francia en 1552)
33. Warburg (anexionada por el obispado de Paderborn)
34. Wissembourg (anexionada por Francia, en 1648)
35. Zrich (al. Zrich, se convirti en un cantn suizo en 1351, su independencia fue reconocida en 1648)

Description and Imperial

Religious house Location Dates College
status
 Baden- fdd 1240; RU 1376; secularised
Baindt Abbey Cistercian nunnery [1]RA SC
Wrttemberg 1802
Augustinian Canons.
fdd 1102; RU 1194; secularised Frstpropstei ("Prince-
Berchtesgaden Provostry Bavaria RF
1803 Provostry"). RF from 1380
or 1559
Baden- fdd c 700; RU 1347;
Buchau Abbey Frauenstift. RA. RF RC
Wrttemberg secularised 1803[2]
North Rhine- Benedictine monastery;
fdd 997; RU 1220/21;
Burtscheid Abbey Westphalia from 1220/21 Cistercian RC
secularised 1802
(Aachen) nunnery. RF
Canons; Carthusians from
fdd c 1100; RU 1548;
Buxheim Charterhouse Bavaria 1402 (the only SC and RC
secularised 1802/03
Reichskartause). RP
fdd 1070s; RU before 15th
Baden-
century; mediatised by Benedictine monastery, later
Comburg Wrttemberg SC
Wrttemberg 1587 (secularised Herrenstift. RA
(Schwbisch Hall)
1803)
North Rhine-
fdd c. 820; RU c. 1150; Benedictine monastery. RA;
Corvey Abbey Westphalia RF
secularised 1803 RF no later than 1582[3]
(Hxter)
fdd early 8th century[4]RU
temp. Charlemagne; ceased to
Disentis Abbey Switzerland be part of the HRE in 1648 Benedictine monastery. RA SC
(secularised 1798; re-
established 1803)
fdd 700; RU 751; mediatised by
Echternach Abbey Luxembourg Austria sometime after 1521[5] Benedictine monastery. RA
(secularised 1794)
fdd 934; RU 965; ceased to be
part of the HRE in 1648
Einsiedeln Abbey Switzerland Benedictine monastery. RA
(secularised 1798; re-
established 1803)
fdd nk; RU nk; secularised
Elchingen Abbey Bavaria Benedictine monastery. RA SC
1802
Benedictine monastery;
Baden- fdd c 764[6]; RU 1011
Ellwangen Abbey Frstpropstei ("Prince- RF
Wrttemberg (probably); secularised 1802
Provostry"). RF
North Rhine- fdd c. 845; RU 874 x 947;
Essen Abbey Frauenstift. RA RC
Westphalia secularised 1803
Frauenchiemsee Abbey fdd 772; RU nk; secularised
Bavaria Benedictine nunnery. RA SC
(aka Frauenwrth) 1803
Switzerland fdd 853; RU 1218; secularised
Fraumnster Abbey Benedictine nunnery. RA SC
(Zrich) 1524
fdd 1263 x 1265; RU probably
Bavaria
Frstenfeld Abbey temp. Ludwig the Bavarian; Cistercian monastery. RA SC
(Frstenfeldbruck)
secularised 1803
fdd 744; RU 765; secularised Benedictine monastery.
Fulda Abbey Hesse RF
1802 RF[7]
fdd 852; RU 877 / 919;
Gandersheim Abbey Lower Saxony Frauenstift. RA RC
secularised 1810 [8]
Baden- fdd 727 x 735; RU 9th century;
Gengenbach Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg secularised 1803
fdd before 961; RU before 965;
Gernrode Abbey Saxony-Anhalt Frauenstift. RA RC
secularised 1610
fdd 1004; RU 1020; secularised
Gss Abbey Austria (Leoben) Benedictine nunnery. RA SC
1782
 Baden- fdd 1237; RU nk; secularised
Gutenzell Abbey Cistercian nunnery. RA SC
Wrttemberg 1803
Baden-
fdd 1231; RU 1429; secularised Beguines; Cistercian
Heggbach Abbey Wrttemberg SC
1803 nunnery from 1248[9]. RA
(Maselheim)
Hesse (Bad fdd 997; RU probably temp.
Helmarshausen Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Karlshafen) Otto III; secularised 1538
fdd 789; RU temp. Ludwig the
North Rhine-
Herford Abbey Pious (d. 840); secularised Frauenstift. RA RC
Westphalia
1802[10]
Baden- fdd 1147; RU nk; secularised
Herrenalb Abbey Cistercian monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg 1536
fdd 736 x 742; RU 775;
Hersfeld Abbey Hesse Benedictine monastery. RA RC
secularised 1606 / 1617
fdd 1186; RU 1695; secularised
Irsee Abbey Bavaria Benedictine monastery. RA SC
1802
Kaisheim Abbey
fdd 1135; RU 1346, confirmed
(sometimes Kaisersheim Bavaria Cistercian monastery. RA SC and RC
1656[11]secularised 1802
Abbey)
fdd 1017; RU probably from
Kaufungen Abbey Hesse (Kassel) date of foundation; secularised Benedictine nunnery. RA
1527[12]
Benedictine monastery;
fdd 752; RU 1062; secularised
Kempten Abbey Bavaria Frststift from 1524. RA / RF
1803
RF
Benedictine abbey until
Rhineland- fdd nk; RU before or in 9th
Klingenmnster Abbey 1490; then Herrenstift. RA / RC
Palatinate century; secularised 1567
RP
Baden- fdd 1303; RU nk; taken over
Knigsbronn Abbey Wrttemberg and made Protestant by Cistercian monastery. RA
