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The Upper Rhenish Circle (German : Oberrheinischer Reichskreis) was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1500 on the territory of the former Duchy of Upper Lorraine and large parts of Rhenish Franconia including the Swabian Alsace region and the Burgundian duchy of Savoy.
Many of the circle's states west of the Rhine river were annexed by France under King Louis XIV during the 17th century, sealed by the 1678/79 Treaties of Nijmegen.
The circle was made up of the following states:
| Name | Type of entity | Commentate |
|---|---|---|
| Abbey | Former Prelature to France since 1681. | |
 Bar | Duchy | United with Lorraine since 1483. Only the eastern part – Barrois non mouvant – lay within the Empire and therefore within the Upper Rhenish Circle; the western part – Barrois mouvant – was French territory since 1301. Annexed by France in 1766. |
 Basel | Prince-Bishopric | Established in the 8th century above the ancient Augusta Raurica, gained independence from Burgundy about 1000, residence at Porrentruy (Pruntrut) from 1527; 41st seat to the Reichstag |
 Besançon | Prince-Archbishopric | Annexed by France in 1679; its 8th seat to the Reichstag became vacant |
 Beuil | County | Initially created as a Lordship, Bueil was inherited by a cadet branch of the House of Grimaldi. Bueil became a nominal vassal of the County of Savoy in 1388. Raised by Savoy to a county in 1581. Annexed by the French First Republic in 1793 and restored to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1813. |
 Bresse | Lordship | Inherited by the House of Savoy in 1272. Annexed by the Kingdom of France in the Treaty of Lyon in 1601. |
 Bretzenheim | Lordship | Held by Cologne, granted to Count Karl August of Heydeck, illegitimate son of Elector Charles Theodore of Bavaria in 1772, Imperial county in 1774, principality in 1789. |
 Bugey | Lordship | Conferred to the House of Savoy in 1077 by Henry IV. Annexed by the Kingdom of France in the Treaty of Lyon in 1601. |
 Chablais | Duchy | Established in the 11th century by the House of Savoy. Lost to Geneva in 1536. |
 Colmar | Imperial City | Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1226, part of the Décapole since 1354. |
 Dagstuhl | Lordship | Held by the Lords of Fleckenstein, acquired by Oettingen-Wallerstein in 1697. |
 Dombes | Principality | Held by the Dukes of Bourbon since 1400, confiscated by the Kingdom of France in 1523. |
 Falkenstein | Lordship | Held by the Counts of Daun since 1456, raised to county in 1518, fell to Lorraine in 1667, administered with Further Austria from 1782. |
 Faucigny | Barony | Acquired by the House of Savoy by the 1355 Treaty of Paris. Annexed by the French First Republic in 1792. Returned to Savoy in 1816. Annexed by the Second French Empire in 1860. |
 Frankfurt am Main | Imperial City | 6th Rhenish City. Since 1220, place of the Imperial election by the Golden Bull of 1356. |
 Friedberg | Imperial City | 13th Rhenish City. Since 1252. |
 Fulda | Prince-Abbacy | Established by Saint Boniface in 744, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick II in 1220, raised to Prince-Bishopric in 1752, 53th seat to the Reichstag. |
 Geneva | Duchy | Established in the 10th century as the County of Geneva. Capital moved from La Roche-sur-Foron to Annecy in 1219. Purchased by the House of Savoy in 1401 and raised to a Duchy in 1564. Annexed by the Second French Empire in 1860. |
 Gex | Barony | First mentioned in 1188. Ruled by a cadet branch of the County of Geneva until 1353 when annexed by Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy. Contested since 1536 between the Duchy of Savoy and the Old Swiss Confederacy until annexed by the Kingdom of France in the Treaty of Lyon in 1601. |
 Haguenau | Imperial City | Since about 1260, capital of the Décapole since 1354. |
 Hanau-Lichtenberg | County | Partitioned from the County of Hanau as Hanau-Babenhausen in 1456, inherited the lordship of Lichtenberg in 1474, fell to Hesse-Darmstadt in 1736. |
