Imperial Knight

15 Knight-cantons (Ritterorten) are represented in this print of 1721, Johann Stephan Burgermeister

The Imperial Knights (German: Reichsritterschaft) was an Organisation of free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, who could retain their direct subordination to the Emperor (Kaiser) and their holdings, mostly in Swabia, Franconia, and the Rhineland but who did not have a seat or voice in the Reichstag. They belonged to the Lower Nobility.

History

The Imperial Knights were special protectors of the Kaiser but remained shut out of the Reichstag and were not included in the Imperial Circle Constitution, which determined who could sit on the Kreistag or regional council.

Origins

In the Late Middle Ages, these lower nobles began to organize themselves into confederations, which by the second half of the 16th Century had become practically compulsory. These confederations aimed at protecting the rights of the Nobility and mutual military defense. Because of the tax demands placed on the Knights in 1542 because of the threatening danger of Turkish attack, necessitated that the Knights find an organisational form that on the one hand could defend their Rights and Privileges as Nobles and on the other hand fulfilled their obligations to the Kaiser.

Organization

Therefore the Imperial Knights organized themselves into 15 Knight-cantons (Ritterorten) in the middle of the 16th Century, which were themselves organized, after 1577, with but one exception, 3 Knight-regions (Ritterkreisen). The six Cantons of Odenwald, Gebürg, Rhön-Werra, Steigerwald, Altmühl und Baunach, belonged to the Franconian Region, the five Cantons of Donau, Hegau-Allgäu-Bodensee, Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher und Kraichgau belonged to the Swabian Region, the three Cantons of Oberrhein, Mittelrhein und Niederrhein (upper-, middle-, and lower-Rhine) belonged to the Rhineland Region, and the Canton of Niederelsass (lower Alsace) had its own special status.

And indeed from 1577 on, the Imperial Knights met in a Congress called the General Correspondence Convention, but the Regions and especially the Cantons became somewhat more important as their proximity meant that their interests were more closely aligned.

Role in the Reich

The Imperial Knights were called very often to war by the Kaiser and therefore won significant influence in the Military and the Administration of the Empire and also over the more powerful nobles. Every Canton had its own Ritterhauptmann or Captain and kept detailed records of noble families and properties. The Imperial Knights were exempt from imperial taxes and were not required to quarter troops.

The end

Over time the title of, Reichsritter, or Imperial Knight became a title of nobility rather than occupation. Many Imperial Knights even as early as the 16th century are more famous for their scholarly, artistic, or diplomatic work than their military achievements. With the founding of the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 and the end of the Holy Roman Empire, the Imperial Knights' possessions, which were generally enclaves, formerly completely independent under the Kaiser, became part of the territories of the High Nobles, by whose territory they were surrounded. They, for the most part, took the title Freiherr and submitted themselves to their new lords.

A Partial List of Free Imperial Knights

Detail of tomb of Prince-Bishop of Würzburg Rudolf von Scherenberg by Tilman Riemenschneider) in Würzburg Cathedral (1496-1499).

Detail of tomb of Prince-Bishop of Würzburg Lorenz von Bibra by Tilman Riemenschneiderin Würzburg Cathedral.

-A-

Adelmann (Kocher)
Adelsheim (Odenwald)
Aichinger (Gebürg)
Altenstein (Baunach)
Arnim (Gebürg)
Assenburg (Middle Rhine)
Attems (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
Aufseß (Gebürg)

