Secular and Ecclesiastical Courts in the Old Eempire

Secular and ecclesiastical courts without clear jurisdictions determined the jurisdiction of the courts for centuries. The author looks at the old empire with its variety of imperial cities and territories and numerous confessions; thereby, he breaks down principles of common law into sectional fragments. Case files from various territories show what the parties fought for in the overlap of both jurisdictions: colourful cases come together with descriptions of conflicts about appeals, privileges and jurisdictions for whole areas of life. In comparison, intraregional structures for a future history of procedural law become clear. In the intersection of religion, law and politics, the book addresses not only legal historians but also church and regional historians. In its vivid depictions, it provides new insights into major conflicts in the history of the early modern period.

Literature: Oestmann, Peter, Geistliche und weltliche Gerichte im Alten Reich. Zuständigkeitsstreitigkeiten und Instanzenzüge (Quellen und Forschungen zur  höchsten Gerichtsbarkeit im Alten Reich, vol. 61), Cologne et al.: Böhlau 2012.