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

Description

In this first book-length study of imperial villages, Beat Kümin provides unprecedented insights into the micro-political cultures of rural communities and popular desires for local autonomy in the pre-modern German lands. 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