Road toll (historical)
The road toll was a historic fee charged to the territorial lords of travellers and merchants in return for permission to use the roads and waterways of the country or state concerned. It was reinforced in the Holy Roman Empire by the law of Straßenzwang which meant that traders in certain goods had to use specified roads. In return, they were usually guaranteed safe passage under the Geleitrecht.[1] The road toll was widespread especially in medieval times, and, in addition to the payments from the staple rights, was an important source of income. Today, the cognate term toll is more usual.
See also
- ^ Thomas Kühtreiber: Straße und Burg. Anmerkungen zu einem vielschichtigen Verhältnis, pp. 286ff. In: Kornelia Holzner-Tobisch, Thomas Kühtreiber, Gertrud Blaschitz (eds.), Die Vielschichtigkeit der Straße. Kontinuität und Wandel in Mittelalter und früher Neuzeit, Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Realienkunde des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit 22, Vienna, 2012, 263-301