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German town law

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447: 71: 170: 578: 158:, or roughly a legal sponsor of the newly chartered town. For instance, Magdeburg became the sponsor of towns using Magdeburg Rights, and its lay judges could rule in ambiguous legal cases in towns using such rights. Certain city rights became known under different names, although they originally came from the same source; the name of some city variants designates the 268:
settlements, while others were constructed anew by colonists. Many towns were formed in conjunction with the settlement of nearby rural communities, but the towns' urban rights were jealously guarded. Initially German town law was applied only to ethnic Germans, but gradually in most localities all town-dwellers were regarded as citizens, regardless of ethnic origin.
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beginning in the early 13th century. Because many areas were considered underpopulated or underdeveloped, local rulers offered urban privileges to peasants from German lands to induce them to immigrate eastward. Some towns which received a German town law charter were based on pre-existing
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Many towns granted German city rights had already existed for some time, but the granting of town law codified the legal status of the settlement. Many European localities date their foundation to their reception of a town charter, even though they had existed as a settlement beforehand.
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were chartered with the Środa town law used in much of Poland, although this was done through the duplication of Polish administrative methods instead of German colonization. In the 16th century
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granting them autonomy from local secular or religious rulers. Such privileges often included the right to self-governance, economic autonomy, criminal courts, and
473:. The purpose of creating the Środa law was to conform the so-called German law to the interests of Polish authority. Major cities chartered with Środa law were 67:. The German town law (based on the Magdeburg rights) was used in the founding of many German cities, towns, and villages beginning in the 13th century. 181:
by legal experts. Ultimately, the older towns' laws, along with local autonomy and jurisdiction, gave way to landed territorial rulers. With the
510: 707: 738: 557: 537: 123:. As Germans began settling eastward, the colonists modelled their town laws on the pre-existing 12th century laws of 689: 668: 490: 154:
The granting of German city rights modelled after an established town to a new town regarded the original model as a
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During the course of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, the town laws of many places were modified with aspects of
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of 1 January 1900 were single articles concerning family and inheritance laws. The cities of Hamburg, Bremen, and
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The Środa/Neumarkt law is a local Polish variant of the Magdeburg rights, modelled after the town rights of
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began establishing towns throughout northern Europe as early as the 10th century, they often received
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they became famous from, not necessarily that that specific style of rights originated from the
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law became the inspiration for regional town charters not only in Germany, but also in
505:. By 1477, 132 towns and thousands of villages in Poland were granted Środa law. Many 753: 685: 664: 529: 466: 288: 238: 192: 567: 359: 351: 331: 140: 44: 103:. Town laws were more or less entirely copied from neighboring towns, such as the 545: 96: 40: 24: 304: 108: 60: 56: 279:
spread rapidly among the maritime settlements along the southern shore of the