 Hanau-Münzenberg | County | Partitioned from the County of Hanau in 1456, reunited with Hanau-Lichtenberg in 1642, fell to Hesse-Kassel in 1736. |
 Heitersheim | Principality | Held by the Order of St John since 1272, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Charles V in 1548. |
 Hersfeld | Abbacy | Established about 736 by Saint Sturm, Reichsfreiheit granted by Charlemagne in 775, secularised to a principality by the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, held by Hesse-Kassel |
 Hesse | Landgraviate | Established after the War of the Thuringian Succession in 1247, residence at Kassel, partitioned after the death of Landgrave Philip I in 1567. |
 Hesse-Kassel | Landgraviate | Subdivision of Hesse from 1567, Electorate of Hesse in 1803. |
| Hesse-Rheinfels | Landgraviate | Subdivision of Hesse from 1567 including the former County of Katzenelnbogen with Burg Rheinfels, line extinct in 1583, fell to Hesse-Kassel. |
 Hesse-Darmstadt | Landgraviate | Subdivision of Hesse from 1567, Grand Duchy of Hesse in 1806. |
| Hesse-Marburg | Landgraviate | Subdivision of Hesse from 1567, line extinct in 1604, annexed by Hesse-Darmstadt. |
 Hesse-Homburg | Landgraviate | Cadet branch of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1622, gained Reichsfreiheit in 1768. |
 Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein | County | Subdivision of the County of Isenburg established in 1511 (Oberisenburg), again divided in 1628. |
 Isenburg-Birstein | County | Subdivision of Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein from 1628, merged into Isenburg-Offenbach in 1644, restored in 1711, raised to principality in 1744. |
| Isenburg-Büdingen | County | Subdivision of Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein from 1628. |
| Isenburg-Meerholz | County | Split off Isenburg-Büdingen in 1673. |
| Isenburg-Wächtersbach | County | Split off Isenburg-Büdingen in 1673. |
 Kaysersberg | Imperial City | Part of the Décapole since 1354. |
 Königstein | County | Held by the Lords of Eppstein, raised to Reichsgrafen by Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg in 1505, inherited by Stolberg in 1535, seized by Mainz in 1581. |
 Kriechingen | County | Former fief of Lorraine around Créhange, raised to Imperial county in 1617, held by the Princes of East Frisia from 1697, to Wied-Runkel in 1726. |
 Landau | Imperial City | Reichsfreiheit granted by Rudolph I of Habsburg in 1291, seized by the Bishop of Speyer in 1324, restored by Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg in 1511, joined the Décapole in 1521. |
 Leiningen-Westerburg | County | Subdivision of the former County of Leiningen since 1317, inherited by the Lords of Westerburg in 1467. |
 Leiningen-Dagsburg | County | Subdivision of the former County of Leiningen since 1317, raised to principality in 1779. |
 Lorraine | Duchy | Former Upper Lotharingia, acquired by René of Anjou, Duke of Bar in 1431, swapped by Duke Francis III of Habsburg-Lorraine for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in 1735, annexed by France in 1766. |
 Maurienne | County | Subdivision of the county of Savoy in 1032. |
 Mensfelden | Lordship | Condominium of Trier and Nassau. |
 Metz | Prince-Bishopric | Established by 535, Reichsfreiheit confirmed by Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1357, occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552, part of the French Three Bishoprics by the 1648 Peace of Westphalia. |
 Metz | Imperial City | Since 1189, occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552. |
 Mulhouse | Imperial City | Since about 1268, part of the Décapole since 1354, joined Swiss Confederacy in 1515, France in 1798. |
 Munster, Haut-Rhin | Imperial City | Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1235, part of the Décapole since 1354. |
 | Imperial Abbey | Principality since 1548, to France in 1680, demolished during the Revolution. |
