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Case Study Popular Politics in the Holy Roman Empire

Case Study Popular Politics in the Holy Roman Empire. Early Modern Theory The subjected third estate carrying nobles and clerics on its back (French print, 1790). Popular Political Agency. Local Government towns, villages, parishes 2. Representation regional, territorial, imperial

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Case Study Popular Politics in the Holy Roman Empire

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  1. Case Study Popular Politics in the Holy Roman Empire

  2. Early ModernTheoryThe subjected third estate carrying nobles and clerics on its back (French print, 1790)

  3. Popular Political Agency • Local Government towns, villages, parishes 2. Representation regional, territorial, imperial 3. Resistance local and supra-regional

  4. Town Hall and Councillors of the Imperial Free City of AugsburgPainting by Jörg Breu c. 1525 Local GovernmentTOWNS

  5. VILLAGES Rural assembly under the linden tree on Lake Lucerne (1513) Crest of the Imperial village of Gochsheim (conveyed 1568)

  6. Lawcode agreed by the parishioners of Gersau in 1436 PARISHES Seal of theNorth German Parish Federation of Dithmarschen (mid-16thC) Prospect of Gersau on Lake Lucerne (Engraving by M. Merian, 1654)

  7. REGIONAL REPRESENTATION Assembly of the Three Leagues of the Grisons • ‘The form of our government is democratic: and the election and deposition of the magistrates, all kinds of officers, judges and commanders, both in our free and ruling lands and in those which are subject to us, belongs to our common man; he has the power, according to his majorities, to create [and depose] them, to establish alliances with foreign princes and estates, to [decide] questions of war and peace, and to deliberate about all other matters pertaining to the high and lesser magistrates.’ Extract from the pamphlet GrawpündtnerischeHandlungen[Affairs of the Grisons] published in 1618 (for context see Head 1995, 232)

  8. Session of the Imperial Diet (1597) IMPERIAL DIET

  9. Riots in Frankfurt a.M. (1612-14) LOCAL RESISTANCE Execution of ringleader Fettmilch (1614)

  10. The German Peasants’ War:Twelve Articles (1525)First, it is our humble desire and request, and the intention and conviction of us all, that henceforth we want to have the full power for a whole congregation to select and elect its own pastor; and also the power to remove him, if he acts improperly ……. Third, until now it has been the custom for us to be regarded as a lord's personal property, which is deplorable since Christ redeemed us all with the shedding of his precious blood.…….Eighth, we are aggrieved, especially those that have their own land, because these lands cannot sustain the payments on them, and because these peasants must then forfeit the land and are ruined. SUPRA-REGIONAL RISINGS

  11. Assessment Considerable scope for popular politics within an unequal and hierarchical system dominated by princes and nobles … through formal and informal channels From humble petitions via local government to armed rebellion … at different levels local, regional, territorial, imperial … in support of distinct values Subsistence, custom, community (and sometimes:) freedom

  12. Discussion Topics • Which contexts / periods were particularly conducive to popular politics in early modern Europe? • How can we assess the relative weight of elite / popular political influence?

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