Editing Franconia (section)

==== Early Modern Period ====
[[File:Dankaerts-Historis-9308 - Franconia map.tiff|thumb|Map of Franconia, 1642]]
On 2&nbsp;July 1500 during the reign of Emperor [[Maximilian I (HRR)|Maximilian&nbsp;I]], as part of the [[Imperial Reform (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Reform Movement]], the Empire was divided into [[Imperial Circle]]s. This led in 1512 to the formation of the [[Franconian Circle]].<ref name="reichskreis2"/> Seen from a modern perspective, the Franconian Circle may be viewed as an important basis for the sense of a common Franconian identity that exists today.<ref name="reichskreis3"/> The Franconian Circle also shaped the geographical limits of the present-day Franconia.<ref name="francia orientalis2"/> In the late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, the Imperial Circle was severely affected by ''[[Kleinstaaterei]]'', the patchwork of tiny states in this region of Germany. As during the late Middle Ages, the bishops of Würzburg used the nominal title of Duke of Franconia during the time of the Imperial Circle.<ref name="herzogfranken">{{HistLexBay||link|Johannes Merz|Herzogswürde, fränkische}}</ref> In 1559, the Franconian Circle was given jurisdiction over coinage (''Münzaufsicht'') and, in 1572, was the only Circle to issue its own police ordinance.<ref>Rudolf Endres: ''Der Fränkische Reichskreis'', In: ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur 29'', published by the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte, Regensburg, 2003, p. 21, see [http://www.hdbg.eu/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis1.pdf online version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611170705/http://www.hdbg.eu/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis1.pdf |date=2016-06-11 }} (pdf)</ref><ref>Michael Henker: ''Bayern im Zeitalter von Reformation und Gegenreformation (16./17. Jahrhundert)'', In: ''Politische Geschichte Bayerns'', published by the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte as Issue 9 of the ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur'', pp. 14–17, here: p. 14</ref>

Members of the Franconian Circle included the imperial cities, the prince-bishoprics, the Bailiwick of Franconia of the Teutonic Order and several counties. The [[Imperial Knight]]s with their tiny territories, of which there was a particularly large number in Franconia, were outside the Circle assembly and, until 1806, formed the [[Franconian Knights Circle]] (''Fränkischer Ritterkreis'') consisting of six [[Knights' Canton]]s. Because the extent of Franconia, already referred to above, is disputed, there were many areas that might be counted as part of Franconia today, that lay outside the Franconian Circle. For example, the area of Aschaffenburg belonged to [[Electoral Mainz]] and was a part of the [[Electoral Rhenish Circle]], the area of Coburg belonged to the [[Upper Saxon Circle]] and the Heilbronn area to the [[Swabian Circle]]. In the 16th century, the [[College of Franconian Counts]] was founded to represent the interests of the [[count]]s in Franconia.<ref>Pütter, John Stephen. ''An Historical Development of the Present Political Constitution of the Germanic Empire'', Vol. 3, London: Payne, 1790, p. 156.</ref>

