Home citizen

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Heimbürger (also Heimbürge or Heimberger ), that is to say "protector of the home", was the name for urban or village officials with different functions in the Middle Ages and early modern times. The term was mainly used in southern Germany (Palatinate, Moselle, Rhine and Main regions, Thuringia, Saxony) and Alsace.

activity

In the village area, home citizens were officials who were usually not (like Schultheiss , Schulze or Meier ) appointed by the local lord, but by the local community. The main tasks of the home citizen were the administration of the municipal assets and the decision on the use of the common land ; Often he also took on the task of field and field judge, for example according to Chapter 34 of the Mühlhausen Imperial Law Book . In some places he actually acted as head of the village community and judge. In a sense, the office then corresponded to the mayor elected by the citizens in the cities.

In the (Ottonian) Nassau countries, the term Heimberger was used in the sense of "local chief" - not to be confused with the current office of local chief. A Heimberger had to be appointed for each parish there , who was not elected by the residents but appointed by the authorities. The office was introduced in 1536; In 1609 the tasks were described in detail. In particular, the Heimbergers were responsible for collecting taxes for the rule.

In Eberbach am Neckar, two Heimberger were appointed each year as city representatives, who took up the citizens' taxable assets and collected their share of the herdsman's wages from the cattle owners. Their role probably expired in the course of the reforms of the early 19th century with the establishment of communal autonomy.

In the medieval city constitution, the term occurs for officials who had to decide in market matters and who monitored compliance with the right measure. Urban messengers, councilors and court servants were also sometimes called home citizens.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Günter Grains: The Mühlhäuser imperial law book Blogspot page Mulhouse - History and more , 1 August 2010
  2. ^ Stadtarchiv Eberbach am Neckar: Heimberger accounting between 1541 and 1742.