-B-

Bartenstein (Kocher)
Bassenheim (Middle Rhine)
Bastheim (Rhön-Werra)
Bauz (Odenwald)
Bechtolsheim (Steigerwald, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
Beckers (Upper Rhine)
Bellersheim (Middle Rhine)
Bemelberg (Danube)
Benzel (Neckar-Shwarzwald)
Berckheim (District Ortenau)
Berga (Altmühl)
Berlichingen (Odenwald, Kocher)
Bern (Kocher)
Bernhausen
Beroldingen
Berstett
Bettendorf
Bibra (Rhön-Werra, Steigerwald, Baunach)
Bissingen (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
Bobenhausen (Rhön-Werra)
Bock (Upper Rhine, District Ortenau, Kocher)
Bocklin (District Ortenau)
Bodeck (District Ortenau)
Bodmann (District Hegau)
Boinenburg (Rhön-Werra)
Bokdorf (Braunach)
Boos-Waldeck (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
Borié (Rhön-Werra)
Botzheim (Upper Rhine, District Ortenau)
Brandenstein (District Ortenau)
Brandi (Gebirg)
Breidenbach-Breidenstein (Middle Rhine)
Breidenbach-Bürresheim (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
Brockdorf (Gebürg)
Bubenhofen (Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
Buchenau (Rhön-Werra)
Bulach (District Ortenau)
Burscheid (Upper Rhine)
Buseck (Middle Rhine)
Buttlar (Middle Rhine)
Buwinghausen (Kocher)

-C-

Castell (Steigerwald)
Chalon gen. Gehlen (Middle Rhine)
Coudenhove (Middle Rhine)
Crailsheim (Odenwald, Steigerwald, Altmühl)
Cronenberg (Middle Rhine)

-D-

Dalberg (Baunach, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
Degenfeld (Rhön-Werra,Odenwald, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine, Kocher, Kraichgau)
Deuring (District Hegau)
Diede (Middle Rhine)
Diemar (Rhön-Werra)
Dienheim (Upper Rhine)
Drachsdorf (Rhön-Werra)
Dungern (District Ortenau)
Dürckheim (Altmühl, District Ortenau)

-E-

Ebersberg (Rhön-Werra)
Edelsheim (Middle Rhine)
Egkh (Neckar-Shwarzwald)
Egloffstein (Gebirg, Steigerwald, Altmühl)
Eichler (Altmühl)
Ellrichshausen (Odenwald)
Elz (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)
Enzberg (District Hegau)
Erthal (Rhön-Werra, Baunach, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine, Kocher, District Ortenau)
Esbeck (Upper Rhine)
Esch (Middle Rhine)
Eyb (Odenwald, Altmühl, Danube)
Eyben (Middle Rhine)
Eys (Middle Rhine)

-F-

Fahnenberg (Rhön-Werra)
Falkenhausen (Altmühl)
Fechenbach (Odenwald)
Feiguier (Upper Rhine)
Forster (Odenwald, Altmühl)
Forstmeister (Middle Rhine)
Forstner (Neckar-Schwarzwald)
Frais (Upper Rhine)
Franckenstein (Steigerwald, Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine, District Ortenau)
Frenz (Middle Rhine)
Freyberg (Danube, District Hegau, Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
Fries (Altmühl)
Fuchs (Baunach)
Fuchs von Bimbach (Steigerwald)
Fugger (Danube, Kocher)
Fürstenberg (Middle Rhine, Upper Rhine)

-G-

Gagern (Upper Rhine)
Gail (District Ortenau)
Gailing (District Ortenau)
Gaisberg (Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher)
Gebsattel (Rhön-Werra)
Gedult-Jungenfeld (Upper Rhine)
Geismar (Upper Rhine)
Geispitzheim (Upper Rhine)
Gemmingen (Odenwald, Upper Rhine, Neckar-Schwarzwald, Kocher, Kraichgau)
Gerstorff (Middle Rhine)
Geuder (Gebürg, Altmühl)
Geyer (Odenwald)
Geyso (Rhön-Werra)
Giech (Gebirg)
Gleichen
Goeler
Göllnitz
Görtz
Greiffenclau
Grosclag
Groß
Gudenus
Gültingen
Günerode
Guttenberg

-H-

Habermann
Hacke
Hagen
Hahn
Hahnsberg
Hallberg
Haller
Harling
Hatzfeld
Haxhausen
Heddersdorf
Hees
Helmstatt
Hess
Hessberg
Hettersdorf
Heuslin
Hofen
Hoheneck
Hohenfeld
Holtz
Holtzschuher
Horben
Horneck
Hornstein
Hoyen
Hundbiss
Hutten

