History glossary
Imperial estates
the princes, church territories and cities that held recognised rights and a place in the empire’s political system.
- Category
- Political status
- Region
- Holy Roman Empire
- Date range
- Medieval period–1806
What it means
The imperial estates were political bodies with recognised standing in the Holy Roman Empire. They included secular and ecclesiastical princes, and imperial cities. Their rights and obligations varied; they did not represent the population equally, and their authority was not the same as that of independent modern states.