(Heidenheim) Wrttemberg in 1553[13]
North Rhine-
fdd 614; RU by mid-9th Benedictine monastery.
Kornelimnster Abbey Westphalia RC
century; secularised 1802 RA[14]
(Aachen)
fdd c 1125; RU c 1150; ceased
Kreuzlingen Abbey Switzerland to be part of the HRE in 1648 Augustinian Canons. RA
(dissolved 1848)
fdd early 9th century; RU 1466;
Lindau Abbey Bavaria Frauenstift; RA.[15] SC
secularised 1802
Benedictine monastery until
fdd 764; RU c. 10th/11th
Lorsch Abbey Hesse (Darmstadt) 1248; thereafter SC
centuries (?); secularised 1556
Premonstratensian. RA
fdd nk; RU nk; secularised Benedictine monastery.
Malmedy Abbey Belgium RF
1794-95 RA[16]
Marchtal Abbey (also Baden- fdd before 776, re-fdd 1171; Premonstratensian
SC
Marchthal) Wrttemberg RU 1500; secularised 1803 monastery. RA
Marmoutier Abbey; also fdd 659 (?); RU 7th/8th
Alsace Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Maursmnster[17] centuries; secularised 1790
fdd 1147; RU nk; mediatised by
Baden-
Maulbronn Abbey Wrttemberg 1504 (secularised Cistercian monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg
1555)
fdd 975; RU temp. Otto II or
Memleben Abbey Saxony-Anhalt Benedictine monastery. RA RC
Otto III; secularised 1548
Michaelsberg Abbey North Rhine-
fdd 1064; RU 1512; mediatised
(also known as Siegburg Westphalia Benedictine monastery. RA RC
1676; secularised 1803
Abbey) (Siegburg)
Mnchrot Abbey, also Baden- fdd 1126; RU 1376; secularised Premonstratensian SC
Mnchroth or
Mnchenroth Abbey; Wrttemberg (Rot
1803 monastery. RA
Rot Abbey or Rot an an der Rot)
der Rot Abbey
fdd 748; RU 788; secularised
Mondsee Abbey Austria Benedictine monastery. RA SC
1791
Mnster im St. see Marmoutier
Gregoriental[18] Abbey
Murbach Abbey (incl fdd 727; RU 782-783 (?);
Alsace Benedictine monastery. RF SC
Lders) secularised 1789[19]
fdd 1027; RU - none; ceased to
be part of the HRE in 1648
Muri Abbey Switzerland Benedictine monastery. RA
(secularised 1798; re-
established 1803)[20]
Baden- fdd 1095; RU nk[21]; secularised
Neresheim Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg 1802
fdd before 778; 2nd foundation
Bavaria
Niedermnster 948 x 955; RU 1002; Frauenstift. RA RC
(Regensburg)
secularised 1803
fdd nk; RU by 1220; Chapter of Nordhausen
Nordhausen chapter Thuringia
secularised 1802 Cathedral. RA
fdd early 9th century; RU temp. Benedictine nunnery, later
Bavaria
Obermnster Emperor Henry II; secularised Frauenstift. RA. RF from RC
(Regensburg)
1810 1315
Beguines until c 1211, then
fdd c. 1211 / 1248; RU nk;
Oberschnenfeld Abbey Bavaria Cistercian nunnery,
secularised 1803
formalised from 1248. RA
Baden- fdd 1093; RU 1495; secularised
Ochsenhausen Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg 1803
Odenheim Abbey
(originally Wigoldsberg; Baden- fdd c. 1108; RU nk; secularised Benedictine monastery;
RC
later also Odenheim and Wrttemberg 1802-03 Herrenstift from 1496. RA
Bruchsal)
fdd 764; RU 1299, regranted
Ottobeuren Abbey Bavaria Benedictine monastery. RA SC
1710[22]; secularised 1802
Baden-
fdd 983; RU temp Frederick II;
Petershausen Abbey Wrttemberg Benedictine monastery. RA SC
secularised 1802
(Konstanz)
fdd 731; RU 9th century (?);
ceased to be part of HRE in
Pffers Abbey Switzerland Benedictine monastery. RA
1648 (secularised 1798; re-
established 1803)
Bavaria fdd 1109; RU nk; secularised
Prfening Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA SC
(Regensburg) 1803
Rhineland- fdd 720; RU 10th/11th Benedictine monastery.
Prm Abbey RF
Palatinate centuries; secularised 1794 RF[23]
fdd 936; RU around time of
Quedlinburg Abbey Saxony-Anhalt foundation; Lutheran from Frauenstift. RA RC
1540; secularised 1803
Recklinghausen Abbey North Rhine- fdd nk; RU nk; mediatised by
RA
(also Rechenhausen) Westphalia Essen Abbey, date nk
fdd 724; RU nk;
Baden- Reichsunmittelbarkeit given up
Reichenau Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg to Bishopric of Konstanz 1540
or 1548
Riddagshausen Abbey Brunswick fdd 1145/46; RU nk; mediatised Cistercian monastery. RA
1569 by Brunswick-
 Wolfenbttel (secularised 1809)
fdd 1126; RU 1482 x 1485; Premonstratensian
Roggenburg Abbey Bavaria SC
secularised 1803 monastery. RA
Baden-
fdd nk; RU nk; secularised
Rottenmnster Abbey Wrttemberg Cistercian nunnery. RA SC
1803 (reopened 1898)
(Rottweil)