 Nassau-Idstein | County | Split off Nassau-Weilburg in 1627, fell to Nassau-Ottweiler in 1721. |
 Nassau-Saarbrücken | County | 3rd Rhenish County, established in 1381, fell to Nassau-Ottweiler in 1723. |
| Nassau-Ottweiler | County | Split off Nassau-Saarbrücken in 1659, fell to Nassau-Usingen in 1728. |
| Nassau-Usingen | County | 1st Rhenish County, split off Nassau-Saarbrücken in 1659, principality in 1688, Duchy of Nassau from 1806. |
| Nassau-Weilburg | County | 2nd Rhenish County, principality in 1688, Duchy of Nassau from 1806. |
 Nomeny | Margraviate | Held by the Bishopric of Metz until 1548, margraviate established by Emperor Maximilian II of Habsburg in 1567, to Lorraine in 1612. |
 Obernai | Imperial City | Since about 1240, part of the Décapole since 1354, annexed by France in 1679. |
 Odenheim | Provostry | Monastery established in 1122, Imperial college of canons (Reichsstift) since 1494, moved to Bruchsal in 1507. |
| Olbrück | Lordship | Territory around Olbrück Castle near Niederdürenbach, originally held by Wied. |
 Orange | Principality | Created in 1033 as the County of Orange. Raised to a principality in 1163. Conceded to the Kingdom of France in 1713. |
 Palatinate-Simmern | County Palatine | Split off Electoral Palatinate in 1410, inherited Electoral Palatinate in 1559 with 8th vote to the Reichstag. |
 Palatinate-Lautern | County Palatine | Subdivision of Palatinate from 1576 with 6th vote to the Reichstag. |
 Palatinate-Veldenz | County Palatine | Former County of Veldenz inherited by Palatinate-Zweibrücken in 1444, 16th vote to the Reichstag |
 Palatinate-Zweibrücken | County Palatine | Former County of Zweibrücken, in personal union with Palatinate-Simmern until 1459, fell to Palatinate-Birkenfeld in 1734, 14th seat to the Reichstag |
 Prüm | Prince-Provostry | (Re-)established by King Pepin the Short in 752, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1222, administered by Trier from 1576, 65th seat to the Reichstag |
 Reipoltskirchen | Lordship | Since about 1300. |
 Rosheim | Imperial City | Since 1303, part of the Décapole since 1354, annexed by France in 1679. |
 Salm | Principality | Upper Salm since 1165, large parts held by the Wild- and Rhinegraves from 1475 and partitioned in 1499, Salm-Salm raised to princes in 1623 with the 84th seat to the Reichstag. |
 Salm-Dhaun | County | Subdivision of Salm since 1499, line extinct in 1750, inherited by Salm-Grumbach. |
 Salm-Grumbach | County | Split off Salm-Dhaun in 1561, annexed by France in 1801. |
| Salm-Stein-Grehweiler | County | Split off Salm-Grumbach in 1668. |
 Salm-Salm | County | Split off Salm-Dhaun in 1574, princely county from 1623 as Principality of Salm. |
 Salm-Kyrburg | County | Subdivision of Salm from 1499, residence at Kirn, princely county from 1743, Principality of Salm from 1802. |
 Savoy | Duchy | Former county, part of the Kingdom of Burgundy inherited by Emperor Conrad II in 1032, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1361, raised to duchy in 1416. |
 Sayn-Wittgenstein | County | Former Counts of Sayn, a cadet branch of the House of Sponheim, acquired County of Wittgenstein in 1361, partitioned in 1607. |
 Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg | County | 14th Rhenish County. Subdivision of Sayn-Wittgenstein from 1607. |
 Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein | County | 15th Rhenish County. Subdivision of Sayn-Wittgenstein from 1607, Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein from 1657. |
 Sélestat | Imperial City | Reichsfreiheit granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1216, part of the Décapole since 1354. |
 Solms-Braunfels | County | Subdivision of Solms since 1258, raised to principality in 1742. |
 Solms-Lich | County | Subdivision of Solms(-Braunfels) since 1409, Solms-Hohensolms-Lich from 1544, raised to principality in 1792. |
| Solms-Laubach | County | Subdivision of Solms-Lich from 1544. |
| Solms-Rödelheim | County | Subdivision of Solms-Laubach from 1607, Solms-Rödelheim-Assenheim from 1635. |
