Imperial Villages: Cultures of Political Freedom in the German Lands, c. 1300-1800

Description

Hundreds of rural communities tasted political freedom in the Holy Roman Empire. For shorter or longer periods, villagers managed local affairs without subjection to territorial overlords. In this first book-length study, Beat Kümin focuses on the five case studies of Gochsheim and Sennfeld (in present-day Bavaria), Sulzbach and Soden (Hesse) and Gersau (Switzerland). Adopting a comparative perspective across the late medieval and early modern periods, the analysis of multiple sources reveals distinct extents of rural self-government, the forging of communalized confessions and an enduring attachment to the empire. Negotiating inner tensions as well as mounting centralization pressures, Reichsdörfer provide privileged insights into rural micro-political cultures while their stories resonate with resurgent desires for greater local autonomy in Europe today. Contents Preface Notes on the Text Figures and Acknowledgements Abbreviations Part 1 Approaches Chapter 1 Polities without a Prince: an Introduction Chapter 2 Origins, Evolutions and Settings Part 2 Regimes Chapter 3 Domestic Affairs: Co-Operation and Conflict Chapter 4 External Relations: Protectors and Predators Chapter 5 Religious Life: Heaven and Earth Part 3 Perspectives Chapter 6 Representations and Perceptions Chapter 7 Conclusions Appendix 1 Communities Possessing, Claiming or Attributed Imperial Village Status (Pre-1803) Appendix 2 Senior Officials and Clergymen in Five Imperial Villages c. 1300–1800 Bibliography Index