Thuringia fdd 1071; RU nk; secularised
Saalfeld Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA
(Saalfeld/Saale) 1526
St. Bartholomus Hesse (Frankfurt fdd 852; RU nk; secularised Chapter of the Kaiserdom in
RC
cathedral chapter am Main) 1803 Frankfurt. RP
St. Blaise's Abbey (the Benedictine monastery. RF
Baden- fdd nk; RU - none;; secularised
abbey itself was not on account of the County of
Wrttemberg 1806
reichsunmittelbar)[24] Bonndorf
Bavaria fdd c. 739; RU 1295;
St. Emmeram's Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA RC
(Regensburg) secularised 1803
fdd 613; RU 13th century;
secularised temporarily 1527-
32; ceased to be part of the Benedictine monastery;
St. Gall's Abbey Switzerland SC
HRE in 1648 (finally later Frstabtei. RA / RF
secularised in 1798; not re-
established)
Baden-
fdd 1096; RU 1781; secularised
St. George's Abbey, Isny Wrttemberg (Isny Benedictine monastery. RA SC
1802
im Allgu)
St. Giles' Abbey, fdd c. 1140; RU nk; absorbed
"Schottenkloster";
Nuremberg by Nuremberg (city) in 1525[25],
Bavaria Benedictine monastery from
(Schottenkloster Sankt as unable to document
[26] 1418. RA
gidien) Reichsunmittelbarkeit
Lower Saxony fdd c. 800; RU nk; secularised
St. Ludger's Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA RC
(Helmstedt) 1802
fdd 4th century; RU nk;
mediatised in 16th century by
St. Maximin's Abbey, Rhineland- Kurpfalz, but status not
Benedictine monastery. RA RC
Trier Palatinate finalised until 1669, when
Reichsunmittelbarkeit definitely
given up to Elector of Trier
fdd before 1073; RU nk;
St. Peter's Abbey in the Baden- mediatised by Austria, date nk
Benedictine monastery. RA
Black Forest Wrttemberg (15th century?) (secularised
1806)
St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's fdd 5th century (?); RU 1577 or Benedictine monastery from
Bavaria RC
Abbey, Augsburg 1643/44; secularised 1802 [27] 1006 x 1012. RA
Salem Abbey aka Baden- fdd 1136; RU 1138 x 1152;
Cistercian monastery. RA SC
Salmansweiler Wrttemberg secularised 1803
fdd nk; RU 1190; mediatised by
the town of Schaffhausen, date
Schaffhausen Abbey Switzerland Benedictine monastery. RA
nk; ceased to be part of HRE in
1648
fdd 9th century; RU poss c
1045; secularised temporarily
Schnis Abbey Switzerland 1529-31; ceased to be part of Frauenstift. RA SC
the HRE in 1648 (finally
secularised in 1811)
Baden- fdd 1183; RU 1440; secularised Premonstratensian
Schussenried Abbey SC
Wrttemberg 1803 monastery. RA
Baden- fdd 603; RU c. 8th century;
Schuttern Abbey[28] Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg secularised 1803
Selz Abbey Baden, later Alsace fdd c. 991; RU from 992; Benedictine monastery /
 mediatised by Kurpfalz during
the Reformation (secularised nunnery. RA
1803)
Sflingen Abbey Baden- fdd nk; RU nk; secularised
Poor Clares. RA SC
(sometimes Sfflingen) Wrttemberg (Ulm) 1802 or 1803 [29]
Stablo or Stavelot Abbey fdd c. 650; RU nk (before 12th Benedictine monastery.
Belgium RF
(also Stablingen) century); secularised 1794-95 RF[30]
fdd 9th century on the
Hohentwiel; moved to Stein am
Stein am Rhein Abbey Switzerland Rhein c. 1007; RU nk; RA
secularised by Zrich 1521 x
1526
The Netherlands fdd 10th century; RU c 1000
Thorn Abbey Frauenstift. RA RC
(Limburg) (?); secularised 1794
fdd 1126 x 1128; RU 1143; Premonstratensian
Ursberg Abbey[31] Bavaria SC
secularised 1803 monastery. RA
fdd 1128 x 1132; RU 1177;
mediatised by Kurpfalz 1543
Waldsassen Abbey Bavaria Cistercian monastery. RA SC
(secularised 1803; reopened as
Cistercian nunnery 1863)
fdd 1127; RU 1542; secularised
Walkenried Abbey Thuringia Cistercian monastery. RA RC
1648
Baden- fdd 1056; RU 1274; secularised
Weingarten Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg 1803
Baden-
fdd 1145; RU c. 1257; Premonstratensian
Weissenau Abbey Wrttemberg SC
secularised 1802 monastery. RA
(Ravensburg)
fdd 7th century; RU nk; ceased
Weissenburg Abbey Alsace to be part of the HRE in 1648 Reichspropstei. RP / RF[32] RF
(secularised c. 1798)
North Rhine- fdd 799; RU 877; secularised
Werden Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA RC
Westphalia (Essen) 1803
fdd 1130[33]; RU nk; secularised
Wettenhausen Abbey Bavaria Augustinian Canons. RA SC
1802
Baden- fdd 1089; RU 1750; secularised
Zwiefalten Abbey Benedictine monastery. RA SC
Wrttemberg 1802

