Imperial immediacy was a status enjoyed by natural and legal persons and corporations that were not subject to the territorial sovereignty of another ruler in the Holy Roman Empire. This unique legal status in a European context took the form of immediate subordination to the emperor and empire, in contrast to belonging to a particular territory. Although the possessors of a señorío (manor) in Spain had extensive rights vis-à-vis the crown, and lords on noble estates in France and Great Britain claimed special rights over their subjects, this never matched the far-reachi…
Imperial immediacy(698 words)
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Pelizaeus, Ludolf, “Imperial immediacy”, 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 03 October 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_026419>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180915
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