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The Imperial Chamber Court visit is the term used to describe the annual evaluation of the Reich Chamber Court by representatives of the Imperial Estates and the Emperor .
history
The need to review the work of the court was already seen when the Reich Chamber Court was founded, and this task was assigned to the Reich Regiment and, after its end, to the Reichstag . At the Reichstag in Constance in 1507 it was decided that at the end of each year an audit should take place with regard to the financing of the court. The commission, initially consisting of the king, an elector and a prince or their councilors, was first referred to as the visitation in the resolutions of the Reichstag of 1521 . The most important task of this commission was to secure the financing of the court and:
"To visit the absolute chamber court of persons, from the obrist to the undertsen, and otherwise in all other quantities and ailments, and to correct and reform for the best of your interests."
The basis of the visit was the questioning of the people to be visited and research into deficiencies and problems and remedying these in a joint consensus. The visitation also had a judicial function. Because in addition to the appeal to the Reichstag, it has been possible for the imperial estates since 1530 and every party since 1570 to complain during a visitation if the court met them without due payment [...].
The legal basis of the visitations was the Reich Chamber Court Order of 1555, the last Reichs Farewell of 1654 and, since Emperor Charles VII. The corresponding electoral capitulations and other Reich laws.
The visits were divided into ordinary and extraordinary, whereby the composition of the ordinary visitations corresponded to the requirements of the imperial laws. Extraordinary visitations were decided by the Reichstag and the composition could be freely chosen by the Reichstag. The first visitation took place in 1507. In the further course of the 16th century, visits took place regularly. Due to religious differences, the regular visitations ended in 1588. Since then, visitations have only been carried out sporadically. In the 18th century, only two visitations were carried out in the years from 1708 to 1713 (first Wetzlar visit) and from 1767 to 1776 (second Wetzlar visit).
The Second Wetzlar Visitation was part of Joseph II's large-scale reform program , which among other things had the aim of making the imperial institutions fit for the future and, in particular , of ending the crisis of imperial justice that had come to a head since the Seven Years' War .
Composition of the visitation commission
The visitators were the representatives of various imperial estates and represented the entire kingdom in the visitation commission.
The emperor's commissioners represented him and were thus bearers of imperial authority. They received precise instructions from the emperor, which contained precise instructions and described their freedom of choice. Land bailiffs, members of the hereditary governments, royal court councilors and secret councilors as well as members of the court as well as members of the imperial chamber court were called in as imperial commissioners. Her legal qualifications and experience with visitations were decisive here. It can be stated that it was always a matter of a noble secular or spiritual personality and one or two civil lawyers.
Course of the visitations
Before the visitation began, the Archbishop of Mainz issued summons to the Imperial Estates in his capacity as Imperial Arch Chancellor . And before or during the visitation, the latter sent requests, known as memorials, to the chamber judge for documents such as B. to prepare statistics and to take a position on certain events at the Reich Chamber of Commerce. This also includes reminders to implement agreed specifications from previous visitation farewells. Powers of attorney were issued by the imperial estates that the commissioners and visitors appointed by them are authorized to take part in the visitation. These powers of attorney were carefully checked by the visitors appointed by the Archbishop of Mainz.
The results of the visitations were recorded in so-called visitation partings. These farewells were presented to the Reichstag, which had to discuss them further. In a few years no farewells were written, only the visitation was recorded in memorabilia.
literature
- Anette Baumann: Corruption and Visitation at the Imperial Court of Justice in the 18th century: a preliminary balance sheet . In: Society for Reich Chamber Court Research (Hrsg.): Series of publications of the Society for Reich Chamber Court Research . Booklet 41.Wetzlar 2012.
- Anette Baumann: Visitations at the Reich Chamber of Commerce (= Library of the Old Reich . Volume 24 ). De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2018, ISBN 978-3-11-057116-5 .
- Alexander Denzler :: About everyday writing in the 18th century: Visitation of the Reich Chamber of Commerce from 1767 to 1776 . Böhlau, Cologne / Weimar 2016, ISBN 978-3-412-22533-9 .
Remarks
- ↑ quoted from Baumann: Korruption und Visitation am Reichskammergericht ... , p. 27
- ↑ Alexander Denzler: About everyday writing in the 18th century: The visitation of the Reichskammergericht from 1767 to 1776 , p. 93
- ↑ Alexander Denzler: About everyday writing in the 18th century: The visitation of the Reichskammergericht from 1767 to 1776 , p. 83
- ↑ Review by Anette Baumann: Alexander Denzler: About everyday writing in the 18th century. Visitation of the Reich Chamber of Commerce from 1767 to 1776
- ↑ Alexander Denzler: About everyday writing in the 18th century: The visitation of the Reichskammergericht from 1767 to 1776 , p. 57ff.
- ↑ Anette Baumann: Visitations at the Reich Chamber of Commerce (= Library of the Old Reich . Volume 24 ). De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2018, ISBN 978-3-11-057405-0 , p. 16 ff .