What does the term free city mean? In German law, this was the name given to cities that were territorially and politically independent. They were not dependent on those countries whose territories surrounded them. The said term does not apply to modern city-states. Read more about what a free city means in the article.
In the Middle Ages
Free city - this is essentially the meaning of a free city. In the Middle Ages, this was the designation of formations that were free from the power of bishops and archbishops. Throughout their territory, the rights to:
- self-management;
- self-collection of taxes;
- military defense;
- judicial branch.
When talking about free cities, we are talking, for example, about (about):
- Augsburg;
- Basel;
- Speier;
- Worms;
- Strassburg;
- Soste;
- Cologne (before 1794);
- Mainz (before 1462).
Next - more about the legalposition of the considered territorial-political formations.
Legal Regime
Free cities are independent demilitarized and neutralized entities. Their legal regime is regulated by international treaties, it is guaranteed by state and international organizations. Free cities have some international legal personality.
Unlike the imperial cities, the freemen did not pay taxes to the emperor. Citizens sent them directly to the local treasury, which was controlled by the dukes and princes - the local feudal lords. However, the duties of such formations included participation in the protection of the imperial borders and the provision of soldiers for the purpose of participation in the crusades.
As for the legal status, in addition to the above benefits, it was close to that of the imperial cities. They were dependent on the power of the emperor.
A bit of history
Between the 14th and 16th centuries. some of these cities passed to the Swiss Union. And in the XVIII century. the other part - to the French Empire. In 1805-06. Kingdom of Bavaria annexed Nuremberg and Augsburg.
In 1803-1806. mediatization was carried out in the German states. Its essence was that in the process of the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire under the pressure of the armies of Napoleon, the question arose of reducing the number of sovereign principalities. Previously, they reported directly to the emperor. Their number was reduced from three hundred to thirty.
As a consequence, the Free Cities were abolished. They were swallowed up by larger formations. The exception was only four cities. This is:
Hamburg;
- Lübeck;
- Bremen;
- Frankfurt.
In 1866, at the end of the Austro-Prussian-Italian conflict, Frankfurt sided with Austria. After that, Prussia annexed it, making it part of one of its provinces - Hesse-Nassau. When the German Empire was formed in 1871, it included Hamburg, Lübeck and Bremen. They became member states of the new entity.
In the 20th century
With the coming to power of the Nazis, the federal structure was virtually eliminated, as well as local parliaments, land and provincial. Germany became a unitary state, divided into party units called "Gau". At the same time, the states formally included in the empire were not abolished as independent ones. As for Berlin, it has never been a free city. But in 1821, he actually separated from the province of Brandenburg and received the right to self-government.
In the post-war years, during the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany, Hamburg and Bremen officially received the status of independent lands. But Lübeck, despite all attempts to regain its former independence, failed to do so.
After the war, Berlin was in a special position. It was an occupational quadripartite status. In 1958, the head of the Soviet state, N. S. Khrushchev, proposed the creation of a free city - West Berlin. But he received a sharp rebuff from the Western states. After 1990, Berlin was unified and became an independent state.
Otherexamples
As well as the name of the free cities were or continue to be to this day and a number of other territorial entities. But, in fact, they have nothing to do with examples from the history of the Holy Roman Empire.
Among them is the Free City of Danzig (Gdansk). He was such from 1807 to 1814, and then from 1920 to 1939.
And also Krakow (1815-1846).
Among the free cities are Friume (1920-1924) and Christiania (since 1971). At one time, the Russian Emperor Nicholas I made plans to make Constantinople a free city if victory was achieved in the Crimean War. Later, this idea was discussed at the initial stage of the First World War, but this did not happen.
