Franconian Circle


The Franconian Circle was an Imperial Circle established in 1500 in the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised the eastern part of the former Franconian stem duchy — roughly corresponding with the present-day Bavarian Regierungsbezirke of Upper, Middle and Lower Franconia — while western Rhenish Franconia belonged to the Upper Rhenish Circle. The title of a "Duke of Franconia" was claimed by the Würzburg bishops.

Composition

The circle was made up of the following states:
NameType of entityComments
AnsbachMargraviateEstablished in 1398, held by the House of Hohenzollern, acquired by Prussia in 1791
BambergPrince-BishopricDiocese established in 1007 by King Henry II, Prince-Bishopric since about 1245
BayreuthMargraviateEstablished in 1398 at Kulmbach, held by the House of Hohenzollern, personal union with Ansbach from 1769, acquired by Prussia in 1791
CastellCountyImperial counts since 1202
EichstättPrince-BishopricEstablished in 741 by Saint Boniface
ErbachCountyImperial counts from 1532
FranconiaTeutonic bailiwickSeated in Bad Mergentheim
HausenLordshipHeld by Bamberg since 1007, condominium with Bayreuth and Nuremberg from 1538
HennebergPrincely CountyPrincipality since 1310, line extinct in 1583, acquired by Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Gotha in 1660
HohenloheCountyImmediate counts since 1450, raised to principality in 1744
LimpurgLordshipTerritory around Limpurg Castle near Schwäbisch Hall, held by the Schenken von Limpurg, hereditary cup-bearers of the Empire for the Bohemian kings
LöwensteinCountyImperial immediacy since 1494, Löwenstein-Wertheim from 1574, raised to principality in 1711
NurembergImperial CityReichsfreiheit granted by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1219
ReichelsbergLordshipTerritory around Reichelsberg Castle near Aub, originally a fiefdom granted by Bamberg to Hohenlohe, since 1401 a fief of Würzburg
RieneckCountyTerritory around Rieneck Castle, established in 1168, claimed as a fief by Mainz from 1366, line extinct in 1559, acquired by the Imperial counts of Nostitz in 1673
Rothenburg ob der TauberImperial CityReichsfreiheit granted by Rudolph of Habsburg 1274
SchwarzenbergLordshipEstablished in 1429 by the Lords of Seinsheim, territory around Schwarzenberg Castle near Scheinfeld, Imperial county from 1599, principality from 1670
SchweinfurtImperial CitySince 1254
SeinsheimLordshipHeld by the Counts of Schwarzenberg from 1655
WeißenburgImperial CitySince 1296
WelzheimLordshipFiefdom of Württemberg, from 1379 to 1713 in possession of the Schenken von Limburg
WertheimCountyEstablished in 1132, acquired by Löwenstein in 1574
WiesentheidLordshipImperial county from 1678, acquired by the Counts of Schönborn in 1701
WindsheimImperial CitySince 1248
WürzburgPrince-BishopricEstablished in 741 by Saint Boniface, prince-bishopric since 1168, titular "Duke in Franconia"