 Speyer | Prince-Bishopric | Established before 614, Reichsfreiheit granted around 969 by Emperor Otto I, 19th seat to the Reichstag |
 Speyer | Imperial City | 5th Rhenish City. City rights acknowledged by the Speyer bishops in 1294, venue of 50 Reichstag assemblies, including the Diet of Speyer (1529) (Protestation at Speyer). |
 Sponheim | County | Established in the 11th century by the Rhenish House of Sponheim, held jointly by the Margraves of Baden and the House of Palatinate-Simmern since 1437. |
 Strasbourg | Prince-Bishopric | Established in the 4th century, prince-bishopric since 982; 21st seat to the Reichstag |
 Strasbourg | Imperial City | Since 1262. Ceded to France in 1681 |
 Tarentaise | Prince-Bishopric | Established in the 10th century, prince-bishopric since 1186. |
 Toul | Prince-Bishopric | Established in 365 by Saint Mansuetus, Reichsfreiheit confirmed by King Henry I in 928, occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552, part of the French Three Bishoprics by the 1648 Peace of Westphalia. |
| Toul | Imperial City | Since the 13th century (Tull), occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552. |
 Turckheim | Imperial City | Since 1312, part of the Décapole since 1354. |
 Vaud | Barony | Established in 1234. Incorporated into the House of Savoy in 1359. Annexed by the Canton of Bern in 1536. |
 Verdun | Prince-Bishopric | Established about 346, Reichsfreiheit confirmed by Emperor Otto III in 997, occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552, part of the French Three Bishoprics by the 1648 Peace of Westphalia. |
 Verdun | Imperial City | Since the 12th century (Wirten), occupied by King Henry II of France in 1552. |
 Waldeck | County | Line established about 1180, Reichsfreiheit granted by King Wenceslaus of Luxembourg in 1379, Waldeck-Pyrmont from 1625, raised to principality in 1712. |
 Wartenberg | County | Established in 1232, inherited by Riedesel in 1428, Freiherren from 1680. |
 Wetterau | County | Established c. 950, held by the counts von Wetter-Tegerfelden in 1317 |
 Weissenburg | Imperial City | Since 1306, part of the Décapole since 1354, annexed by France in 1648. |
 Weissenburg | Prince-Provostry | Abbey established about 660 by the Bishopric of Speyer, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Otto II in 967, again held by Speyer from 1546, 63th seat to the Reichstag. |
 Wetzlar | Imperial City | 14th Rhenish City, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1180. |
| Wild- and Rhinegraves | County | Rhinegraves since the 12th century, inherited Wildgraviate at Kyrburg in 1409, acquired (Upper) Salm in 1475. |
 Worms | Prince-Bishopric | Established about 614; 15th seat to the Reichstag |
 Worms | Imperial City | 4th Rhenish City, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1184. |
| Created in 1500 |  | |
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| Created in 1512 | ||
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1 Part of the Three Bishoprics. 2 Nomeny after 1737. 3 without Reichstag seat. 4 until 1736. 5 Joined Swiss Confederacy in 1515. Circles est. 1500: Bavarian, Swabian, Upper Rhenish, Lower Rhenish–Westphalian, Franconian, (Lower) Saxon Circles est. 1512: Austrian, Burgundian, Upper Saxon, Electoral Rhenish · Unencircled territories | |||||
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| National | |
The Electoral Palatinate or the Palatinate, officially the Electorate of the Palatinate, was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine of Lotharingia in 915; it was then restructured under the Counts Palatine of the Rhine in 1085. From 1214 until the Electoral Palatinate was merged into the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1805, the House of Wittelsbach provided the Counts Palatine or Electors. These counts palatine of the Rhine would serve as prince-electors from "time immemorial", and were noted as such in a papal letter of 1261; they were confirmed as electors by the Golden Bull of 1356.
