Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle


The Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised territories of the former Duchy of Lower Lorraine, Frisia and the Westphalian part of the former Duchy of Saxony.
The circle was made up of numerous small states, however the Counts De la Marck were able to collect a significant amount of territories, the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1521 on. The Empire's largest ecclesiastical territory was held by the Prince-Bishops of Münster.

Composition

The circle was made up of the following states:
NameType of entityComments
Imperial CityReichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1166
AnholtLordshipFormer territory of the Utrecht bishops, reichsfrei since the 14th century, held by the Lords of Gemen, fell to Salm-Salm in 1641
BeilsteinLordshipFief of Trier since 1488, held by the Freiherren von Metternich from 1635, Reichsgrafen from 1679
BentheimCountyInherited by the Freiherren von Steinfurt in 1421, Bentheim-Bentheim since 1454, again held by Steinfurt from 1530
BergDuchyRaised to duchy by King Wenceslaus of Luxembourg in 1380, part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1521 to 1614, with Jülich to Palatinate-Neuburg according to the Treaty of Xanten
Blankenheim-GerolsteinCountyInherited by Manderscheid in 1468
BouillonDuchyA protectorate of France by the 1679 Peace of Nijmegen but not annexed until 1795
BrakelImperial CityStatus challenged by the Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn
CambrayImperial CityStatus challenged by the Cambrai bishops, declared to a duchy by Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg in 1510
CambrésisPrince-BishopricDiocese established in the 6th century, Reichsfreiheit granted by King Henry II in 1007, archbishopric from 1559, fell to France by the 1679 Peace of Nijmegen
ClevesDuchyPart of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1521 to 1614, with Mark and Ravensberg to Brandenburg according to the Treaty of Xanten
Imperial CityStatus acknowledged by Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg in 1475
CorveyPrince-AbbacyEstablished in 815 by King Louis the Pious
DelmenhorstCountyEstablished by a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg, held by Oldenburg since 1436
DiepholzCountyEstablished about 1160, to Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1585
Imperial CityStatus confirmed by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1236
DrentheCountyto the Burgundian Circle in 1548
Imperial CityGiven in pawn to Cleves by King Rudolph of Habsburg in 1290, finally divested of the Imperial title by Elector Frederick William I of Brandenburg in 1674
DürenImperial CityStatus confirmed by Emperor Otto III in 1000, given in pawn to Jülich by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen in 1241
East FrisiaCountyRaised to Principality 1662, fell to Prussia in 1744
EchternachPrince-AbbacyEstablished about 698 by Saint Willibrord, immediacy granted by King Pepin the Short in 751, annexed by France in 1794
EssenPrince-AbbacyEstablished in 845 by Saint Altfrid, immediacy probably granted by King Conrad I, secularised to Prussia in 1803
FagnolleLordshipHeld by the House of Ligne, raised to county in 1770
GemenLordshipHeld by the Counts of Holstein-Schauenburg, fell to the House of Limburg-Stirum in 1640
GimbornLordshipHeld by the House of Schwarzenberg, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Ferdinand II of Habsburg in 1631, raised to county in 1698, sold to Johann Ludwig von Wallmoden in 1782
GroningenLordshipto the Burgundian Circle in 1548
GronsveldLordshipRichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg in 1498, raised to county about 1588, annexed by France in 1794
GueldersDuchyto the Burgundian Circle in 1548
HallermundCountyFief of Brunswick-Calenberg around Springe, raised to Imperial county in 1706
HerfordPrince-AbbacyNunnery established in 789, immediate prince-abbacy since 1147, confirmed by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1152
HerfordImperial CityReichsfreiheit derived from Herford Abbey, challenged by Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1547, annexed by Brandenburgian Ravensberg in 1652
HolzappelCountyFormer Esterau possession of Nassau, granted by Emperor Ferdinand III of Habsburg to his field marshal Peter Melander in 1643, to Anhalt-Bernburg in 1676
