List of states in the Holy Roman Empire (A)

Last updated October 17, 2024

This is a list of states in the Holy Roman Empire beginning with the letter A.^[1]

Name	Type	Imperial circle	Imperial diet	History
Aachen	Imperial City	Low Rhen	RH	1166: Free Imperial City 1794: To France 1815: to Prussia
Aalen	Free Imperial City	Swab	SW	1241: Founded by Hohenstaufen by 1340: To Oettingen 1359: Sold to Württemberg 1360: Free Imperial City 1500: To Swabian Circle 1802: To Duchy of Württemberg
Aalst	County	—	—	964: First mentioned 1056: Extinct; to Flanders despite Brabantian claims to the territory
Abensberg-Traun (Apensberg-Traun)	Lordship 1653: County	Swab	SW	1114: First mentioned; ministerialis of Austria 1653: HRE Count 1656: Joined the Swabian Circle (personalist) 1662: Acquired Eglofs; joined the Bench of Counts of Swabia 1804: Sold Eglofs to Windisch-Graetz Elder Line
Achalm	County	—	—	1040: First mentioned; brother of Urach 1098: Extinct; to Urach 1250: To Fürstenberg
Ahr See: Are	[ data missing ]	[ data missing ]	[ data missing ]	1246: Annexed by Cologne
Ahrgau	County	—	—	Originally a gau county of the Carolingian Empire See: Are 1107: Separated from Prüm Abbey 1246: Annexed to the Archbishopric of Cologne
Albeck (Alpeck)	Lordship	—	—	1081: First mentioned; ministerialis of Swabia 1245: To Burgau 1289: To Werdenberg-Sargans 1312: To Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen 1349: To Werdenberg-Alpeck 1383: Sold to Ulm
Aldenburg HRE Count of Aldenburg, Lord of the Free Lordship of Knyphausen, Noble Lord of Varel	Lordship 1651: Barony 1667: County	—	—	1646: Anton, illegitimate child of Anthony Günther of Oldenburg, ennobled 1651: HRE Baron 1667: Acquired Knyphausen and Varel; HRE Count 1738: Extinct; to Bentinck by marriage
All Saints (Allerheiligen; in Schaffhausen)	Abbacy	Swab	SP	1049: Abbey established 1080: Acquired Schaffhausen c. 1122: Acquired Hiltensweiler 1190: Schaffhausen independent 1529: To Schaffhausen; monastery suppressed
Alsace	County 1130: Landgraviate	—	—	1125: Partitioned from County of Saarbrücken 1130: HRE Landgrave 1189: Also known as Counts of Werd c. 1340: Sold to Oettingen 1359: Sold to Strasbourg
Alsace and Burgundy	Bailiwick	None	SW	1212: Bailiwick of the Teutonic Order 1805: Divided between Baden and Württemberg
Altbruchhausen	County	—	—	1234: Partitioned from Bruchhausen 1335: To Tecklenburg 1338: Sold to Hoya 1354: Extinct
Altena-Berg (Altena-Marck; Altena-Mark)	County	—	—	1180: Partitioned from Berg-Altena 1226: Renamed to Mark
Altena-Isenberg	County	—	—	1180: Partitioned from Berg-Altena 1126: Lands given to Altena-Berg (Mark) 1243: Restored to a small part of the former county 1253: Renamed to Isenberg-Limburg
Altenbaumburg (Altenbaumberg)	Raugraviate	—	—	1253: Partitioned from Baumburg 1366: Most sold to the Palatinate 1385: Extinct; remainder to the Palatinate
Altensteig	Lordship	—	—	1100: First mentioned; to Knights of Altensteig 1280: To Hohenberg-Nagold 1318: To Hohenberg-Wildberg 1355: To Hohenberg-Altensteig 1398: Sold to Baden 1603: Sold to Württemberg
An der Etsch (on the Adige)	Bailiwick	Aust	—	1269: Bailiwick of the Teutonic Order 1805: To Bavaria; attached to the Tyrol 1814: To Austria
Andechs (Andechs-Meran from 1180)	County 1180: Duchy	—	—	1132: Renamed from Diessen 1157: Acquired Wolfratshausen 1173: Acquired Istria 1180: Acquired Merania 1208: Most possessions in Bavaria and the Tyrol to Bavaria 1211: Acquired the County Palatine of Burgundy 1248: Extinct; County Palatine of Burgundy to Hugh of Chalon; remainder to Bavaria
Andlau	Abbey	—	—	1681: To France
