Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Fideicommissum
(901 words)

1. Definition and function

In early modern times, a fideicommissum was a special piece of property under private law created by a formal act of endowment that thereby became tied to a specific noble family in perpetuity and could neither be divided, alienated, or subject to collection for debt; it also became subject to specific rules of succession (Inheritance law) so that this family’s glory (Latin, splendor familiae) could be main…

Cite this page
Eckert, Jörn, “Fideicommissum”, 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_019255>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180126



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