The Franconian Circle as at the beginning of the 16th century
The flag of Franconia as used by troops of the Franconian Circle when fighting with the
Imperial Army .
[disambiguation needed ]
The Franconian Circle (German : Fränkischer Reichskreis ) was an Imperial Circle established in 1500 in the centre of the Holy Roman Empire . It comprised the eastern part of the former Franconian stem duchy — roughly corresponding with the present-day Bavarian Regierungsbezirke of Upper , Middle and Lower Franconia — while western Rhenish Franconia belonged to the Upper Rhenish Circle . The title of a "Duke of Franconia" was claimed by the Würzburg bishops .
Composition [ edit ]
The circle was made up of the following states:
Name
Type of entity
Comments
Ansbach
Margraviate
Established in 1398, held by the House of Hohenzollern , acquired by Prussia in 1791
Bamberg
Prince-Bishopric
Diocese established in 1007 by King Henry II , Prince-Bishopric since about 1245
Bayreuth
Margraviate
Established in 1398 at Kulmbach , held by the House of Hohenzollern, personal union with Ansbach from 1769, acquired by Prussia in 1791
Castell
County
Imperial counts since 1202
Eichstätt
Prince-Bishopric
Established in 741 by Saint Boniface
Erbach
County
Imperial counts from 1532
Franconia (de )
Teutonic bailiwick
Seated in Bad Mergentheim
Hausen
Lordship
Held by Bamberg since 1007, condominium with Bayreuth and Nuremberg from 1538
Henneberg
Princely County
Principality since 1310, line extinct in 1583, acquired by Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Gotha in 1660
Hohenlohe
County
Immediate counts since 1450, raised to principality in 1744
Limpurg
Lordship
Territory around Limpurg Castle near Schwäbisch Hall , held by the Schenken von Limpurg , hereditary cup-bearers of the Empire for the Bohemian kings
Löwenstein
County
Imperial immediacy since 1494, Löwenstein-Wertheim from 1574, raised to principality in 1711
Nuremberg
Imperial City
Reichsfreiheit granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1219
Reichelsberg
Lordship
Territory around Reichelsberg Castle near Aub , originally a fiefdom granted by Bamberg to Hohenlohe , since 1401 a fief of Würzburg
Rieneck
County
Territory around Rieneck Castle , established in 1168, claimed as a fief by Mainz from 1366, line extinct in 1559, acquired by the Imperial counts of Nostitz in 1673
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Imperial City
Reichsfreiheit granted by Rudolph of Habsburg 1274
Schwarzenberg
Lordship
Established in 1429 by the Lords of Seinsheim , territory around Schwarzenberg Castle near Scheinfeld , Imperial county from 1599, principality from 1670
Schweinfurt
Imperial City
Since 1254
Seinsheim
Lordship
Held by the Counts of Schwarzenberg from 1655
Weißenburg
Imperial City
Since 1296
Welzheim
Lordship
Fiefdom of Württemberg , from 1379 to 1713 in possession of the Schenken von Limburg
Wertheim
County
Established in 1132, acquired by Löwenstein in 1574
Wiesentheid
Lordship
Imperial county from 1678, acquired by the Counts of Schönborn in 1701
Windsheim
Imperial City
Since 1248
Würzburg
Prince-Bishopric
Established in 741 by Saint Boniface , prince-bishopric since 1168, titular "Duke in Franconia"
References [ edit ]
Sources [ edit ]
Created in 1500
Created in 1512
and