Anhalt	Lordship 1212: County 1218: Princely County 1250: Principality	Upp Sax	PR	1173: Independence from Saxony 1212: HRE Count 1218: HRE Princely Count 1250: HRE Prince 1252: Partitioned into Anhalt-Aschersleben, Anhalt-Bernburg and Anhalt-Köthen 1570: Reunited by Anhalt-Roßlau 1603: Partitioned into Anhalt-Dessau, Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Köthen, Anhalt-Plötzkau and Anhalt-Zerbst
Anhalt-Aschersleben	Principality	—	—	1252: Partitioned from Anhalt 1315: Extinct; Succession dispute between Anhalt-Bernburg and the Bishopric of Halberstadt 1322: To the Bishopric of Halberstadt
Anhalt-Bernburg	Principality	Upp Sax	PR	1252: Partitioned from Anhalt 1468: Extinct; divided between Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Zerbst 1603: Partitioned from Anhalt 1630: Partitioned into itself and Anhalt-Harzgerode 1707: Partitioned into itself and Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym
Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym	Principality	Low Rhen	WE	1727: Created from union of Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym with Holzapfel 1806: Holzapfel to Nassau 1812: Extinct; to Anhalt-Dessau
Anhalt-Dessau	Principality	Upp Sax	PR	1474: Partitioned from Anhalt-Zerbst 1551: Partitioned into Anhalt-Zerbst, Anhalt-Roßlau and itself 1570: Extinct; to Anhalt-Roßlau 1603: Partitioned from Anhalt
Anhalt-Dornburg	Principality	—	—	1667: Appanage created in Anhalt-Zerbst 1742: Extinct; appanage abolished
Anhalt-Harzgerode	Principality	Upp Sax	PR	1630: Partitioned from Anhalt-Bernburg 1709: Extinct; to Anhalt-Bernburg
Anhalt-Köthen	Principality	Upp Sax	PR	1252: Partitioned from Anhalt 1396: Partitioned into itself and Anhalt-Zerbst 1562: Extinct; to Anhalt-Dessau 1603: Partitioned from Anhalt 1665: Inherited by Anhalt-Plötzkau 1765: Appanage Anhalt-Köthen-Pless established
Anhalt-Köthen-Pless	Principality	—	—	1765: Appanage line created in Anhalt-Köthen 1767: Official investiture of Pless by Prussia
Anhalt-Mühlingen	Principality	—	—	1667: Appanage created in Anhalt-Zerbst 1714: Extinct; appanage abolished
Anhalt-Plötzkau	Principality	Upp Sax	PR	1603: Partitioned from Anhalt 1665: Inherited and renamed to Anhalt-Köthen
Anhalt-Roßlau	Principality	Upp Sax	PR	1551: Partitioned from Anhalt-Dessau 1570: Renamed to Anhalt
Anhalt-Zeitz-Hoym	Principality	Upp Sax	—	1718: Partitioned from Anhalt-Bernburg 1727: Renamed to Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
Anhalt-Zerbst	Principality	Upp Sax	PR	1396: Partitioned from Anhalt-Köthen 1474: Partitioned into itself and Anhalt-Dessau 1562: Extinct; to Anhalt-Dessau 1603: Partitioned from Anhalt 1667: Appanages Anhalt-Mühlingen and Anhalt-Dornburg created 1796: Extinct; to Anhalt-Dessau
Anholt	Lordship 14th Century: Barony 1621: County	Low Rhen	WF	1169: Fief of Utrecht 1234: To Zuylen-Anholt as fief of Utrecht betw. 1317-1343: Imperial immediacy 1399: To Gemen 1402: To Bronchhorst-Batenburg 1621: HRE Count 1641: to Salm-Salm 1653: Joined the Westphalian Counts 1810: To France 1815: To Prussia
Antwerp	Margraviate	Burg	—	974: Established 994: Acquired Toxandria 1106: United with Lower Lorraine 1190: Title to Brabant
Aosta	County 1310: HRE Duchy	—	—	c. 999: To the Bishopric of Aosta; fief of the Kingdom of Arles 1026: To Savoy 1310: HRE Duke 1539: To France 1563: Restored to Savoy 1810: To France 1814: Restored to Piedmont-Sardinia
Appenzell	Canton	—	—	11th Century: To St Gall's Abbey 1408: Independence from St Gall's Abbey 1513: Member of the Old Swiss Confederacy 1597: Partitioned into Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden
Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Appenzell Outer Rhodes)	Canton	—	—	1597: Partitioned from Appenzell 1648: Left the Empire as part of Switzerland