List B: Reichsmatrikel 1521

The Matrikel of 1521 included a number of religious houses which have not been identified:

Description and Imperial

Religious house Location Dates
status
ceased to be part of the HRE in
Beckenried Abbey[34] Switzerland RA
1648
Blankenburg Abbey nk[35] nk nk
Landstrass, Carinthia
Brunnen Abbey nk nk
(Austria)
Hynoltshusen Abbey nk[36] nk monastery
Kitzingen Abbey nk nk monastery
Rockenhausen nk[37] nk RA
St. Johann (St. John's
nk nk nk
Abbey)
Inclusion in the 1521 Reichsmatrikel is not by itself conclusive evidence that a particular religious house was in fact an Imperial
abbey, and the status of the following abbey listed in the Matrikel is questionable in the absence of further
confirmation from other sources:

Description and
Religious house Location Dates
Imperial status
St. John's Abbey in the fdd. before 1152; RU nk (if at all); subordinated to
Switzerland (Alt St. Benedictine monastery.
Thurtal (Sant Johans im St. Gall's Abbey 1555; ceased to be part of the HRE
Johann, later Nesslau) Imperial status unknown
Turital) 1648 (dissolved 1805)

List C: Imperial abbeys not named in the Matrikel

For a variety of reasons a quantity of religious houses that possessed, or claimed, the status of Imperial immediacy either did
not attend the Reichstag, or were not listed in the surviving Matrikel. The following list is very far from complete, and possibly
some of those listed may not in fact have been reichsunmittelbar.

Description and
Religious house Location Dates
Imperial status
Amorbach Abbey Bavaria
Munsterbilzen
Belgium
Abbey
fdd 975; RU temp. Otto II; mediatised 1166 by the Archbishop
Benedictine
Nienburg Abbey Saxony-Anhalt of Magdeburg; secularised 1563 by the Prince of Anhalt- RC
monastery. RA
Dessau
Nivelles Abbey Belgium
Schntal Baden-
fdd. 1157; RU from 1418 to 1495; secularised 1803 Cistercian; RA
Abbey[38] Wrttemberg
Tegernsee Abbey Bavaria
Baden-
Wiblingen Abbey fdd. 1037; RU from 1701; secularised 1806 Benedictine; RA
Wrttemberg, Ulm

List of states in the Holy Roman Empire

This is the main page for the list of States which were part of the Holy Roman Empire, as alphabetized in the adjacent
template, at any time within the empire's existence between 962 and 1806.

In the 18th century the Holy Roman Empire consisted of over 1800 separate immediate territories governed by distinct
authorities. In 1792 there were approximately 150 secular territorial rulers with the status of Imperial Estate.

Table of states

Whilst any such list could never be truly definitive, nevertheless the list (accessible by the template at the top of this article)
attempts to be as comprehensive as possible.

It is not limited to feudal entities that possessed Reichsunmittelbarkeit, that is, under direct authority of the Holy Roman
Emperor, but includes quite some other lordships, sous-fiefs and allodial fiefs.

There is also a separate list of Free Imperial Cities, as well as a list of participants in the Reichstag as of 1792.

Key

The "Circle" column shows the Imperial Circle (Reichskreis) that the state belonged to.
 The "Bench" column shows where the state was represented in the Imperial Diet (Reichstag).

Circles Benches

Council of Electors, the exclusive elite formally electing the Holy

Aust Austrian Circle EL
Roman Emperor

Bav Bavarian Circle EC Spiritual Bench of the Council of Princes (individual voice)

Burg Burgundian Circle PR Secular Bench of the Council of Princes (individual voice)

El Rhin Electoral Rhenish Circle RP Rhenish prelates (Council of Princes)

Franc Franconian Circle SP Swabian prelates (Council of Princes)

Low Lower Rhenish-Westphalian

FC Franconian counts (Council of Princes)
Rhen Circle

Low Sax Lower Saxon Circle SC Swabian counts (Council of Princes)

Upp Rhin Upper Rhenish Circle WE Westphalian counts (Council of Princes)

Upp Sax Upper Saxon Circle WT Wetterau counts (Council of Princes)

Swab Swabian Circle RH Rhenish Bench of the Council of Imperial Cities

None "Circle-free" SW Swabian Bench of the Council of Imperial Cities

Note that in the "Circle" column, "n/a" denotes a state that had ceased to exist before the Reichsreform.

Other abbreviations used in the list are:

Abp. Archbishopric
Bp. Bishopric
Co. Countship (sometimes also called county)
D. Duchy
Ldg. Landgraviate
Mrg. Margraviate
Pr. Principality
RA Reichsabtei (Imperial abbacy, a monastery enjoying Reichsunmittelbarkeit)

