imperial city
Loading your saved state.
imperial city
A historical term for a city in the Holy Roman Empire that possessed special autonomy and was directly subordinate to the emperor. These cities were not part of a principality.
Nürnberg war im Mittelalter eine bedeutende freie Reichsstadt.
In the Middle Ages, Nuremberg was an important free imperial city.
The word is composed of 'Reich' (empire) and 'Stadt' (city), connected by an 's'. It literally means a 'city of the empire' and refers to the Holy Roman Empire.
Frankfurt am Main war früher eine bedeutende Reichsstadt.
Frankfurt am Main used to be an important imperial city.
This term is used exclusively for history and refers to cities in the Holy Roman Empire (c. 962–1806). It is not used for modern cities or capitals.
Im Geschichtsunterricht lernen wir über die Rolle der Reichsstädte.
In history class, we learn about the role of the imperial cities.
A very common combination is 'freie Reichsstadt' (free imperial city). The adjective 'frei' (free) emphasizes these cities' special autonomy and independence from local princes.
Augsburg war eine freie Reichsstadt und ein wichtiges Handelszentrum.
Augsburg was a free imperial city and an important trading center.
Hanseatic city
'die Hansestadt' and 'die Reichsstadt' are both historical terms for cities with special importance. They are easy to confuse because both sound connected to history and old city rights. A 'Hansestadt' was connected to the Hanseatic League, an old association of merchants and cities. A 'Reichsstadt' was directly subordinate to the emperor in the Holy Roman Empire and had special autonomy. So the words describe different historical contexts. For trade and the Hanseatic League, 'Hansestadt' fits. For the emperor, the empire, and a special political status, 'Reichsstadt' fits.
Augsburg war lange eine wichtige Reichsstadt im Heiligen Römischen Reich.
Augsburg was an important imperial city in the Holy Roman Empire for a long time.
Die Geschichte der Hansestadt ist eng mit Handel und Schiffen verbunden.
The history of the Hanseatic city is closely connected with trade and ships.