Empire of 300 little princes
QUESTION Why was there such a proliferation of princely states in 16th-century Germany?
Kleinstaaterei is a German word used to denote the territorial fragmentation in Germany and neighbouring regions during the Holy Roman Empire.
The model of government in Germany after the Middle Ages was the opposite to that in France, where the monarchy gradually appropriated the jurisdictions of aristocrats, abbeys and cities.
In Germany, the former feudal states consolidated their power locally, creating a myriad of states, princedoms and free cities.
The catalyst for Kleinstaaterei was Emperor Charles IV’s Golden Bull, or decree, of 1356. This cemented the Empire’s system of elective monarchy, franchising an Electoral College of seven Princeelectors, given sovereign rights including taxation and coinage.
In theory, these privileges were the Electors’ alone. In practice, all local princes adopted them and the Emperor became little more than a figurehead, without political or military clout.
Over time, the Holy Roman Empire f r agmented f urther through successive dynastic splits, reflected in compound names such as Saxe-Coburg.
In many princedoms, there was no primogeniture so a kingdom might be divided between all the sons, thereby creating new states.
Royal marriages complicated the issue further, so that by the end of the 16th century there were more than 300 princedoms.
The Reformation of the 16th century shattered the fragile unity of the Empire as the Emperor came to be seen as the leader of the Catholic f action and the Protestant princes and cities r ejected his authority. This resulted in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) between the regions.
andrew Barnes, Oxford.
QUESTION Is it true that George III was only one of several mad monarchs during the early 19th century?
FURTHER to the earlier answer, those interested in Christian VII and his physician Johann Friedrich Struensee should watch the 2012 Danish film A Royal Affair.
Mikkel Boe Folsgaard is mesmerising as the mad monarch and Mads Mikkelsen is excellent as a brooding Struensee, who is Queen Caroline Mathilde’s ( Alicia Vikander) lover.
When Struensee held the reins of power he governed on principles of Enlightenment, abolishing torture, unpaid work and noble privileges. It ended with his head on the chopping block. C. stowe, Hexham, northumberland.