727: 635: 582: 470: 462: 415: 382:, while German colonists introduced Brünn (Brno) and Olmütz (Olomouc) law in 327: 79: 606: 518: 276: 132: 435: 419: 335: 169: 423: 284: 259: 64: 514: 280: 223:. The only remnants of medieval town rights (statutes) included in the 220: 188: 104: 427: 120: 562: 371: 292: 204: 178: 144: 136: 52: 386:. South German law, broadly referring to the codes of Nuremberg and 362:. Other variants included Brandenburg, Litoměřice, and Olomouc law. 128: 502: 489:, numerous towns were chartered with Środa town law throughout the 399: 343: 316: 264: 112: 532:
granted or reaffirmed Magdeburg rights to various towns along the
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Map showing the spread of German town laws throughout Westphalia
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Historical Atlas of Central Europe: Revised and Expanded Edition
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and was the source of several variants, including Neumarkt law (
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Timeline of medieval German charter cities grouped by type.
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settlements in Transylvania, especially in the regions of
374:, such as Old Prague and Cheb law, were introduced into 521:, received South German town law in the 14th century. 697:. Georg Westermann Verlag Braunschweig. Berlin. 1963. 16:
Late-Mediaeval European form of municipal governance
414:communities in Bohemia, Moravia, the mountains of 257:German town law was frequently applied during the 684:. University of Washington Press. Seattle. 2002. 725: 611:World History in Documents: A Comparative Reader 544:, Magdeburg law continued to be used in western 410:. Jihlava law was a variant used frequently by 675:Atlas zur Geschichte der deutschen Ostsiedlung 708:History of city rights in Schleswig-Holstein 677:. Velhagen & Klasing. Bielefeld. 1958. 370:Litoměřice law and codes based on that of 303:, used for some towns in the lands of the 199:by the territorial princes; the remaining 604: 453:, Poland, after which the law was modeled 445: 263:of Central and Eastern Europe by German 168: 69: 524:In the 15th century, many towns in the 726: 607:"Magdeburg Law 1261: Northern Germany" 630: 628: 441: 299:. It formed the basis of Riga law in 695:Westermanns Atlas zur Weltgeschichte 493:in the 14th century, especially in 485:. Resulting from the reign of King 13: 625: 558:List of towns with German town law 465:, granted in 1235 by Polish ruler 14: 770: 701: 613:. New York University Press, 1998 438:, Spiš, and Székesfehérvár laws. 365: 358:in Eastern Pomerania, and in the 233:are currently administered under 576: 322: 663:. Penguin Books. London, 1997. 598: 538:Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 402:, and was introduced into the 187:of 1803, almost all of the 51 1: 591: 271: 184:Reichsdeputationshauptschluss 252: 7: 551: 348:State of the Teutonic Order 346:(Chełmno law), used in the 82:from February 11, 1355 63:who modified it during the 10: 775: 86: 739:Urban planning in Germany 378:during the reign of King 283:and was used in northern 33:German municipal concerns 526:Grand Duchy of Lithuania 406:during the rule of King 330:was popular around the 226:Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch 680:Magocsi, Paul Robert. 454: 174: 83: 28: 661:The Northern Crusades 487:Casimir III of Poland 449: 172: 73: 39:) was a set of early 37:Deutsches Städtewesen 673:Krallert, Wilfried. 659:Christiansen, Eric. 542:Partitions of Poland 430:, Goslar, Lüneburg, 354:and along the lower 201:imperial free cities 29:Deutsches Stadtrecht 507:Transylvanian Saxon 749:German communities 536:acquired from the 455: 442:Środa/Neumarkt law 404:Kingdom of Hungary 175: 84: 585: 583:Cities portal 548:until the 1830s. 491:Kingdom of Poland 467:Henry the Bearded 289:Western Pomerania 237:, or laws of the 219:became sovereign 193:Holy Roman Empire 74:Town charter for 766: 759:Magdeburg rights 720: 712: 652: 651: 649: 647: 640:Encyklopedia PWN 636:"prawo średzkie" 632: 623: 622: 620: 618: 602: 581: 580: 579: 574: 360:Duchy of Masovia 332:March of Meissen 141:Magdeburg rights 45:Magdeburg rights 774: 773: 769: 768: 767: 765: 764: 763: 744:German diaspora 724: 723: 718: 710: 704: 656: 655: 645: 643: 634: 633: 626: 616: 614: 605:Peter Stearns. 