Upper Rhenish Circle

The Upper Rhenish Circle as at the beginning of the 16th century

Upper Rhenish Circle 1791

TheUpper Rhenish Circle(German:Oberrheinischer Reichskreis) was anImperial Circleof theHoly Roman Empireestablished in 1500 on the territory of the formerDuchy of Upper Lorraineand large parts ofRhenish Franconiaincluding theSwabianAlsaceregion and theBurgundianduchy of Savoy.

Many of the circle's states west of theRhineriver were annexed byFranceunder KingLouis XIVduring the 17th century, sealed by the 1678/79Treaties of Nijmegen.

Composition

The circle was made up of the following states:

Name	Type of entity	Commentate
Andlau	Abbey	FormerPrelaturetoFrancesince 1681.
Bar	Duchy	United withLorrainesince 1483.
Basel	Prince-Bishopric	Established in the 8th century above the ancientAugusta Raurica,gained independence fromBurgundyabout 1000, residence atPorrentruy(Pruntrut)from 1527; 41st seat to theReichstag
Besançon	Prince-Archbishopric	Annexed by France in 1679; its 8th seat to theReichstagbecame vacant
Beuil	County	Initially created as a Lordship, Bueil was inherited by a cadet branch of theHouse of Grimaldi.Bueil became a nominal vassal of theCounty of Savoyin 1388. Raised by Savoy to a county in 1581. Annexed by theFrench First Republicin 1793 and restored to theKingdom of Sardiniain 1813.
Bresse	Lordship	Inherited by theHouse of Savoyin 1272. Annexed by theKingdom of Francein theTreaty of Lyonin 1601.
Bretzenheim	Lordship	Held byCologne,granted to Count Karl August of Heydeck, illegitimate son of ElectorCharles Theodore of Bavariain 1772, Imperialcountyin 1774,principalityin 1789.
Bugey	Lordship	Conferred to theHouse of Savoyin 1077 byHenry IV.Annexed by theKingdom of Francein theTreaty of Lyonin 1601.
Chablais	Duchy	Established in the 11th century by theHouse of Savoy.Lost toGenevain 1536.
Colmar	Imperial City	Reichsfreiheitgranted by EmperorFrederick II of Hohenstaufenin 1226, part of theDécapolesince 1354.
Dagstuhl	Lordship	Held by the Lords ofFleckenstein,acquired byOettingen-Wallersteinin 1697.
Dombes	Principality	Held by the Dukes ofBourbonsince 1400, confiscated by theKingdom of Francein 1523.
Falkenstein	Lordship	Held by the Counts ofDaunsince 1456, raised tocountyin 1518, fell toLorrainein 1667, administered withFurther Austriafrom 1782.
Faucigny	Barony	Acquired by theHouse of Savoyby the 1355Treaty of Paris.Annexed by theFrench First Republicin 1792. Returned to Savoy in 1816. Annexed by theSecond French Empirein 1860.
Frankfurt am Main	Imperial City	6th Rhenish City. Since 1220, place of theImperial electionby theGolden Bull of 1356.
Friedberg	Imperial City	13th Rhenish City. Since 1252.
Fulda	Prince-Abbacy	Established bySaint Bonifacein 744,Reichsfreiheitgranted by Emperor Frederick II in 1220, raised to Prince-Bishopric in 1752, 53th seat to theReichstag.
Geneva	Duchy	Established in the 10th century as theCounty of Geneva.Capital moved fromLa Roche-sur-ForontoAnnecyin 1219. Purchased by theHouse of Savoyin 1401 and raised to a Duchy in 1564. Annexed by theSecond French Empirein 1860.
Gex	Barony	First mentioned in 1188. Ruled by a cadet branch of theCounty of Genevauntil 1353 when annexed byAmadeus VI, Count of Savoy.Contested since 1536 between theDuchy of Savoyand theOld Swiss Confederacyuntil annexed by theKingdom of Francein theTreaty of Lyonin 1601.
Haguenau	Imperial City	Since about 1260, capital of theDécapolesince 1354.
Hanau-Lichtenberg	County	Partitioned from the County ofHanauas Hanau-Babenhausenin 1456, inherited the lordship ofLichtenbergin 1474, fell toHesse-Darmstadtin 1736.
Hanau-Münzenberg	County	Partitioned from the County of Hanau in 1456, reunited with Hanau-Lichtenberg in 1642, fell toHesse-Kasselin 1736.
Heitersheim	Principality	Held by theOrder of St Johnsince 1272,Reichsfreiheitgranted by EmperorCharles Vin 1548.
