Free Imperial City of Kempten

For other uses, seeKempten (disambiguation).

Imperial City of Kempten in the Allgäu Reichstadt Kempten im Allgäu
1289–1802/3
A view of Kempten in 1650
Status	Free Imperial City (Stateof theHoly Roman Empire)
Capital	Kempten im Allgäu
Government	Republic
Historical era	Middle Ages
• City founded	before 50 BC
• City gainedImperial immediacy	1289
• Abbey sold property within Imperial City	1525
• Cityconverted to Protestantism	1527
•MediatisedtoBavaria	1802/3
• Abbey united with city	1819
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Franconia Electorate of Bavaria

TheFree Imperial City of Kemptenwas aFree Imperial Cityin theSwabian Circle.

History

In 1213,Holy Roman EmperorFrederick IIdeclared the abbots ofKempten Abbeymembers of theImperial Dietand granted the abbot the right to bear the title of Duke, making the abbey theImperial Ducal Abbey of Kempten.

In 1289, KingRudolf of Habsburggranted special privileges to the settlement in the river valley, making it anImperial City.In 1525 the last property rights of the abbots in the Imperial City were sold in the so-called "Great Purchase", marking the start of the co-existence of two independent cities bearing the same name next to each other.

The Imperial City converted toProtestantismin direct opposition to theCatholicmonastery in 1527, signing theAugsburg Confession.

During the turmoil of theThirty Years' War(1632–33), the city was destroyed by imperial forces.

During theNapoleonic Warsthe Imperial City came under Bavarian rule (1802–03). In 1819, the city was united with the properties of the Abbey into a single communal entity.