603: 599: 594: 577: 575: 554: 546:Imperial Russia 444: 368: 325: 291:, and parts of 274: 255: 97:town privileges 89: 41:town privileges 21:German town law 17: 12: 11: 5: 772: 762: 761: 756: 751: 746: 741: 736: 734:Law of Germany 722: 721: 713: 703: 702:External links 700: 699: 698: 692: 678: 671: 654: 653: 624: 596: 595: 593: 590: 589: 588: 570: 568:Zipser Willkür 565: 560: 553: 550: 443: 440: 390:, was used in 367: 366:Litoměřice law 364: 324: 321: 305:Livonian Order 273: 270: 254: 251: 239:federal states 191:cities of the 151:in the south. 143:), and either 131:in the north ( 88: 85: 76:Höchst on Main 61:Eastern Europe 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 771: 760: 757: 755: 752: 750: 747: 745: 742: 740: 737: 735: 732: 731: 729: 717: 714: 709: 706: 705: 696: 693: 691: 690:0-295-98193-8 687: 683: 679: 676: 672: 670: 669:0-14-026653-4 666: 662: 658: 657: 641: 637: 631: 629: 612: 608: 601: 597: 587: 586: 584: 571: 569: 566: 564: 561: 559: 556: 555: 549: 547: 543: 539: 535: 531: 527: 522: 520: 516: 512: 508: 504: 500: 496: 492: 488: 484: 480: 476: 472: 471:Piast dynasty 468: 464: 463:Lower Silesia 460: 452: 448: 439: 437: 433: 432:Lwówek Śląski 429: 425: 421: 417: 416:Upper Hungary 413: 409: 405: 401: 397: 393: 389: 385: 381: 377: 373: 363: 361: 357: 353: 349: 345: 341: 337: 333: 329: 328:Magdeburg law 323:Magdeburg law 320: 318: 314: 310: 306: 302: 298: 294: 290: 286: 282: 278: 269: 266: 262: 261: 250: 246: 244: 240: 236: 232: 228: 227: 222: 218: 214: 210: 206: 202: 198: 194: 190: 186: 185: 180: 171: 167: 165: 161: 157: 152: 150: 146: 142: 139:in the east ( 138: 134: 130: 127:in the west, 126: 122: 118: 114: 110: 106: 102: 98: 94: 81: 80:Gau-Algesheim 77: 72: 68: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 47:developed by 46: 43:based on the 42: 38: 34: 30: 26: 22: 694: 681: 674: 660: 644:. Retrieved 639: 615:. Retrieved 610: 600: 573: 572: 540:. After the 523: 459:Środa Śląska 456: 451:Środa Śląska 420:Transylvania 380:Wenceslaus I 369: 340:Środa Śląska 336:Upper Saxony 326: 275: 258: 256: 247: 235:Landesrechte 234: 224: 182: 176: 164:Rechtsvorort 163: 160:Rechtsvorort 159: 156:Rechtsvorort 155: 153: 90: 36: 32: 20: 18: 719:(in German) 711:(in German) 642:(in Polish) 617:28 February 285:Mecklenburg 260:Ostsiedlung 221:city-states 105:Westphalian 65:Middle Ages 728:Categories 592:References 519:Nösnerland 515:Burzenland 281:Baltic Sea 277:Lübeck law 272:Lübeck law 197:mediatised 189:reichsfrei 133:Lübeck law 563:Burgrecht 424:Głubczyce 372:Nuremberg 293:Pomerelia 265:colonists 253:Expansion 205:Frankfurt 179:Roman law 145:Nuremberg 137:Magdeburg 107:towns of 53:Magdeburg 754:Kulm law 552:See also 503:Volhynia 400:Slovenia 344:Kulm law 317:Courland 113:Dortmund 534:Dnieper 530:Muscovy 511:Altland 499:Galicia 495:Masovia 479:Legnica 469:of the 428:Görlitz 408:Béla IV 396:Austria 392:Bavaria 384:Moravia 376:Bohemia 356:Vistula 352:Prussia 313:Estonia 309:Livonia 243:Germany 213:Hamburg 125:Cologne 121:Münster 101:militia 93:Germans 87:History 57:Central 688:  667:  646:4 June 517:, and 501:, and 475:Kalisz 418:, and 412:mining 398:, and 388:Vienna 315:, and 297:Warmia 231:Berlin 217:Lübeck 215:, and 209:Bremen 149:Vienna 129:Lübeck 119:, and 117:Minden 51:. The 49:Otto I 25:German 483:Radom 195:were 109:Soest 31:) or 686:ISBN 665:ISBN 648:2024 619:2014 481:and 436:Nysa 334:and 301:Riga 295:and 78:and 59:and 19:The 461:in 350:in 307:in 241:of 203:of 147:or 135:), 91:As 730:: 638:. 627:^ 609:. 513:, 497:, 477:, 434:, 426:, 394:, 319:. 311:, 287:, 245:. 211:, 207:, 115:, 111:, 27:: 650:. 621:. 35:( 23:(

Index

German
town privileges
Magdeburg rights
Otto I
Magdeburg
Central
Eastern Europe
Middle Ages

Höchst on Main
Gau-Algesheim
Germans
town privileges
militia
Westphalian
Soest
Dortmund
Minden
Münster
Cologne
Lübeck
Lübeck law
Magdeburg
Magdeburg rights
Nuremberg
Vienna

Roman law
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss
reichsfrei

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