Franconia played an important role in the spread of the [[Reformation]] initiated by [[Martin Luther]],<ref name="kraus7">Rudolf Endres: ''Von der Bildung des Fränkischen Reichskreises und dem Beginn der Reformation bis zum Augsburger Religionsfrieden von 1555''. In: Handbuch der Bayerischen Geschichte, edited by Max Spindler, 3rd vol., 1st sub-vol.: Geschichte Frankens bis zum Ausgang des 18. Jahrhunderts, re-published by Andreas Kraus, 3rd revised edition, Munich, 1997, pp. 451–472, here: pp. 455ff.</ref> Nuremberg being one of the places where the [[Luther Bible]] was printed.<ref>[http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/sammlungen/bibeln/bestand/besondere-stuecke/endter-bibeln/ ''Endter-Bibeln''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611170715/http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/sammlungen/bibeln/bestand/besondere-stuecke/endter-bibeln/ |date=2016-06-11 }}, [[Württembergische Landesbibliothek]], retrieved 5 July 2014.</ref> The majority of other Franconian imperial cities and imperial knights embraced the new confession.<ref name="kraus6">Rudolf Endres: ''Von der Bildung des Fränkischen Reichskreises und dem Beginn der Reformation bis zum Augsburger Religionsfrieden von 1555''. In: Handbuch der Bayerischen Geschichte, edited by Max Spindler, 3rd vol., 1st sub-vol.: Geschichte Frankens bis zum Ausgang des 18. Jahrhunderts, re-published by Andreas Kraus, 3rd revised edition, Munich, 1997, pp. 451–472, here: p. 467.</ref> In the course of the [[Counter-Reformation]] several regions of Franconia returned to Catholicism, however, and there was also an increase in [[witch trial]]s.<ref>Birke Grießhammer: ''Verfolgt – gefoltert – verbrannt. Die Opfer des Hexenwahns in Franken.'', pp. 15 ff</ref> In addition to Lutheranism, the [[Radical Reformation|radical reformatory]] [[baptist]] movement spread early on across the Franconian area. Important Baptist centres were [[Königsberg in Bayern|Königsberg]] and Nuremberg.<ref>{{GAMEO|konigsberg_freistaat_bayern_germany|Königsberg in Bayern (Freistaat Bayern, Germany)|Autor=Christian Hege}}</ref><ref>{{GAMEO|N860.html|Nürnberg (Freistaat Bayern, Germany)|Autor=Christian Neff}}</ref>

[[File:Karte bauernkrieg3.jpg|thumb|Extent of the uprisings in the Peasants' War]]
In 1525, the burden of heavy taxation and socage combined with new, liberal ideas that chimed with [[the Reformation]] movement, unleashed the [[German Peasants' War]]. The Würzburg area was particularly hard hit with numerous castles and monasteries being burned down.<ref name="bauern">[https://archive.today/20130707031748/http://www.wuerzburg.de/de/themen/kultur-bildung-kulturangebot/denkmalpflegeundstadtgeschichte/stadtarchiv/veranstaltungenundpublikationen/schlaglichter/8708.Stadthistorische_Streiflichter_.html ''Stadthistorische Streiflichter (24)''], www.wuerzburg.de, accessed 7 June 2014.</ref> In the end, however, the uprisings were suppressed and for centuries the lowest strata of society were excluded from all political activity.

From 1552, Margrave [[Albert Alcibiades]] attempted to break the supremacy of the mighty imperial city of Nuremberg and to secularise the ecclesial estates in the [[Second Margrave War]],<ref name="kraus61">Rudolf Endres: ''Von der Bildung des Fränkischen Reichskreises und dem Beginn der Reformation bis zum Augsburger Religionsfrieden von 1555''. In: Handbuch der Bayerischen Geschichte, ed. Max Spindler, 3 vols., 1 sub-vol: History of Franconia to the end of the 18th century, revised by Andreas Kraus, 3rd revised edition, Munich, 1997, pp. 451-472, here: p. 469</ref> to create a duchy over which he would rule.<ref>Michael Henker: ''Bayern im Zeitalter von Reformation und Gegenreformation (16./17. Jahrhundert)'', In: ''Politische Geschichte Bayerns'', published by the House of Bavarian History as Issue 9 of the ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur'', pp. 14–17, here: p. 15</ref> Large areas of Franconia were eventually devastated in the fighting until King [[Ferdinand I (HRR)|Ferdinand I]] together with several dukes and princes decided to overthrow Albert.

[[File:Trexelplan 1632.jpg|thumb|left|Part of Wallenstein's camp around [[Zirndorf]] and the [[Alte Veste]]]]