[edit] Definition of terms

Imperial Abbey Reichsabt: A Reichsabt, literally 'Imperial Abbot' or 'Abbot of the Empire', was an Abbot whose abbey
was granted within the Holy Roman Empire the status of Reichsabtei (or Reichskloster), literally 'Imperial Abbey' (or -
Monastery), meaning that it enjoyed Reichsunmittelbarkeit, like an Imperial City, making him a prince of the church,
with the rank of a Prince of the Empire, like a prince-bishop.
Imperial Circle: An Imperial Circle (in German Reichskreis, plural Reichskreise) was a regional grouping of states of
the Holy Roman Empire, primarily for the purpose of organising a common defence and of collecting imperial taxes,
but also as a means of organisation within the Reichstag (Imperial Diet).
Imperial Diet Reichstag (institution): The Reichstag was the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German
Confederation, and Germany until 1945.
 Imperial Estate: An Imperial State or Imperial Estate (German singular: Reichsstand, plural: Reichsstnde) was an
entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Reichstag or Imperial Diet. Several states had no seats in the
Empire, while some officials (such as the Hereditary Usher) were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial
States.
Imperial Free City: In the Holy Roman Empire, an imperial free city (German: freie Reichsstadt) was a city formally
responsible to the emperor only as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which belonged to a territory and
were thus governed by one of the many princes (Frsten) of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops. Free cities
also had independent representation in the Reichstag of the Holy Roman Empire.
Imperial Immediacy Reichsfreiheit: The Reichsfreiheit or Reichsunmittelbarkeit (adjectives reichsfrei,
reichsunmittelbar) was a privileged feudal and political status, a form of statehood, which a city, religious entity or
feudal principality of minor lordship could attain within the Holy Roman Empire. It is translated as ==imperial
immediacy==. An immediate city, abbey or territory was under the direct authority of the Holy Roman Emperor and
the Imperial Diet, without any intermediary Liege lord(s). Advantages were that reichsfrei regions had the right to
collect taxes and tolls themselves, and held juridical rights (including the Blutgericht, 'high' justice including capital
punishment) themselves. De facto Reichsfreiheit corresponded to a semi-independence with a far-reaching autonomy.
Imperial Reform: In 1495, an attempt was made at a Reichstag in the city of Worms to give the disintegrating Holy
Roman Empire a new structure, commonly referred to as Imperial Reform (in German: Reichsreform).
Imperial State: An Imperial State or Imperial Estate (German singular: Reichsstand, plural: Reichsstnde) was an
entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Reichstag or Imperial Diet.
Mediatization: defined broadly, is the annexation of one monarchy by another monarchy in such a way that the ruler of
the annexed state keeps his or her noble title, and sometimes a measure of power. Thus, for example, when a sovereign
county is annexed to a larger principality, its reigning count might find himself subordinated to a prince, but would
nevertheless remain a count, rather than be stripped of his title.
Prince of the Empire: A Prince of the Empire is any ruling Prince whose territory is a member of the Holy Roman
Empire (not only German-speaking countries, but also many bordering and extensive neighbouring regions) and
entitled to a voting seat (or in a collective voting unit, such as the Grafenbank) in Imperial Diet or Reichstag.
Prince-abbot: A Prince-abbott 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, in an area that is ruled by the
head of an abbey. The designated abbey may be a monastery or a convent. Thus, because of the possibility of it being a
convent, an abbey-principality is one of the few cases in which the rule can be restricted to female incumbents, styled
princess-abbess. In many cases they were prince of the empire of a Reichsabtei in or near Germany, with a seat in the
Reichstag (imperial diet).
Prince-Bishop: 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 nobiliary titles held concurrently with their inherent clerical office. If the see is an
archbishopric, the correct term is prince-archbishop; the equivalent in the regular clergy is a prince-abbot.
Prince-elector: The prince-electors or electoral princes of the Holy Roman Empire (German: sing. Kurfrst, pl.
Kurfrsten) were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the
Holy Roman Emperors.
Secularization: Secularization is a process of transformation as a society slowly migrates from close identification with
the local institutions of religion to a more clearly separated relationship. In this context, often referring to the transfer
of Prince-Bishoprics to the control of lay rulers.

Notes column

In the "Notes" column, it is interesting to show, in capsule form, the a) territorial development of the different states or polities
(acquisition or loss of possessions, union of rulers or dynasties, etc.); b) royal or noble dynasties, including their various
branches, which ruled over territories or polities; c) transmission of succession rights (marriage, female succession, conquest,
cession, pledge, etc.); d) attributes of "statehood" (right to mint coins, holding markets and fairs, entering into treaties and pacts,
appointment of civil officials, etc.) and e) the size of territory and population of the various polities whenever data is available.

State of the Empire (Reichsstand)

The following excerpt from Franois Velde's Unequal and Morganatic Marriages in German Law provides an excellent
overview on what a "State of the Empire" is.

"The special status of these families manifested itself in the constitution of the Empire as it evolved in the 16th c. (Please see
first a general presentation of the constitution of the Holy Roman Empire.) To the status of territorial ruler corresponded a seat
and vote in one of the colleges of the Reichstag, the Imperial Diet. In the late 16th c., the multiplication of votes due to
territorial fragmentation led to reforms. After the Diet held at Augsburg in 1582, the list of votes remained fixed,
notwithstanding further territorial divisions. Furthermore, the right to vote became attached to a land, rather than to a person or
family (of course, land was inheritable within families). A member of the Diet with seat and vote (individual or shared) was
called a Reichsstand, or state of the Empire.

"At some point (Abt 1911, 103 n2 cites various possible dates, from the turn of the 16th c. to 1653 to the 18th c.), the definition
of Hochadel became congruent with being a Reichsstand (adjective: reichsstndisch). The reason is that the Emperor, as 'fons
nobilitatium,' had the power to create new princes, counts and barons of the Empire, a power which he began to use more
frequently. The existing princes, counts and barons were obviously loathe to see the value of their title diminished. The
members of the Diet complained and, after 1582, it became the rule that such new princes and counts would not of right have a
seat at the Diet. Furthermore, in 1653 the Electoral Capitulation included strict rules on the process by which the Emperor could
create new states of the Empire. In particular, any new member had to possess an immediate territory of sufficient size, and had
to be accepted by his peers (princes or counts).

