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An Imperial Circle (around German Reichskreis, plural Reichskreise) was a regional grouping of states of the Holy Roman Empire, primarily for a purpose of organising a most common defence & of collecting majestic taxation, however likewise as a means of organisation in the Reichstag (Imperial Diet).
Every circle experienced the Kreistag (Circle Diet), although non all the members of the Kreistag would too become the member of the Reichstag too.
Formation of the circles
At first sextuplet circles were created inside 1500 as part of the Reichsreform (Imperial Reform):
the Bavarian Circle
the Swabian Circle
the Upper Rhenish Circle
the (Lower Rhenish-)Westphalian Circle
the Franconian Circle
the Lower Saxon Circle
The farther quaternity circles were created inside 1512:
the Burgundian Circle
the Austrian Circle
the Upper Saxon Circle
the Electoral Rhenish Circle
These x circles remained largely unchanged until a early 1790s, when a Wars of the French Revolution brought about significant changes to the political map of the Empire.
States outside the circles
The total of states were left outside of any circle:
The lands of the Bohemian crown (Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Upper and Lower Lusatia)
The territories of the Swiss Confederation, which whilst nominally subject to the Empire, experienced constituted quasi-independence
The various territories of northern Italy, which were also virtually independent
A little total of minor states, like a County of Montbéliard (Mömpelgard) and a Lordship of Schmalkalden
Composition of the circles
List inside parentheses suggest a creator one territories, when several different territorial units were oft ruled per equivalent prince.
Austrian Circle
For composition of this circle, watch article Austrian Circle
Bavarian Circle
For composition of this circle, understand article Bavarian Circle
Burgundian Circle
For composition of this circle, view article Burgundian Circle
Franconian Circle
For composition of this circle, watch article Franconian Circle
Electoral Rhenish Circle
For composition of this circle, view article Electoral Rhenish Circle
Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle
Bishop of Münster
Duchy of Cleves, County of Mark, Lordship of Ravensberg (Prussia)
Duchy of Jülich and Berg (Bavaria/Palatinate)
Bishop of Paderborn
Bishop of Liège
Bishop of Osnabrück
Verden (Hanover)
Minden (Prussia)
Abbot of Corvey
Abbot of Stablo and Malmedey
Abbot of Werden
Abbot of Kornelismünster
Abbess of Essen
Abbess of Thorn
Abbess of Herford
Nassau-Hadamar (Nassau-Dillenburg)
Nassau-Dillenburg
East Friesland (Prussia)
Mörs (Prussia)
Oldenburg (Holstein-Gottorp)
Delmenhorst (Holstein-Gottorp)
Wied
Sayn (Prussia/Ansbach)
Schaumburg-Hesse (Hesse-Kassel)
Schaumburg-Lippe
Lippe
Bentheim
Steinfurt (Bentheim-Steinfurt)
Tecklenburg & Lingen (Prussia)
Hoya (Hanover)
Virneburg (Löwenstein)
Diepholz (Hanover)
Spiegelberg (Hanover)
Rietberg (Kaunitz)
Pyrmont (Waldeck)
Gronsfeld (Törring-Jettenbach)
Reckheim (Aspremont-Linden)
Anholt (Salm)
Winnenburg & Beilstein (Metternich)
Holzappel (Anhalt-Bernburg-Hoym)
Witten, Eyss (Plettenberg)
Blankenheim & Geroldstein (Manderscheid/Sternberg)
Gehmen (Limburg-Styrum)
Gimborn & Neustadt (Wallmoden)
Wyckradt (Quadt)
Mylendonk (Ostein)
Reichenstein (Nesselrode)
Kerpen & Lommersum (Schäsberg)
Schleiden (Mark/Prussia)
Hallermund (Platen)
Fagnolles (Ligne)
Cologne (free city)
Aachen (free city)
Dortmund (free city)
Lower Saxon Circle
For composition of this circle, watch article Lower Saxon Circle
Upper Rhenish Circle
Bench of the Ecclesiastic Princes
Bishop of Basel
Bishop of Fulda
Heitersheim (Order of St.John of Malta)
Abbot of Prüm (Archbishop of Trier)
Bishop of Worms
Bishop of Speyer
Bishop of Strasbourg
Provost of Odenheim and Bruchsal (Bishop of Speyer)
Bench of the Laic Princes
Palatinate-Simmern (Bavaria/Palatinate)
Palatinate-Kaiserslautern (Bavaria/Palatinate)
Palatinate-Veldenz & Lautereck (Bavaria/Palatinate)
Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Darmstadt
Hersfeld (Hesse-Kassel)
Sponheim (Baden)
Nomény (Austria)
Salm
Nassau-Weilburg
Nassau-Usingen
Nassau-Idstein
Nassau-Saarbrücken
Nassau-Ottweiler
Waldeck
Solms-Braunfels
Isenburg-Birstein
Savoy
A Bench of Numbers & Lords
Hanau-Münzenberg (Hesse-Kassel)
Hanau-Lichtenberg (Hesse-Darmstadt)
Solms-Hohensolms
Solms-Rödelheim
Solms-Laubach
Königstein (Archbishop of Mainz)
Königstein (Stolberg-Wernigerode)
Isenburg-Büdingen
Isenburg-Wächtersbach
Isenburg-Meerholz
Grehweiler (Salm, Uncivilized & -Rheingrafen)
Grumbach (Salm, Uncivilized & -Rheingrafen)
Dhaun (Salm, Untamed & -Rheingrafen)
Leiningen-Dagsburg
Leiningen-Westerburg
Münzfelden (Archbishop of Trier & Nassau-Usingen)
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Falkenstein (Austria)
Reipoltskirchen (Hillesheim & Parkstein)
Kriechingen (Wied-Runkel)
Wartenberg
Bretzenheim (Heydeck)
Dachstuhl (Oettingen-Baldern)
Ollbrück (Walbott of Bassenheim)
Bench of Cities
Worms
Speyer
Frankfurt am Main
Friedberg
Wetzlar
Upper Saxon Circle
For composition of this circle, view article Upper Saxon Circle
Swabian Circle
For composition of this circle, look at article Swabian Circle
de:Reichskreis
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