Landgrave

Landgrave

Landgrave (Dutch "landgraaf", German "Landgraf"; French "landgrave"; Latin "comes magnus", "comes patriae", "comes provinciae", "comes terrae", "comes principalis", "lantgravius") was a title only used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories. The title refers to a count who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor. His jurisdiction stretched over a sometimes quite considerable territory, which was not subservient to an intermediate power like a Duke, a Bishop or Count Palatine. The title survived from the times of the Holy Roman Empire (first records in Lower Lotharingia from 1086 on: Henry III of Leuven as landgrave of Brabant). A landgrave by definition exercised sovereign rights. His decision-making power was comparable to that of a Duke.

"Landgrave" occasionally continued in use as the subsidiary title of such nobility as the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, who functioned as the "Landgrave of Thuringia" in the first decade of the 20th century, but the title fell into disuse after World War I.

The jurisdiction of a landgrave was a landgraviate and the wife of a landgrave was a landgravine. Examples: Landgrave of Thuringia, Landgrave of Hesse, Princely (Gefürsteter) Landgrave of Leuchtenberg (around a Bavarian castle; later made a duchy).

Landgraviate refers to the rank, office, or territory held by a landgrave.

Landgravine refers to the wife of a Landgrave or one who exercises the office or holds the rank in her own right.

Literature

*Mayer, Theodor, "Über Entstehung und Bedeutung der älteren deutschen Landgrafschaften", in "Mitteralterliche Studien – Gesammelte Aufsätze", ed. F. Knapp (Sigmaringen 1958) 187-201. Also published in "Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte", Germanische Abteilung 58 (1938) 210-288.
*Mayer, T., "'Herzogtum und Landeshoheit', Fürsten und Staat. Studien zur Verfassungsgeschichte des deutschen Mittelalters" (Weimar 1950) 276-301.
*Eichenberger, T., Patria: "Studien zur Bedeutung des Wortes im Mittelalter" (6.-12. Jahrhundert), Nationes – Historische und philologische Untersuchungen zur Entstehung der europäischen Nationen im Mittelalter 9 (Sigmaringen 1991).
*Van Droogenbroeck, F.J., "De betekenis van paltsgraaf Herman II (1064-1085) voor het graafschap Brabant", in "Eigen Schoon en De Brabander", 87 (Brussel 2004) 1-166.

Other meanings of Landgrave

*Cassiques: for information on the use of the term in the colonial Province of Carolina


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  • Landgrave — fue un título nobiliario usado normalmente en el Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico y después en los territorios derivados de éste, comparable al de príncipe soberano, aunque etimológicamente significa conde de un land, teniendo un deber feudal… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Landgrave — Land grave , n. [G. landgraf; land land + graf earl, count; cf. D. landgraaf, F. landgrave.] A German nobleman of a rank corresponding to that of an earl in England and of a count in France. [1913 Webster] Note: The title was first adopted by… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • landgrave — s. m. 1. Título de alguns príncipes da Alemanha. 2. Magistrado que julgava pleitos em nome do imperador da Alemanha. (Aportuguesamento do alemão Landgraf.) • Feminino: landgravina …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • landgrave — Landgrave, voyez Conte …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • landgrave — (Del al. Landgraf). m. Título de honor que usaban algunos grandes señores de Alemania …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • landgrave — [land′grāv΄] n. [Ger landgraf < land, LAND + graf, a count] 1. in medieval Germany, a count having jurisdiction over a specified territory 2. later, the title of any of certain German princes landgraviate [landgrā′vē it] n …   English World dictionary

  • landgrave —   n. kind of German count.    ♦ landgraviate, n. jurisdiction of landgrave.    ♦ landgravine,   n. wife of landgrave; woman having position of landgrave …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • landgrave — (Del alem. Landgraf < land, país + Graf, conde.) ► sustantivo masculino 1 HISTORIA Título de honor de algunos príncipes soberanos alemanes. 2 HISTORIA Magistrado que administraba justicia en nombre del emperador germánico. * * * landgrave (del …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • LANDGRAVE — s. m. Titre, dignité de quelques princes d Allemagne. Ce nom signifie, Comte du pays. Le landgrave de Hesse …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

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