"Thus a distinction emerged between families that were part of the Diet in 1582 : the 'old princely' and 'old comital'
(altfrstliche, altgrfliche) families families who were admitted to the Diet between 1582 and 1803:

the 'new princely' (neufrstliche) and 'new comital' (neugrfliche) families families or individuals who received the title of
Reichsfreiherr, Reichsgraf or Reichsfrst but were not admitted to the Diet.

"Only the first two groups were part of the Hochadel. Those in the third group were titular counts and princes but in no way
accepted as part of the Hochadel.

"Thus it would seem that having a seat and vote in the Reichstag would be a clear criterion for belonging to the Hochadel. But
there were further complications:

"In principle, the possession of a territory was a pre-condition for admission in the Diet. However, in the second half of the 18th
century a number of counts sat on the counts' benches without any such territory. They were called "personalists" because they
had been admitted on a personal basis (ad personam), and some jurists did not consider them to be part of the upper nobility
(for example, Ptter 1795, 143).

"Possession of a large immediate territory was a condition for entry, but not a condition for remaining in the Diet. It happened
that territories became subjected to another state of the Empire, thus losing immediate status; yet the owner remained in the
Diet.

"Consequently, whereas, in the 16th century, it was fairly easy to say who was in the upper nobility and who wasn't, it had
become more difficulty by the turn of the 19th century.

"Three concepts came into play:

immediate status (Reichsunmittelbarkeit),

sovereignty over a territory (Landeshoheit),
seat and vote at the Diet (Reichsstandschaft).

"The three were 'usually' related, in that the sovereign of a territory was a state of the Empire, and a state of the Empire usually
had sovereignty over an immediate territory; but there were exceptions both ways. Various authors emphasized one or a
combination of these elements. Thus, Runde (1791) required all three; Ptter emphasized sovereignty; Gnner and Leist
emphasized seat and vote at the Diet (in distinction with the imperial knighthood, see below). Among 19th century authors, the
main division was between those who required all three criteria , and those who considered Reichsstandschaft to be the sole
criterion (Hohler, Klber, Zoepf, Rehm).

"Using the second, slightly broader concept, at the end of the 18th century the high nobility consisted of those families which
had seat and vote at the Imperial Diet, with title of either prince or count (the last baronial family died out in 1775), numbering
about 25 princely (frstliche) and 80 comital (grfliche) families."
Grouped lists

The following lists are going to be included into the table above.

Ecclesiastical orders

The Teutonic Order

1529: College of Princes
1793: Council of Princes
The Order of St. John
1793: Council of Princes

Livonian territories

Livonian Confederation
o Livonian Order (secularized 16th century, to Poland)
o Archbishopric of Riga in Livonia (secularized in 16th century, to Poland)
o Bishopric of Dorpat (conquered by Russia in 1558)
o Bishopric of sel-Wiek (sold 1560 to Denmark)
o Bishopric of Courland (sold 1560 to Denmark)

Territories of Old Princely Families

Holstein-Gottorp
o Holstein-Gottorp-Oldenburg
Holstein-Glckstadt

Italian territories

Tuscany
Mantua
Parma
Milan
Modena and Reggio
Duke of Modena, Reggio, Mirandola, Massa, Carrara and Guastalla, etc
1452: Duchy of Modena and Reggio
1796-1814: French occupation

Territories of New Princely Families

Thurn and Taxis, held Friedberg-Scheer (1754)

List of Reichstag participants (1792)

The Holy Roman Empire was a highly decentralized state for most of its history, composed of hundreds of smaller states, most
of which operated with some degree of independent sovereignty. Although in the earlier part of the Middle Ages, under the
Salian and Hohenstaufen emperors, it was relatively centralized, as time went on the Emperor lost more and more power to the
Princes. Late in the history of the Empire, in 1792, a Diet (congress or parliament) of the Empire was called. Its membership
gives some insight as to the composition of the Holy Roman Empire at that time.
Structure of the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire in 1792

The year 1792 was just before the vast changes inspired by the French Revolutionary incursions into Germany. The empire was,
at that time, divided into several thousand immediate (unmittelbar) territories, but only about three hundred of these had
Landeshoheit (the special sort of sovereignty enjoyed by the states of the Empire), and had representation in the Reichstag
(Imperial Diet). The Imperial Diet was divided into three so-called collegia the Council of Electors, the Council of Princes,
and the Council of Cities. As those who received votes had gradually changed over the centuries, many princes held more than
one vote. Certain territories which had once held votes in the diet, as for instance the County of Waldeck or the Duchy of
Jlich-Kleve-Berg, no longer did so due to the extinction of an old dynasty, or for other reasons.

The Council of Electors

(8 members)

The King of Bohemia (also Archduke of Austria and King of Hungary)

The Archbishop of Mainz
The Archbishop of Cologne
The Archbishop of Trier
The Count Palatine of the Rhine (also Duke of Bavaria)
The Duke of Saxony
The Margrave of Brandenburg (King of Prussia)
The Duke of Brunswick-Lneburg (Elector of Hanover, King of Great Britain)

The Council of Princes

(Note, this is ordered based on the official order of voting in the Diet)

The Archduke of Austria (also King of Bohemia)

The Duke of Burgundy (also Archduke of Austria)

