Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Estates of the realm
(9,764 words)

1. Concept and definitions

As an ordering concept in both the sources and modern scholarship, “estate” (Latin ordo, literally “order,” “rank”) or “estates” has a multifaceted nature [70]; [30] that goes hand in hand with its inexact definition [14. 42]; [19. 186]. Although - or because - the institution of the estates was a “key theme of European history” [37],…

Cite this page
Bömelburg, Hans-Jürgen and Haug-Moritz, Gabriele, “Estates of the realm”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_028151>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180126



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