Burgrave

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The Burgrave of Regensburg presiding over a trial, early 14th-century illustration in the Codex Manesse.
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Burgrave, also rendered as burggrave

Latin: burgravius, burggravius, burcgravius, burgicomes, also praefectus), was since the medieval period in Europe (mainly Germany) the official title for the ruler of a castle, especially a royal or episcopal castle, and its territory called a Burgraviate or Burgravate (German Burggrafschaft also Burggrafthum, Latin praefectura).[1][3][4]

The burgrave was a "

imperial state—a prince-bishop or territorial lord
. The responsibilities were administrative, military and jurisdictional.

A burgrave, who ruled over a substantially large territory, might also have possessed the regality of coinage, and could mint his own regional coins (see silver bracteates).

History

Etymologically, the word burgrave is the English and French form of the German noble title Burggraf (compounded from Burg: castle, fortress or equally fortified town and Graf: count[2]) from Middle High German burcgrâve.[5][6] The feminine form is burgravine, in German Burggräfin (from Middle High German burcgrâvin).[3][5][7]

From the early

Latin: castellanus).[8][9]

In the mid-12th century, King Conrad III of Germany created a new quality for the title of burgrave during the German eastward colonization. They became protectors and administrators of extensive royal territories near major imperial castles, such as Meissen, Altenburg and Leisnig, and received "judicial lordship" (German: Gerichtsherrschaft[6]). They also acted as colonizers and created their own dominions.

Under the reign of King Rudolf I of Germany, their dignity was considerably advanced.[2] Before his time, burgraves were ranked only as counts (Graf), below the princes (Fürst), but during his reign, they began to receive the same esteem as princes.[2]

Holy Roman Empire territories

In the

Reichsfürst (princes of the Empire), obtained a quasi-royal significance.[10]

Like other officials of the feudal state, some burgraves became hereditary rulers. There were four hereditary burgraviates ranking as principalities within the Holy Roman Empire, plus the burgraviate of Meissen:

Bohemia

In the

Nejvyšší purkrabí [cz]); the appointment was usually for life. After the reforms of Maria Theresa (reign 1740–1780) and her son Joseph II
(reign 1780–1790), the title of highest burgrave gradually lost its de facto power. The title of highest burgrave was still granted, however, and its holder remained the first officer of the kingdom. It was abolished in 1848.

Poland

In the

Magdeburg law (Polish: Sąd wyższy prawa niemieckiego) erected in Kraków in lieu of Magdeburg.[18] The burgrave of Kraków also collected an income from the royal Wieliczka Salt Mine, run by the Royal Salt Mines company Żupy krakowskie
since the 13th century.

Prussia

In the Kingdom of Prussia, the burgrave was one of the four chief officers of a province, delegated by the King of Prussia.[2]

Sweden

In Sweden, the burgrave (

Charles X Gustav after the city was ceded to Sweden in 1658, but was abolished 19 years later in 1677.[19]

England and France

In Anglo-French parlance, a burgrave was considered analogous to a viscount.[1][20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Ebers, Johann (1796). The New and Complete Dictionary of the German and English Languages (in German and English). Vol. 1. Leipzig: Breitkopf and Haertel. pp. 502–503.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Ebers, Abraham Rees (1819). The Cyclopædia: Or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature. Vol. V. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown etc. Burggrave.
  3. ^ a b c Encyclopædia Britannica; Definition of burgrave (title). [1]
  4. ^ a b c Duden; Definition of Burggraf (in German). [2]
  5. ^
    ISBN 9783110328776
    .
  6. ^
    ISBN 9780812281835
    .
  7. ^ Duden; Definition of Burggräfin (in German). [3]
  8. ^ Ebers, Abraham Rees (1819). The Cyclopædia: Or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature. Vol. 6. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown etc. CASTELLAIN.
  9. ISBN 9780764556029
    .
  10. ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Burgrave" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 820.
  11. ^ Motley, John Lothrop (1855). The Rise of the Dutch Republic, vol. 2. Harper & Brothers. p. 37.
  12. ^ Young, Andrew (1886). A Short History of the Netherlands (Holland and Belgium). Netherlands: T. F. Unwin. p. 315.
  13. ^ Putnam, Ruth (1895). William the Silent, Prince of Orange: the moderate man of the sixteenth century : the story of his life as told from his own letters, from those of his friends and enemies and from official documents, Volume 1. Putnam. p. 211. viscount of antwerp.
  14. ^ Parker, Geoffrey (2002). The Dutch Revolt. Penguin.
  15. ^ Rowen, Herbert H. (1990). The Princes of Orange: The Stadholders in the Dutch Republic. Cambridge Univ. Press.
  16. ^ Koninklijkhuis (2013). "Frequently asked questions re King William-Alexander". Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD). Archived from the original (web) on 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2013-05-30. The King's full official titles are King of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg, Count of Katzenelnbogen, Vianden, Diez, Spiegelberg, Buren, Leerdam and Culemborg, Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen, Baron of Breda, Diest, Beilstein, the town of Grave and the lands of Cuyk, IJsselstein, Cranendonk, Eindhoven and Liesveld, Hereditary Lord and Seigneur of Ameland, Lord of Borculo, Bredevoort, Lichtenvoorde, 't Loo, Geertruidenberg, Klundert, Zevenbergen, Hoge and Lage Zwaluwe, Naaldwijk, Polanen, St Maartensdijk, Soest, Baarn and Ter Eem, Willemstad, Steenbergen, Montfort, St Vith, Bütgenbach and Dasburg, Viscount of Antwerp.
  17. ISBN 9781400877584
    .
  18. ^ Toze, M. Eobald (1770). The Present State of Europe: Exhibiting a View of the Natural and Civil History of the Several Countries and Kingdoms ... To which is Prefixed, an Introductory Discourse on the Principles of Polity and Government. Vol. 3. London: J. Nourse, Bookseller to His Majesty. p. 295.
  19. ^ Westrin, Theodor (1905). "Burggrefve". In Meijer, Bernhard; Westrin, Theodor; et al. (eds.). Nordisk familjebok (in Swedish). Vol. 4 (Owl ed.). Stockholm. p. 622. Retrieved 2019-04-19.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  20. ^ Ebers, Johann (1794). Vollständiges Wörterbuch der Englischen Sprache für die Deutschen [Complete dictionary of the English language for the Germans] (in English and German). Vol. 2. Leipzig: Breitkopf and Haertel. p. 1033.
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