The Ecclesiastical Bench

1. The Archbishop of Salzburg
2. The Archbishop of Besanon
3. The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
4. The Bishop of Bamberg
5. The Bishop of Wrzburg
6. The Bishop of Worms
7. The Bishop of Eichsttt
8. The Bishop of Speyer
9. The Bishop of Strassburg
10. The Bishop of Constance
11. The Bishop of Augsburg
12. The Bishop of Hildesheim
13. The Bishop of Paderborn
14. The Bishop of Freising
15. The Bishop of Regensburg
16. The Bishop of Passau
17. The Bishop of Trent
18. The Bishop of Brixen
19. The Bishop of Basel
20. The Bishop of Mnster
21. The Bishop of Osnabrck (notable as, after 1648, it alternated between Protestant and Roman Catholic incumbents)
22. The Bishop of Lige
23. The Bishop of Lbeck (a Protestant bishopric)
24. The Bishop of Chur
25. The Bishop of Fulda
 26. The Abbot of Kempten
27. The Provost of Ellwangen
28. The Grand Master of the Order of St. John
29. The Prior of Berchtesgaden
30. The Abbot of Weissenburg
31. The Abbot of Prm
32. The Abbot of Stablo
33. The Abbot of Corvey
34. A single vote for the College of the Prelates of Swabia; see below
35. A single vote for the College of the Prelates of the Rhine; see below

These last two were groups of lesser abbots, who together had a joint vote. Unlike those who had a full vote, they were
not considered fully sovereign.

The Secular Bench

1. The Duke of Bavaria (the Elector of Bavaria)
2. The Duke of Magdeburg (also King of Prussia)
3. The Count Palatine of Kaiserslautern (also the Elector of Bavaria)
4. The Count Palatine of Simmern (also the Elector of Bavaria)
5. The Count Palatine of Neuburg (also the Elector of Bavaria)
6. The Duke of Bremen (also the Elector of Hanover)
7. The Duke of Zweibrcken
8. The Count Palatine of Veldenz (also the Elector of Bavaria)
9. The Duke of Saxe-Weimar
10. The Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (also Duke of Saxe-Weimar)
11. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg
12. The Duke of Saxe-Gotha
13. The Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (also Duke of Saxe-Gotha)
14. The Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (also King of Prussia)
15. The Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (also King of Prussia)
16. The Duke of Brunswick-Celle (also Elector of Hanover)
17. The Duke of Brunswick-Kalenberg (also Elector of Hanover)
18. The Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (also Elector of Hanover)
19. The Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbttel
20. The Prince of Halberstadt (also King of Prussia)
21. The Duke of Lower Pomerania (also King of Prussia)
22. The Duke of Upper Pomerania (also King of Sweden)
23. The Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
24. The Duke of Mecklenburg-Gstrow (also Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin)
25. The Duke of Wrttemberg
26. The Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel)
27. The Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
28. The Margrave of Baden-Baden (the Margrave of Baden)
29. The Margrave of Baden-Durlach (the Margrave of Baden)
30. The Prince of Verden (also Elector of Hanover)
31. The Margrave of Baden-Hochberg (the Margrave of Baden)
32. The Duke of Holstein (also King of Denmark)
33. The Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (also Elector of Hanover)
34. The Prince of Minden (also King of Prussia)
35. The Duke of Holstein-Gottorp-Oldenburg
36. The Duke of Savoy (also King of Sardinia)
37. The Landgrave of Leuchtenberg (also Elector of Bavaria)
38. The Prince of Anhalt (actually, there were four Princes of Anhalt at this time, who split the vote the Princes of
Anhalt-Zerbst, Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Bernburg, and Anhalt-Kthen)
39. The Princely Count of Henneberg (this vote was divided among the various branches of the House of Wettinthe
Elector of Saxony, the Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the Duke of Saxe-Gotha-
Altenburg, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and the Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen)
40. The Prince of Schwerin (also Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin)
41. The Prince of Kammin (also King of Prussia)
42. The Prince of Ratzeburg (also Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz)
 43. The Prince of Hersfeld (also Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel)
44. The Prince of Nomny (to the House of Lorraine; after 1780 also King of Bohemia, etc.)
45. The Prince of Mmpelgard (Montbliard) (also Duke of Wrttemberg)
46. The Duke of Arenberg
47. The Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
48. The Prince of Lobkowitz
49. The Prince of Salm (actually, there were two branches of this family, who split the vote the Prince of Salm-Salm
and the Prince of Salm-Kyrburg)
50. The Prince of Dietrichstein
51. The Prince of Nassau-Hadamar (also Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the United Provinces)
52. The Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg (also Prince of Orange)
53. The Prince of Auersperg
54. The Prince of East Frisia (also King of Prussia)
55. The Prince of Frstenberg
56. The Prince of Schwarzenberg
57. The Prince of Liechtenstein
58. The Prince of Thurn and Taxis
59. The Prince of Schwarzburg (divided into two branches, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen)
60. A single vote for the College of the Counts of Swabia; see below
61. A single vote for the College of the Counts of the Wetterau; see below
62. A single vote for the College of the Counts of Franconia; see below
63. A single vote for the College of the Counts of Westphalia; see below

The Council of Cities

The Council of Imperial Free Cities was not actually equal to the others its vote was only advisory. In 1792, there were 51
Free Cities, divided amongst six Circles.