Hersfeld	Abbacy	Established about 736 bySaint Sturm,Reichsfreiheitgranted byCharlemagnein 775,secularisedto a principality by the 1648Peace of Westphalia,held byHesse-Kassel
Hesse	Landgraviate	Established after theWar of the Thuringian Successionin 1247, residence atKassel,partitioned after the death of LandgravePhilip Iin 1567.
Hesse-Kassel	Landgraviate	Subdivision of Hesse from 1567, Electorate of Hesse in 1803.
Hesse-Rheinfels	Landgraviate	Subdivision of Hesse from 1567 including the formerCounty of KatzenelnbogenwithBurg Rheinfels,line extinct in 1583, fell to Hesse-Kassel.
Hesse-Darmstadt	Landgraviate	Subdivision of Hesse from 1567,Grand Duchy of Hessein 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, gainedReichsfreiheitin 1768.
Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein	County	Subdivision of the County ofIsenburgestablished in 1511 (Oberisenburg), again divided in 1628.
Isenburg-Birstein	County	Subdivision of Isenburg-Büdingen-Birstein from 1628, merged intoIsenburg-Offenbachin 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 theDécapolesince 1354.
Königstein	County	Held by theLords of Eppstein,raised toReichsgrafenby EmperorMaximilian I of Habsburgin 1505, inherited byStolbergin 1535, seized byMainzin 1581.
Kriechingen	County	Former fief ofLorrainearoundCréhange,raised to Imperial county in 1617, held by the Princes ofEast Frisiafrom 1697, toWied-Runkelin 1726.
Landau	Imperial City	Reichsfreiheitgranted byRudolph I of Habsburgin 1291, seized by theBishop of Speyerin 1324, restored by Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg in 1511, joined theDécapolein 1521.
Leiningen-Westerburg	County	Subdivision of the former County ofLeiningensince 1317, inherited by the Lords ofWesterburgin 1467.
Leiningen-Dagsburg	County	Subdivision of the former County of Leiningen since 1317, raised to principality in 1779.
Lorraine	Duchy	Former UpperLotharingia,acquired byRené of Anjou,Duke ofBarin 1431, swapped by DukeFrancis III of Habsburg-Lorrainefor theGrand Duchy of Tuscanyin 1735, annexed by France in 1766.
Maurienne	County	Subdivision of the county of Savoy in 1032.
Mensfelden	Lordship	CondominiumofTrierandNassau.
Metz	Prince-Bishopric	Established by 535,Reichsfreiheitconfirmed byCharles IV of Luxembourgin 1357, occupied by KingHenry II of Francein 1552, part of the FrenchThree Bishopricsby 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 theDécapolesince 1354, joinedSwiss Confederacyin 1515, France in 1798.
Munster, Haut-Rhin	Imperial City	Reichsfreiheitgranted by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1235, part of theDécapolesince 1354.
Murbach	Imperial Abbey	Principalitysince 1548, to France in 1680, demolished during theRevolution.
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 Nassaufrom 1806.
Nassau-Weilburg	County	2nd Rhenish County, principality in 1688,Duchy of Nassaufrom 1806.
Nomeny	Margraviate	Held by theBishopric of Metzuntil 1548, margraviate established by EmperorMaximilian II of Habsburgin 1567, to Lorraine in 1612.
Obernai	Imperial City	Since about 1240, part of theDécapolesince 1354, annexed by France in 1679.
Odenheim	Provostry	Monastery established in 1122, Imperial college ofcanons(Reichsstift)since 1494, moved toBruchsalin 1507.
Olbrück	Lordship	Territory around Olbrück Castle nearNiederdürenbach,originally held byWied.
Orange	Principality	Created in 1033 as theCounty of Orange.Raised to a principality in 1163. Conceded to theKingdom of Francein 1713.
Palatinate-Simmern	County Palatine	Split offElectoral Palatinatein 1410, inheritedElectoral Palatinatein 1559 with 8th vote to theReichstag.
Palatinate-Lautern	County Palatine	Subdivision of Palatinate from 1576 with 6th vote to theReichstag.
