Cologne special municipalities
As Cologne special municipalities are administrative districts in the high and late medieval Cologne referred to in parishes were based, in addition, however, on specific institutions of government and the judiciary possessed.
groups
The Cologne special communities, also known as parishes , can be divided into three groups. Of the total of twelve parishes belong
- the parishes of St. Alban , St. Aposteln , St. Brigiden , St. Kolumba , St. Laurenz , Groß St. Martin and St. Peter form the first group. These seven were in the old town and in the suburbs and were congruent with the respective parishes.
- The special parishes of Airsburg and Niederich comprised several parishes.
- The special communities of the third group joined the monastery or monastery immunities and were: St. Gereon - St. Christoph , St. Pantaleon-Weyerstraße and St. Severin .
administration
The Cologne special municipalities were partially independent districts and not mere districts of the entire municipality of Cologne. The leadership of the special congregations was held by two masters who were in office for one year. The legislative periods always overlapped every six months, so that the older master could introduce the younger one. The officials were subordinate to the masters , who in turn were divided into two groups. The first group was that of the deserved, the second group that of the undeserved officials. Deserved officials were those who already held the office of masters, the undeserved ones were still candidates for such an office. The well-deserved officials were full members of the official body and held this office for life. In addition, one could only buy into the position of a full member.
The tasks of the officials lay primarily in the area of the court and in the administration of the parishes. Various committees made up of officials then dealt with one of the respective tasks. In the area of the courts, this included the lower court, indictments of up to five schillings in dispute and the complaint court. In the administration, the committees were active by collecting taxes and administering them. In addition, the ministers took care of the administration of the church. Here they took over the financial management and the election of pastors. They also administered the poor and the hospitals.
The pastors in their respective parishes were mostly only responsible for the salvation of parishioners. The administration of the parish, the church property and the church facilities was completely taken over by the officials' committees.
research
The exact definition for the Cologne case is sometimes controversial in research, namely whether the concept of the special community or that of the parish is more appropriate. The development is also discussed. The question of whether the foundation of the communities comes from the community as a whole or from the district citizens themselves is part of the ongoing discussion.
There was a personal interweaving of certain offices and positions between the special communities and the overall community. People from the city council held offices in the official bodies.
literature
- Manfred Groten : Origin and development of the Cologne special communities. In: Städtforschung, Series A, Vol. 59, special communities and special districts in the city of the premodern. Münster 2004, pp. 53-77.
- Manfred Groten: Cologne in the 13th century. Cologne 1998.
- Wolfgang Herborn: On the personal interweaving of the overall community and special communities in late medieval Cologne. In: Städtforschung, Series A, Vol. 59, special communities and special districts in the city of the premodern. Münster 2004, pp. 79-101.