Appenzell Innerrhoden (Appenzell Inner Rhodes)	Canton	—	—	1597: Partitioned from Appenzell 1648: Left the Empire as part of Switzerland
Are (Ahr)	County	—	—	992: First mentioned in the Ahrgau 1107: Imperial immediacy 1144: Partitioned into Are-Are, Are-Nürburg and Are-Hochstaden
Are-Are (Are, Ahr)	County	—	—	1144: Partitioned from Are 1210: Extinct; to Are-Nürburg
Are-Nürburg (Nürburg)	County	—	—	1144: Partitioned from Are 1225: Partitioned into itself and Neuenahr 1290: Extinct; to the Archbishopric of Cologne
Are-Hochstaden (Hochstaden)	County	—	—	1144: Partitioned from Are 1149: Acquired Hochstaden by marriage 1162: Partitioned into itself and Are-Wickrath 1246: To the Archbishopric of Cologne 1265: Extinct
Are-Wickrath (Wickrath, Wickenrode)	County	—	—	1162: Partitioned from Are-Hochstaden 1301: Extinct; to Guelders
Arenberg (Aremberg)	Duchy	El Rhin	PR	c. 1177 c. 1177: Lords of Arenberg first mentioned; burgraves of Cologne within the Archbishopric of Cologne 1220: Partitioned into itself and Wildenburg 1279: Sold burgraviate to the Archbishops 1299: Lords of Arenberg extinct; to County of Mark 1328: To Mark-Arenberg 1549: Inherited by Ligne which assumed the name 'Arenberg' 1576: Princely County 1580: HRE Council of Princes 1644: Duchy 1795: Duchy ceded to France 1803: Obtained Meppen and Vest Recklinghausen 1810: Mediatized
Arlon	County c. 1167: Margraviate	—	—	950 c. 1167: HRE Margrave 1214: United with Luxembourg 1221: To Limburg
Arnsberg	County	—	—	1050: First mentioned; to Werl c. 1070: To Werl-Arnsberg 1124: Extinct in male line 1132: To Cuijk-Arnsberg by marriage 1368: Sold to Cologne who added it to the Duchy of Westphalia
Arnstein	County	—	—	1131: Branch of Steußlingen established a line at Arnstein 1211: Side line Lindow-Ruppin established 1226: Partitioned into itself and Barby c. 1294: Given to Falkenstein 1326: Extinct 1334: To Regenstein 1387: Sold to Mansfeld Younger Line
Artois	County	Burg	—	898: To Flanders 1180: To France 1237: Artois established as appanage 1350: To the Duchy of Burgundy 1477: To France 1483: To the Burgundian Netherlands 1659: To France
Aschaffenburg	Principality	—	—	10th Century: To Mainz 1803: Made principality of the Archbishopric of Regensburg 1806: To the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt 1814: To Bavaria
Aspremont-Lynden	Barony 1676: County	Low Rhen	WE	1307: First mentioned 1590: Purchased Rekem (Reckheim) 1623: Imperial Estate 1676: HRE Count 1793: To France 1802: Compensated with Baindt 1806: To Württemberg
Auersperg	Lordship 1550: Barony 1653: County 1664: Princely County	Aust	PR	1162: First mentioned, in Carniola 1550: HRE Baron 1630: HRE Count 1653: HRE Prince 1654: Bench of Secular Princes 1654: Acquired Silesia-Munsterberg and Frankestein 1663: Acquired Tengen 1664: HRE Princely Count 1791: Acquired Gottschee 1806: Tengen to Baden
Augsburg	Bishopric	Swab	EC	4th Century: Diocese established 8th Century: First mention of historical mention of diocese c. 888: Imperial immediacy 1276: City of Augsburg acquired independence 1802: To Bavaria
Augsburg	Free Imperial City	Swab	SW	1276: Free Imperial City 1806: To Bavaria
Austria	1156: Duchy 1453: Archduchy	Aust	EC	833: Established, part of the Duchy of Bavaria Margraviate 976: Separated from Bavaria 1156: HRE Duke 1192: Acquired Styria 1379: Partitioned into itself (Albertine Line) and Inner Austria (Leopoldine Line) 1453: HRE Archduke 1457: Inherited by Inner Austria (Leopoldine Line) 1804: Assumed rank of Empire
Austria	Bailiwick	Aust	—	1260: Bailiwick of the Teutonic Order 1805: To Austria

