Landscape (estates)

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In the historical and original context, landscape means the totality of the estates in a medieval and early modern state in the sense of the estate order . Sometimes only the cities as part of the estates were referred to as landscapes.

Concept history

In the Middle Ages, the term “landscape” originally stood for the entire population of an area. Later, its importance narrowed to the politically competent residents as the representation of the country's inhabitants before the government and finally to their corporate representation. The assemblies of the estates were called “ Landtag ”, whereas “landscape” meant more the institution.

The current meaning of landscape in the geographical sense arose later under the influence of painting and has only been in use since the 18th century.

Historical development and today's significance

Since the 17th century the landscapes or estates in most states lost their political importance due to absolutism . They were either dissolved, changed over several intermediate stages to today's state parliaments or to institutions of their own kind such as the landscape associations .

The influence of the landscapes, which historically formed a region with its own identity, often still has an effect today and can shape the culture and language of an area that no longer forms a political unit.

Germany

Areas of the still existing historical landscapes in Lower Saxony

In Prussia , the mortgage banks formed from the end of the 18th century in the historical parts of the country ( Brandenburg , Pomerania , East Prussia , etc.) were referred to as landscape for the noble landowners represented in the estates, see also here: Landscape (Prussia) .

In Mecklenburg only the cities were referred to as a landscape . This existed until 1918.

In Lower Saxony there are still six old landscapes as corporations with a corporate constitution.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands there is a Landschap in all 12 provinces . Today the Provinciale Landschappen are primarily entrusted with nature conservation tasks. You are the owner of the larger nature reserves and historical buildings under monument protection .

Austria

In Austria the term landscape was also used for the totality of the four estates, namely the prelates, lords, knights and cities. Today you can still find this name in pharmacies that date from this time and are called landscape pharmacy . You can still find them in Baden near Vienna , Schwechat , Horn and Klagenfurt .

Sweden

The landscapes in Sweden (Swedish landskap ) are precisely defined areas to this day, even if the estates that represent them no longer exist.

See also

literature

  • Peter Blickle (Hrsg.): Landscapes and estates in Upper Swabia. Rural and bourgeois representation in the context of early European parliamentarism . Bibliotheca Academica Verlag, Tübingen 2000, ISBN 3-928471-29-5 .
  • Sabine Heissler: The "East Frisian Singularity". The political and social position of the East Frisian estates in the beginning absolutism 1660–1690 . Tectum-Verlag, Marburg 1994, ISBN 3-89608-552-2 .
  • Thomas Paringer: The Bavarian landscape. Composition, tasks and sphere of activity of the state representation in the Electorate of Bavaria (1715–1740) . Commission for Bavarian State History, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-7696-6877-3 .

Web links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Brockhaus' Kleines Konversations-Lexikon, fifth edition, volume 2. Leipzig 1911., p. 13.
  2. ^ Max Döllner : History of the development of the city of Neustadt an der Aisch up to 1933. Ph. C. W. Schmidt, Neustadt a. d. Aisch 1950, OCLC 42823280 ; New edition to mark the 150th anniversary of the Ph. C. W. Schmidt publishing house, Neustadt an der Aisch 1828–1978. Ibid 1978, ISBN 3-87707-013-2 , p. 265 (17th century)
  3. ↑ Austria Lexicon .