Swabian knight circle

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The Swabian Knight Circle was the corporation of the Swabian Imperial Knights from the 16th century until the end of the Holy Roman Empire . He was not part of the Swabian imperial circle .

Coats of arms of the knight circles, including those of the cantons of the Swabian knight circle

History and structure

The knight circle was created from 1541 to 1545 after the dissolution of the Swabian League . He took over traditions and organizational forms of the knight society Sankt Jörgenschild . In 1561 the members of the knight circle gave themselves their own constitution. This was confirmed by Emperor Ferdinand I in 1561 . In 1577, the merger with the Franconian and Rhenish knight circles followed to form a free imperial knighthood. In 1609, the knight's circle acquired high jurisdiction .

The district seat ( Syndicus , Consulenten , Chancellery and archive ) was initially the Free Imperial City of Ulm , from 1689 Ehingen . Due to the better infrastructure, the meetings continued to take place in Ulm or Munderkingen . In 1790 about 670 territories belonged to the knightly circle, which were ruled by 140 families. The total population was about 160,000 people.

Structure in cantons

The district was divided into five cantons. At the head of the cantons was an elected knight captain or director.

The cantons had the right to tax and had military sovereignty. They also represented the circle of knights externally. Knights' estates were only allowed to be sold to other knights, so that the territorial scope of the district did not become smaller and thus politically meaningless.

In the course of mediatization in 1805/06, the knight circle was dissolved.

See also

literature