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 matc…
Imperial immediacy(698 words)
Cite this page
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 02 August 2021 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_026419>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180915
▲ Back to top ▲