What was Strasbourg's status before 1681?
I see Strasbourg before the French annexation of Alsace in 1681 considered the Prince-Bishopric of Strasbourg - Fürstbistum Straßbrg as an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire, but also called Freie Reichsstadt Straßburg as a Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire, and presumably both as extensions of Germany, not yet France. Any idea what would be appropriate for genealogical records? Thanks!
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I think it would be misleading at the very least. Although there was a prince-bishop of Strasbourg, he had no authority over the city. The rule of the prince bishops over the city ended in 1262 with the Battle of Hausbergen(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hausbergen). After that, the city and its citizens were completely independent of the prince-bishop. The word "Freie" in Freie Reichstadt just means that it is free of all local rulers.
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However, there was certainly an area outside of the city walls of Straßburg that belonged to the Fürstbistum (Prince-Bishopric) Straßburg and was still under their rule. The difference between town and country was quite pronounced at that time.
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In the map above it is the plum-colored area marked "Bm. (Bistum) Straßburg".
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You correctly state that Straßburg was a Free Imperial City of the Holy Roman Empire from the 1358 until 1681. As such it was governed by its citizens (the patrician families) and had the Holy Roman Emporer as its sovereign only (imperial immediacy). Culturally, it was a German city with German language, but Germany did not exist as a state at that time, but was a patchwork of smaller areas of dominion under the Emporer, see
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@Ulrich Neitzel : Thanks! I wonder if it would be appropriate to call it Fürstbistum Straßburg as a type of Freie Reichsstadt.
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@Ulrich Neitzel , ah ok, I see your point! Thanks.
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@Ulrich Neitzel : Thanks for that! Let me see if I can find any source that defines the area covered by the Fürstbistum Straßburg
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@Ulrich Neitzel : Oh, of course, that's what the Bm. means, thanks!
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