-I-

Ichtrazheim
Ifflinger
Imhof
Ingelheim

-J-

Jett

-K-

Kageneck
Kalbsried
Karg
Keller
Kellerbach
Kerpen
Kesselstatt
Kieningen
Knebel
Kniestedt
Knöringen
Koeth
Kofler
Kolowrat
Koniz
Kress
Künsberg

-L-

Lang
Langwerth
Lasser
Lehrbach
Lentnersheim
Leonrodt
Leutrum
Leyden
Leyder
Leyen
Liebenfels
Liebenstein
Lichtenstern
Lochner
Loë
Löw
Löwenstein

-M-

Maiershofen
Malapert-Neufville
Mansbach
Marioth
Marschall von Ostheim
Massenbach
Mayerhofen
Metternich
Migazzi
Molsberg
Mozzian
Müller
Münch
Münster

-N-

Neipperg
Nesselrode
Neuenstein
Neveu
Nordeck zu Rabenau

-O-

Oberkirch
Oberndorff
Oelhaften
Oetinger
Ostein
Osterberg
Ow

-P-

Palm
Pappenheim
Pappius
Paumgarten
Pergen
Plittersdorf
Pöllnitz
Prettlack
Preuschen
Preysing
Prör
Pruglach

-Q-

Quadt

-R-

Raknitz
Rassler
Rathsamhausen
Ratzenried
Rau
Rechberg
Redwitz
Rehling
Reibeld
Reichlin
Reigersberg
Reischach
Reitzenstein
Reutner
Rhode
Riaucour
Riedesel
Riedheim
Riez
Ritter
Roeder
Rosenbach
Rotenhahn
Roth-Schreckenstein
Rüdt
Rumerskirch

-S-

Saint-André
Saint-Vincent
Schall
Schaunberg
Schaumberg
Scheldt
Schenk
Schenk von Schweinsberg
Scherenberg
Schergenstein
Schertel
Schilling
Schler
Schlus
Schmidburg
Schmitz
Schönborn
Schrottenberg
Schütz
Schwartzenberg
Seckendorf
Seefried
Seinsheim
Senfft
Serpes
Sickingen
Sodden
Sohlern
Solis (Graubunden)
Sparr
Spaur
Specht
Speshardt
Speth
Stadion
Stauffenberg
Stein
Stetten
Stolzingen
Stubenberg (all three circles)
Sturmfeder
Syberg

-T-

Tätessin
Than
Thannhausen
Thrumbach
Thumb
Thungen
Thurn
Thurn und Taxis
Törring-Seefeld
Truchseß
Tucher
Türkheim

-U-

Üxküll
Uiberbruck
Ullmer
Ulm
Umgelter
Varnbühler
Venningen
Vieregg
Vittinghoff
Vogt-hunolstein
Voit
Voit von Rieneck
Voit von Salzburg
Vorster

-W-

Waldenburg-Schenkern
Waldenfels
Walderdorff
Waldkirch
Waldner
Wallbrunn
Wambolt
Warsberg (Lower Rhine)
Weihmar
Weiler
Weitersheim
Welden
Welling
Welschberg
Welser
Wendt
Wenz
Westernach
Westphalen
Wetzel
Wiesenthau
Wildberg
Wildungen
Winkler
Winkler von Mohrenfels
Wolfskehl
Wöllwarth
Wollzogen
Wrede
Wurmser
Würtzburg (Gebürg)

-Z-

Zech
Zobel
Zöllner
Zyllnhardt

References

Anton P. Rahrbach: Reichsritter in Mainfranken: Zu Wappen und Geschichte fränkischer Adelsfamilien. Bauer & Raspe Die Siebmacher'schen Wappenbücher, Neustadt an der Aisch 2003.

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