HoyaCountyFief of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1519, line extinct in 1582
JülichDuchyReichsfreiheit confirmed by Emperor Louis IV of Wittelsbach in 1328, raised to duchy by Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1356, part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg 1521 to 1614, with Berg to Palatinate-Neuburg according to the Treaty of Xanten
Kerpen and LommersumLordshipAnnexed by Brabant from Cologne after the 1288 Battle of Worringen, inherited by Burgundy in 1406 and the House of Habsburg in 1482, fell to Jülich in 1710, raised to county in 1712, gained Reichsfreiheit in 1786
KornelimünsterPrince-AbbacyEstablished in 814 by Saint Benedict of Aniane
LemgoImperial CityEstablished about 1190 by Lord Bernard II of Lippe, Reichsfreiheit ascertained by the Imperial Chamber Court
LiègePrince-BishopricEstablished about 315 by Saint Maternus of Cologne at Tongeren
LingenCountyEmerged from Tecklenburg in 1493, seized as a reverted fief by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg in 1547, with the Burgundian Netherlands to King Philip II of Spain in 1555, conquered by Prince Maurice of Nassau in 1597, inherited by Prussia in 1702
LippeLordshipLordship established about 1123, raised to county in 1528, split off Lippe-Alverdissen in 1613, raised to principality in 1789
LuxemburgDuchyto the Burgundian Circle in 1512
ManderscheidCountyHeld Schleiden since 1445, raised to Imperial county by Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg in 1457, inherited Blankenheim-Gerolstein in 1468, Sternberg-Manderscheid from 1780, annexed by France in 1794
MarkCountyEstablished about 1160, acquired Cleves in 1368, part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1521 to 1614, with Cleves and Ravensberg to Brandenburg according to the Treaty of Xanten
MyllendonkLordshipRegained Reichsfreiheit in 1700, held by the Counts of Ostein from 1732
MindenPrince-BishopricSecularised to Brandenburg by the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, as the Principality of Minden
MoersCountyFirst documented in 1186, held by Wied since 1493, to the Counts of Neuenahr in 1519, inherited by Adolf van Nieuwenaar in 1578, by Maurice of Nassau in 1594, to Prussia as principality in 1702
MünsterPrince-BishopricBishopric established by Saint Ludger about 805, reichsfrei territory emerged in 1180 from the Duchy of Saxony, held in personal union by the Wittelsbach Prince-Bishops of Cologne 1612-1650, 1683–1688 and 1723–1801
Nassau-DillenburgCountyEmerged from Nassau in 1303, split off Orange in 1559, principality in 1654, inherited by Orange-Nassau in 1739
Nassau-DiezCountyFormer County of Diez, inherited by Nassau-Dillenburg in 1386, emerged from Nassau-Dillenburg in 1606, principality 1654, inherited Orange in 1702, name changed to Orange-Nassau
Nassau-HadamarCountyEmerged from Nassau-Dillenburg in 1606, Principality 1650, line extinct in 1711, inherited by Orange-Nassau in 1743
OldenburgCountyEstablished in Saxony after the deposition of Henry the Lion in 1180, personal union with Denmark 1667-1773, raised to duchy ruled by Holstein-Gottorp in 1774
OverijsselLordshipto the Burgundian Circle in 1548
OsnabrückPrince-Bishopric
PaderbornPrince-Bishopric
PyrmontCounty
RavensbergCountyEstablished about 1140 out of former County of Calvelage, held by Berg since 1346, part of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1521 to 1614, with Cleves and Mark to Brandenburg according to the Treaty of Xanten
ReckheimCounty
ReichensteinLordship
RietbergCounty
Salm-Reifferscheid-DyckCountystatus unclear
SaynCounty
SchaumburgCounty
Schaumburg-HesseCounty
Schaumburg-LippeCounty
SchleidenCounty
SoestImperial City
SpiegelbergCounty
Stavelot-MalmedyPrince-Abbacy
SteinfurtCountyBentheim-Steinfurt since 1454, Reichsfreiheit granted by Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg in 1486, County of Steinfurt in 1495
TecklenburgCountyBentheim-Tecklenburg from 1557
ThornPrince-Abbacy
UtrechtPrince-Bishopricto the Burgundian Circle in 1548
VerdenPrince-BishopricSecularized as a principality held by the King of Sweden from 1648
VerdenImperial Citystatus unclear
VirneburgCounty
WarburgImperial City
WerdenPrince-Abbacy
WeselImperial Citystatus unclear
WickrathCounty
WiedCounty
WinneburgLordship
WittemLordship
ZutphenCountyto the Burgundian Circle in 1548