The Rhineland is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section.
During the early modern period, the Holy Roman Empire was divided into imperial circles, administrative groupings whose primary purposes were the organization of common defensive structure and the collection of imperial taxes. They were also used as a means of organization within the Imperial Diet and the Imperial Chamber Court. Each circle had a circle diet, although not every member of the circle diet would hold membership of the Imperial Diet as well.
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of Swabia, one of the German stem duchies, representing the historic settlement area of the Germanic tribe alliances named Alemanni and Suebi.
An Imperial Estate was a part of the Holy Roman Empire with representation and the right to vote in the Imperial Diet. Rulers of these Estates were able to exercise significant rights and privileges and were "immediate", meaning the only authority above them was that of the Holy Roman Emperor. They were thus able to rule their territories with a considerable degree of autonomy.
The Austrian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It was one of the four Imperial Circles created by decree after the 1512 Diet at Cologne, twelve years after the original six Circles were established in the course of the Imperial Reform. It roughly corresponds to present-day Austria, Slovenia, and the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Venezia Giulia regions of Northern Italy, but also comprised the Further Austrian territories in the former Swabian stem duchy.
The Bavarian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Burgundian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire created in 1512 and significantly enlarged in 1548. In addition to the Free County of Burgundy, the Burgundian Circle roughly covered the Low Countries, i.e., the areas now known as the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and adjacent parts in the French administrative region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. For most of its history, its lands were coterminous with the holdings of the Spanish Habsburgs in the Empire.
The Franconian Circle 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.
The Lower Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It covered much of the territory of the medieval Duchy of Saxony, and was originally called the Saxon Circle before later being better differentiated from the Upper Saxon Circle by the more specific name.
The Upper Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, created in 1512.
The Electoral Rhenish Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, created in 1512.
The Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised territories of the former Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, Frisia and the Westphalian part of the former Duchy of Saxony.
The Circle of Swabia or Swabian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1500 on the territory of the former German stem-duchy of Swabia. However, it did not include the Habsburg home territories of Swabian Austria, the member states of the Swiss Confederacy nor the lands of the Alsace region west of the Rhine, which belonged to the Upper Rhenish Circle. The Swabian League of 1488, a predecessor organization, disbanded in the course of the Protestant Reformation and the Thirty Years War later in the 16th century.
The Kingdom of Italy, also called Imperial Italy, was one of the constituent kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire, along with the kingdoms of Germany, Bohemia, and Burgundy. It originally comprised large parts of northern and central Italy. Its original capital was Pavia until the 11th century.
The County of Kriechingen was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was originally a part of the Duchy of Lorraine and was raised to an imperial estate in 1617. It belonged to the Upper Rhenish Circle. In 1697, Kriechingen was inherited by the Principality of East Frisia, and later by the County of Wied-Runkel. In 1793 Kriechingen was occupied by France; this was recognized by the Holy Roman Empire in the Treaty of Lunéville of 1801.
Prussian Guelders or Prussian G(u)elderland was the part of the Duchy of Guelders ruled by the Kingdom of Prussia from 1713. Its capital was Geldern.
The capitulation of Franzburg was a treaty providing for the capitulation of the Duchy of Pomerania to the forces of the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War. It was signed on 10 November (O.S.) or 20 November (N.S.) 1627 by Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania, and Hans Georg von Arnim, commander in chief of an occupation force belonging to the army of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, led by Albrecht von Wallenstein. While the terms of the capitulation were unfavourable for the Duchy of Pomerania already, occupation became even more burdensome when the occupation force did not adhere to the restrictions outlined in Franzburg. Stralsund resisted with Danish, Swedish and Scottish support, another Danish intervention failed. Imperial occupation lasted until Swedish forces invaded in 1630, and subsequently cleared all of the Duchy of Pomerania of imperial forces until 1631.
When the Imperial Circles — comprising a regional grouping of territories of the Holy Roman Empire — were created as part of the Imperial Reform at the 1500 Diet of Augsburg, many Imperial territories remained unencircled.
