Free Imperial City of Kempten

The Free Imperial City of Kempten was a Free Imperial City in the Swabian Circle.[1]

For other uses, see Kempten (disambiguation).
Imperial City of Kempten in the Allgäu
Reichstadt Kempten im Allgäu
1289–1802/3
A view of Kempten in 1650
A view of Kempten in 1650
StatusFree Imperial City
(State of the Holy Roman Empire)
CapitalKempten im Allgäu
GovernmentRepublic
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• City founded
before 50 BC
• City gained Imperial immediacy
1289
• Abbey sold property within Imperial City
1525
1527
1802/3
• Abbey united with city
1819
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Duchy of Franconia
Electorate of Bavaria

History

In 1213, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II declared the abbots of Kempten Abbey members of the Imperial Diet and granted the abbot the right to bear the title of Duke, making the abbey the Imperial Ducal Abbey of Kempten.

In 1289, King Rudolf of Habsburg granted special privileges to the settlement in the river valley, making it an Imperial City. In 1525 the last property rights of the abbots in the Imperial City were sold in the so-called "Great Purchase", marking the start of the co-existence of two independent cities bearing the same name next to each other.

The Imperial City converted to Protestantism in direct opposition to the Catholic monastery in 1527, signing the Augsburg Confession.

During the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War (1632–33), the city was destroyed by imperial forces.

During the Napoleonic Wars the Imperial City came under Bavarian rule (1802–03). In 1819, the city was united with the properties of the Abbey into a single communal entity.

References
  1. "Kempten". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2012 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/314674/Kempten

47°43′40.66″N 10°48′48.5″E

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