Related Research Articles

Albert II was the margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (Brandenburg-Bayreuth) from 1527 to 1553. He was a member of the Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. Because of his bellicose nature, Albert was given the cognomen Bellator during his lifetime. Posthumously, he became known as Alcibiades.

Ansbach is a city in the German state of Bavaria. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is 40 kilometers southwest of Nuremberg and 140 kilometers north of Munich, on the river Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the river Main. In 2020, its population was 41,681.

George of Brandenburg-Ansbach, known as George the Pious, was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern.

The House of Hohenzollern is a formerly royal German dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenburg, Prussia, the German Empire, and Romania. The family came from the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the late 11th century and took their name from Hohenzollern Castle. The first ancestors of the Hohenzollerns were mentioned in 1061.

Albrecht III was Elector of Brandenburg from 1471 until his death, the third from the House of Hohenzollern. A member of the Order of the Swan, he received the cognomen Achilles because of his knightly qualities and virtues. He also ruled in the Franconian principalities of Ansbach from 1440 and Kulmbach from 1464.

Frederick was the last Burgrave of Nuremberg from 1397 to 1427, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from 1398, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach from 1420, and Elector of Brandenburg from 1415 until his death. He became the first member of the House of Hohenzollern to rule the Margraviate of Brandenburg.

Middle Franconia is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia, Germany, in the west of Bavaria bordering the state of Baden-Württemberg. The administrative seat is Ansbach; the most populous and largest city is Nuremberg.

Ansbach is a Landkreis (district) in Bavaria, Germany. It surrounds – but does not include – the town of Ansbach; nonetheless the administrative seat of the district is located in Ansbach. It is the district with the largest area in Bavaria. At the end of December 2022, the district population was 188,623.

The Swabian League was a military alliance of imperial estates – imperial cities, prelates, principalities and knights – principally in the territory of the early medieval stem duchy of Swabia established in 1488. New institutions created through imperial reform removed the need for the league, whilst the religious revolution of the Protestant Reformation divided its members, leading to the Swabian League being disbanded in 1534.

Friedrich Heinrich Reichsgraf von Seckendorff was a Franconian field marshal and diplomat, in the service of the imperial Habsburg monarchy of Austria. Later he served as commander of the Bavarian army and fought Austria.

Johann Peter Uz was a German poet.

The Principality or Margraviate of (Brandenburg) Ansbach was a free imperial principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Franconian city of Ansbach. The ruling Hohenzollern princes of the land were known as margraves, as their ancestors were margraves.

The Principality of Bayreuth or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was an immediate territory of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a Franconian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty. Since Burgrave Frederick VI of Nuremberg was enfeoffed with the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1415/17, the Hohenzollern princes transferred the margravial title to their Franconian possessions, though the principality never had been a march. Until 1604 they used Plassenburg Castle in Kulmbach as their residence, hence their territory was officially called the Principality of Kulmbach or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until the Empire's dissolution in 1806.

George Frederick II, also called George Frederick the Younger, was Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from 6 October 1692 until his death in 1703. He was the third son of John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach by his first wife Joanna Elisabeth of Baden-Durlach. George Frederick succeeded his elder brother Christian Albert as Margrave in 1692.

The Burgraviate of Nuremberg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from the early 12th to the late 15th centuries. As a burgraviate, it was a county seated in the town of Nuremberg; almost two centuries passed before the burgraviate lost power over the city, which became independent from 1219. Eventually, the burgraviate was partitioned to form Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Bayreuth.

Casimirof Brandenburg-Bayreuth was Margrave of Bayreuth or Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach from 1515 to 1527.

Frederick Charles of Württemberg-Winnental was since 1677 Duke of the new-founded line of Württemberg-Winnental and regent of the infant Duke Eberhard Ludwig.

Joachim Ernst, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a German nobleman. He ruled as margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from 1603 to 1625, succeeding his cousin George Frederick and succeeded by his son Frederick III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie of Solms-Laubach</span> German regent

Sophie of Solms-Laubach, was a German regent, Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach by marriage to Joachim Ernst, and regent during the minority of her son from 1625 until 1639.

References

↑ for Ansbach see: Brandenburg-Ansbach

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] r Ansbach see: Brandenburg-Ansbach

[1]