Circle of Bavaria
1. Regensburg

Circle of Franconia
1. Nuremberg
2. Rothenburg ob der Tauber
3. Bad Windsheim
4. Schweinfurt
5. Weienburg in Bayern (Nordgau)

Circle of the Lower Rhine-Westphalia

1. Cologne
2. Aachen
3. Dortmund

Circle of Lower Saxony

1. Lbeck
2. Goslar
3. Mhlhausen
4. Hamburg
5. Bremen
6. Nordhausen

Circle of the Upper Rhine

1. Worms
2. Speyer
 3. Frankfurt am Main
4. Friedberg
5. Wetzlar

Circle of Swabia
1. Augsburg
2. Ulm
3. Esslingen am Neckar
4. Reutlingen
5. Nrdlingen
6. Schwbisch Hall
7. berlingen
8. Rottweil
9. Heilbronn
10. Schwbisch Gmnd
11. Memmingen
12. Lindau
13. Dinkelsbhl
14. Biberach
15. Ravensburg
16. Kempten
17. Kaufbeuren
18. Weil
19. Wangen im Allgu
20. Isny im Allgu
21. Leutkirch im Allgu
22. Wimpfen
23. Giengen
24. Pfullendorf
25. Buchhorn
26. Aalen
27. Bopfingen
28. Buchau
29. Offenburg
30. Gengenbach
31. Zell am Harmersbach

Membership of single-vote colleges

The two benches of the Council of Princes each contained single-vote colleges. The membership of each of these was as
follows:

The Prelates of Swabia

The Abbess of Baindt
The Abbot of Elchingen
The Abbot of Gengenbach
The Abbess of Gutenzell
The Abbess of Heggbach
The Abbess of Irsee
The Abbot of Kaisheim
The Abbot of Marchtal
The Abbot of Neresheim
 The Abbot of Ochsenhausen
The Abbot of Petershausen
The Abbot of Roggenburg
The Abbot of Rot
The Abbot of Rottenmnster
The Abbot of Salmannsweiler
The Abbot of Schussenried
The Abbess of Sflingen
The Abbot of Ursperg
The Abbot of Weingarten
The Abbot of Weissenau
The Abbot of Wettenhausen
The Abbot of Zwiefalten

The Prelates of the Rhine

The Abbot of Bruchsal and Odenheim
The Abbess of Buchau
The Abbot of Burtscheid
The Abbot of Ballei of Koblenz (Grand Master of the Teutonic Order)
The Abbot of St. Cornelismnster
The Abbot of Ballei of Elsass and Burgundy (Grand Master of the Teutonic Order)
The Abbess of Essen
The Abbess of Gandersheim
The Abbot of St Georg in Isny
The Abbess of Gernrode
The Abbess of Herford
The Abbess of Niedermnster in Regensburg
The Abbess of Obermnster in Regensburg
The Abbess of Quedlinburg
The Abbess of Thorn
The Abbot of St. Ulrich and St. Afra in Augsburg
The Abbot of Werden

The Counts of the Wetterau

The Princes and Counts of Solms
The Prince of Nassau-Usingen
The Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
The Prince of Nassau-Saarbrcken
The Princes and Counts of Isenburg
The Counts of Stollberg
The Princes and Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein
The Counts of Salm
The Princes and Counts of Leiningen
The Counts of Westerburg
The Counts of Wetter-Tegerfelden
The Counts of Hoyos
The Counts of Schnburg
The Count of Wied-Runkel
The Counts of Ortenburg
The Counts of Reuss zu Plauen

The Counts of Swabia

The Prince of Frstenberg
The Abbess of Buchau
The Commander of the Teutonic Knights
The Prince of Oettingen
 The Count of Montfort (also King of Bohemia)
The Count of Helfenstein (also Elector of Bavaria)
The Prince of Schwarzenberg
The Count of Knigsegg
The Count of Waldburg
The Count of Eberstein (also Margrave of Baden)
The Count von der Leyen
The Counts of Fugger
The Lord of Hohenems (also King of Bohemia)
The Count of Traun
The Prince-Abbot of St. Blase
The Count of Stadion
The Prince of Thurn and Taxis
the Count of Wetter-Tegerfelden inBonndorf
The Count of Khevenhller
The Count of Kuefstein
The Prince of Colloredo
The Count of Harrach
The Count of Sternberg
The Count of Neipperg

The Counts of Franconia

The Princes and Counts of Hohenlohe
The Counts of Castell
The Counts of Erbach
The Counts of Rothenberg (later the Counts of Rothberg)
The Princes and Counts of Lwenstein-Wertheim
The Heirs to the Counts of Limpurg
The Counts of Nostitz-Rieneck
The Prince of Schwarzenberg
The Heirs to the Counts of Wolfstein
The Counts of Schnborn
The Counts of Windisch-Grtz
The Counts Orsini von Rosenberg
The Counts of Starhemberg
The Counts of Wurmbrand
The Counts of Giech
The Counts of Gravenitz
The Counts of Pckler

The Counts of Westphalia

The Lord of Sayn-Altenkirchen (also Elector of Hanover)
The Count of Hoya (also Elector of Hanover)
The Count of Spiegelberg (also Elector of Hanover)
The Count of Diepholz (also Elector of Hanover)
The Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
The Count of Tecklenburg (also King of Prussia)
The Duke of Arenberg
The Prince of Wied-Runkel
The Prince of Wied-Neuwied
The Count of Schaumburg (shared between the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and the Count of Lippe-Bckeburg)
The Counts of Lippe
The Counts of Bentheim
The Princes and Counts of Lwenstein-Wertheim
The Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg
The Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
 The Count of Toerring
The Count of Aspremont
The Prince of Salm-Salm (as Count of Anholt)
The Count of Metternich-Winnenburg
The Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg
The Counts of Plettenberg
The Counts of Limburg-Stirum
The Count of Wallmoden
The Count of Quadt
The Counts of Ostein
The Counts of Nesselrode
The Counts of Salm-Reifferscheidt
The Counts of Platen
The Counts of Sinzendorf
The Prince of Ligne