Palatinate-Veldenz	County Palatine	FormerCounty of Veldenzinherited by Palatinate-Zweibrücken in 1444, 16th vote to the Reichstag
Palatinate-Zweibrücken	County Palatine	Former County ofZweibrücken,in personal union with Palatinate-Simmern until 1459, fell toPalatinate-Birkenfeldin 1734, 14th seat to the Reichstag
Prüm	Prince-Provostry	(Re-)established by KingPepin the Shortin 752,Reichsfreiheitgranted by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1222, administered byTrierfrom 1576, 65th seat to theReichstag
Reipoltskirchen	Lordship	Since about 1300.
Rosheim	Imperial City	Since 1303, part of theDécapolesince 1354, annexed by France in 1679.
Salm	Principality	Upper Salm since 1165, large parts held by theWild- and Rhinegravesfrom 1475 and partitioned in 1499,Salm-Salmraised to princes in 1623 with the 84th seat to theReichstag.
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 asPrincipality of Salm.
Salm-Kyrburg	County	Subdivision of Salm from 1499, residence atKirn,princely county from 1743, Principality of Salm from 1802.
Savoy	Duchy	Former county, part of theKingdom of Burgundyinherited by EmperorConrad IIin 1032,Reichsfreiheitgranted by EmperorCharles IV of Luxembourgin 1361, raised to duchy in 1416.
Sayn-Wittgenstein	County	Former Counts ofSayn,a cadet branch of theHouse of Sponheim,acquired County ofWittgensteinin 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-Hohensteinfrom 1657.
Sélestat	Imperial City	Reichsfreiheitgranted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1216, part of theDécapolesince 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,Reichsfreiheitgranted around 969 by EmperorOtto I,19th seat to theReichstag
Speyer	Imperial City	5th Rhenish City. City rights acknowledged by the Speyer bishops in 1294, venue of 50Reichstagassemblies, including theDiet of Speyer (1529)(Protestation at Speyer).
Sponheim	County	Established in the 11th century by the RhenishHouse of Sponheim,held jointly by the Margraves ofBadenand theHouse of Palatinate-Simmernsince 1437.
Strasbourg	Prince-Bishopric	Established in the 4th century, prince-bishopric since 982; 21st seat to theReichstag
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 SaintMansuetus,Reichsfreiheitconfirmed by KingHenry Iin 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 theDécapolesince 1354.
Vaud	Barony	Established in 1234. Incorporated into theHouse of Savoyin 1359. Annexed by theCanton of Bernin 1536.
Verdun	Prince-Bishopric	Established about 346,Reichsfreiheitconfirmed by EmperorOtto IIIin 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,Reichsfreiheitgranted by KingWenceslaus of Luxembourgin 1379, Waldeck-Pyrmontfrom 1625, raised to principality in 1712.
Wartenberg	County	Established in 1232, inherited byRiedeselin 1428,Freiherrenfrom 1680.
Wetterau	County	Established c. 950, held by the counts von Wetter-Tegerfelden in 1317
Weissenburg	Imperial City	Since 1306, part of theDécapolesince 1354, annexed by France in 1648.
Weissenburg	Prince-Provostry	Abbey established about 660 by the Bishopric of Speyer,Reichsfreiheitgranted by EmperorOtto IIin 967, again held by Speyer from 1546, 63th seat to theReichstag.
Wetzlar	Imperial City	14th Rhenish City,Reichsfreiheitgranted by EmperorFrederick I Barbarossain 1180.
Wild- and Rhinegraves	County	Rhinegraves since the 12th century, inherited Wildgraviate atKyrburgin 1409, acquired (Upper) Salm in 1475.
Worms	Prince-Bishopric	Established about 614; 15th seat to theReichstag
Worms	Imperial City	4th Rhenish City,Reichsfreiheitgranted by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1184.

Sources

• The list of states making up the Upper Rhenish Circle is based in part on that in theGermanWikipedia articleOberrheinischer Reichskreis.

External links

• Historicalmaps: Historical Maps of Germany — Imperial Circles in the 16th Century