Die Wahrhaft Königliche Stadt

de Daniela Kah

In Eine wahrhaft königliche Stadt, Daniela Kah describes how contemporary residents and visitors were able to experience and perceive the presence of the Holy Roman Empire (or its representatives, e.g. the king) in three late medieval cities - Augsburg, Nurnberg and Lubeck. After receiving privileges from the king, these cities initiated large construction projects designed to assert their imperial status. These projects had a major impact on everyday life and made the Empire visible and graspable within the city. However, in the 13th century the cities increasingly deployed symbols and signs to represent their self-understanding as 'imperial'. 'Being immediate to the Empire' or 'being privileged' provided important political, economic, and social benefits. Therefore it became very important to the cities to represent their status in visible form. For this reason, the Empire achieved a permanent and lasting presence in free imperial cities.