In 1608, the reformed princes merged into a so-called [[Protestant Union|Union]] within the Empire. In Franconia, the margraves of Ansbach and Bayreuth as well as the imperial cities were part of this alliance. The Catholic side responded in 1609 with a counter-alliance, the [[Catholic League (1609)|League]]. The conflicts between the two camps ultimately resulted in the [[Thirty Years' War]], which was the greatest strain on the cohesion of the Franconian Circle<ref>Rudolf Endres. ''Der Fränkische Reichskreis'', In: ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur 29'', published by the House of Bavarian History, Regensburg, 2003, p. 19, see [http://www.hdbg.de/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis1.pdf online version] (pdf)</ref> Initially, Franconia was not a theatre of war, although marauding armies repeatedly crossed its territory. However, in 1631, Swedish troops under [[Gustavus II Adolphus (Sweden)|Gustavus Adolphus]] advanced into Franconia and established a large encampment in summer 1632 around Nuremberg.<ref name="kraus8">Rudolf Endres: ''Vom Augsburger Religionsfrieden bis zum Dreißigjährigen Krieg''. In: Handbuch der Bayerischen Geschichte, ed. Max Spindler, 3rd vol., 1st sub-vol: Geschichte Frankens bis zum Ausgang des 18. Jahrhunderts, revised by Andreas Kraus, 3rd revised edn., Munich, 1997, pp. 473–495, here: p. 490.</ref> However, the Swedes lost the [[Battle of the Alte Veste]] against [[Wallenstein]]'s troops and eventually withdrew. Franconia was one of the poorest regions in the Empire and lost its imperial political significance.<ref name = "hdbg1">Michael Henker: ''Bayern im Zeitalter von Reformation und Gegenreformation (16./17. Jahrhundert)'', In: ''Politische Geschichte Bayerns'', published by the House of Bavarian History as Issue 9 of the ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur'', pp. 14–17, here: p. 17</ref> During the course of the war, about half the local population lost their lives. To compensate for these losses about 150,000&nbsp;displaced Protestants settled in Protestant areas, including [[Austria]]n [[exiles]].<ref>[https://www.br.de/fernsehen/bayerisches-fernsehen/sendungen/frankenschau/exulanten-oesterreich-franken-100.html ''Aus Österreich vertrieben: Glaubensflüchtlinge in Franken''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204100030/https://www.br.de/fernsehen/bayerisches-fernsehen/sendungen/frankenschau/exulanten-oesterreich-franken-100.html |date=2014-12-04 }}, br.de, Bayerischer Rundfunk, retrieved 7 June 2014.</ref>

[[File:FRK 1789 en.png|thumb|The Franconian Imperial Circle in 1789]]
Franconia never developed into a unified territorial state, because the patchwork quilt of small states (''[[Kleinstaaterei]]'') survived the Middle Ages and lasted until the 18th century.<ref name = "hdbg2">Karlheinz Scherr: ''Bayern im Zeitalter des Fürstlichen Absolutismus (17./18. Jahrhundert)'', In: ''Politische Geschichte Bayerns'', published by the House of Bavarian History as Issue 9 of the ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur'', pp. 18–21, here: p. 20</ref> As a result, the Franconian Circle had the important task of preserving peace, preventing abuses and to repairing war damage and had a regulatory role in the region until the end of the Holy Roman Empire. Until the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], the Circle had become an almost independent organization and joined the [[Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg)|Grand Alliance]] against [[Louis XIV]] as an almost sovereign state. The Circle also developed early forms of a [[welfare state]].<ref name = "hdbg2"/> It also played a major role in the control of disease during the 16th and 17th centuries.<ref>Rudolf Endres: ''Der Fränkische Reichskreis'', In: ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur 29'', published by the House of Bavarian History, Regensburg, 2003, p. 35, see [http://www.hdbg.de/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis2.pdf online version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304123455/http://www.hdbg.de/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis2.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }} (pdf)</ref> After [[Charles Alexander (Brandenburg-Ansbach-Bayreuth)|Charles Alexander]] abdicated in 1792, the former margraviates of Ansbach and Bayreuth were annexed by [[Prussia]].<ref>Rudolf Endres: ''Der Fränkische Reichskreis'', In: ''Hefte zur Bayerischen Geschichte und Kultur 29'', published by the house of Bavarian History, Regensburg, 2003, p. 38, see [http://www.hdbg.de/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis2.pdf online version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304123455/http://www.hdbg.de/basis/pdfs/downloads/reichskreis2.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }} (pdf)</ref><ref name="preußen"/> [[Karl August Freiherr von Hardenberg]] was appointed as governor of these areas by Prussia.<ref name="preußen"/>