Imperial Circle

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A map of the Imperial Circles as in 1512. Unencircled territories are shown in white.

An Imperial Circle (German: Reichskreis, plural Reichskreise) was a regional grouping of territories of the Holy Roman Empire, primarily for the purpose of organizing a common defense and of collecting imperial taxes, but also as a means of organization within the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) and the Reichskammergericht.

Each circle had a Kreistag (Circle Diet), although not every member of the Kreistag would also be a member of the Reichstag as well.

[edit] Formation of the circles

Initially six circles were created in 1500 as part of the Reichsreform (Imperial Reform):

• the Bavarian Circle (Brown on the map)
• the Swabian Circle (Yellow on the map)
• the Upper Rhenish Circle
• the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle (sometimes called Westphalian Circle)
• the Franconian Circle
• the Saxon Circle (later the Lower Saxon Circle)

Originally, the territories held by the Habsburg dynasty and the Electors were not encircled. In 1512, these were organized into four more circles:

• the Burgundian Circle
• the Austrian Circle
• the Upper Saxon Circle
• the Electoral Rhenish Circle

These ten circles remained largely unchanged until the early 1790s, when the Wars of the French Revolution brought about significant changes to the political map of the Empire.

[edit] Territories outside the circles

A number of territories were never encircled:

• The lands of the Bohemian crown (Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Lusatia)
• The territories of the Swiss Confederation
• Imperial territories in Italy
• Territories of Imperial Knights
• Minor territories, such as the County of Montbéliard, the Lordship of Schmalkalden, Jever and the peasant republic of Dithmarschen

v • d • e Circles of the Holy Roman Empire after the Imperial Reform Created in 1500 Bavarian Circle · Franconian Circle · (Lower Rhenish) Westphalian Circle · Lower Saxon Circle · Swabian Circle · Upper Rhenish Circle Created in 1512 Austrian Circle · Burgundian Circle · Electoral Rhenish Circle · Upper Saxon Circle