Vitztum

Vitztum (also Viztum , Vitzthum (-amt) or Vizedom (all variants partly also written with c), from Latin Vicedominus ) was the official title of a deputy or governor of the sovereign (sovereign), originally in ecclesiastical, later also in secular principalities. In the course of time the office developed into that of a sovereign official with the main tasks of managing the financial system and exercising judicial functions. In the southern and central German areas, the Vitztum was later mostly named Oberamtmann . In France the vidame developed .

This also gave rise to the name of the Thuringian-Saxon noble family von Vitzthum and the name Fitzthum .

General

From the 9th century it appears in Italy and the Spanish Mark, among others . In the 11th century it was also known in southern and western German districts. The Vicedomini found particular distribution in the episcopal churches .

He was considered one of the first men in the country after the Duke and was superior to the four most important court offices:

Chamberlain ( camerarius )
Marshal ( marschalcus )
Truchsess ( dapifer )
Cupbearer ( pincerna )

Vitztume in individual territories

Bamberg Monastery

The possessions in Carinthia of the Bamberg monastery were administered in the Wolfsberg Vice Cathedral .

Bavaria

In the Bavarian legal history, the Vitztum was a judge representing the sovereign in the Middle Ages . In medieval history, the Bavarian dukes appointed scribes or bailiffs with judicial competence. Since the local nobility only exercised the lower jurisdiction, but the general jurisdiction lay with the sovereign, the judges represented the sovereign in capital crimes such as B. murder, fornication, etc. Depending on the sovereign, this also reserved the punishment for certain offenses. This is known as vice-dealers.

From today's point of view, a vice office, based on the administrative level, corresponded to a government district and the vice cathedral to a district president (who also functioned in part as a military commander).

Fulda Monastery

In the Hochstift Fulda the Vizedom was the official responsible for the Vizedomamt Fulda .

Kurmainz

In Kurmainz the Vizedom was originally a court office . Archbishop Adalbert I of Saarbrücken (1112–1137) installed a vice cathedral for each of the centers of Mainz-Rheingau, Aschaffenburg , Eichsfeld-Hessen and Erfurt from 1120 onwards . They formed the middle instance between central power and officials. The Vizedomamt Mainz-Rheingau was later divided into the Vizedomamt in the city of Mainz and the Vizedomamt Rheingau . Later, the vice cathedral office was added to the city of Mainz .

Salzburg

In the Prince Archbishopric of Salzburg , the Vice Cathedral of Salzburg was responsible for the areas north of the Tauern (cis Turonem). The Vizedom in Friesach was responsible for the areas south of the Tauernkamm (trans Turonem) . Until 1595 there was also the Vice Cathedral Office in Leibnitz , which was sold that year.

Würzburg Monastery

The Vizedom was the representative of the bishop as sovereign in the capital Würzburg.

Individual evidence

^ Max Döllner : History of the development of the city of Neustadt an der Aisch up to 1933. Ph. CW Schmidt, Neustadt ad Aisch 1950. (New edition 1978 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Ph. CW Schmidt Neustadt an der Aisch publishing house 1828-1978. ) P. 296.

^ Friederike Zaisberger : Geschichte Salzburgs , 1998, ISBN 978-3-486563511 , p. 127, online

[1] Max Döllner : History of the development of the city of Neustadt an der Aisch up to 1933. Ph. CW Schmidt, Neustadt ad Aisch 1950. (New edition 1978 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Ph. CW Schmidt Neustadt an der Aisch publishing house 1828-1978. ) P. 296.

[2] Friederike Zaisberger : Geschichte Salzburgs , 1998, ISBN 978-3-486563511 , p. 127, online