Reichsstrasse (Middle Ages)
Reichsstraße is the medieval name for a certain type of traffic connection .
The Reichsstrasse was under the spell of a king . The public order of peace was applied to it , which was extended to bridges and ferries from the 10th century onwards. Under Heinrich I , the name Reichsstraße strata imperialis - as a Middle High German translation of the riches strâze - was used for the first time .
According to the legislation of Charlemagne , as well as according to Gallic popular law , the maintenance of the roads, the care of the traffic facilities and security belonged to the duties and rights of the king, the regalia . In return, the king received customs duties . He enfeoffed the territorial lords , through whose territory the imperial roads led, with the exercise of escort. A letter of safe conduct, the dead escort, or an armed guard, the living escort, ensured the safety of the traveler. The escort was given on certain occasions, among which the procession for the election and coronation of the king was the most distinguished, the procession to the fair and market the most frequent.
Important imperial roads were the Via Imperii , the Via Regia , the Via Carolina , the Hellwege , the Burgunderstraße and the Via Francigena (also called Via Romea).
Web links
- Publications on Reichsstraßen in the Opac der Regesta Imperii