Great burgher
Encyclopedia
Great Burgher is a specific title
and legally defined "order of citizenship
", a higher ranking type of citizen and social order
, a formally defined social class
of wealthy high status individuals and families in medieval
German-speaking cities and towns under the Holy Roman Empire
. This hereditary title
and powerful elite
status, held by few individuals and families across Central Europe
, formally existed well into the late 19th century and early part of the 20th century. In strictly civil free imperial cities
like Hamburg
, where nobility
was not admitted to real property
or burghership, the Great Burghers (Großbürger) or patricians ("Patrizier") constituted the ruling class
.
Since the beginning of the 15th century the group of legally coequal burghers started to split into three different groups: great burghers, (small) burghers and non-burghers, the last ones being merely inhabitants without specific rights. Burghership gave a person the right to exist in a town, to be an active member of society and to participate in town affaires amongst many other exclusive constitutional rights, privileges, exemptions and immunities, especially that of the great burghership (German: Großbürgerschaft). Many Great Burghers held rich historical and cultural roles created and expanded over the decades, including union with other families of the same status and branches of nobility. The names of the individuals and families is generally known in the city or town where they lived, and in many cases, their ancestors had contributed to regional history.
It seems that this German
concept has been taken over by other countries and cities. In Hamburg great and small burghership were existing before 1600. In 1657 the council of New Netherland
for example established criteria for the rights of burghers in New Amsterdam
, distinguishing between great and small burgher rights following the distinction made in this regard in Amsterdam
1652. 1664 the concept was assumed by Beverwijck.
Both types of burghership could be acquired at expense, in New Amsterdam during the mid 1600's - the small burghership for 20 Dutch florin, the great burghership for 50 fl. The burghership oath
expense in Hamburg in 1600 was 50 Reichstaler for the great and 7 Reichstaler for the small burghership, in 1833 the initial expense for acquiring great burghership in Hamburg was 758 Mark 8 Schilling (Hamburg Mark
); that of a small burghership, 46 Mk 8 Sh. Different ways to become a Great Burgher were to marry a great burgher or subject to constitutional conditions the daughter of a great burgher, born in the city or town. These rules varied from place to place.
In Hamburg for example only great burghers had full freedom of large-scale trade
and were allowed to entertain a bank account, as well as be elected to the Senate of Hamburg. The acquired great burghership was in most instances hereditary, in both male and female family lines, and a hereditary title or rank often stated as the person's occupation in records.
Following the German Revolution of 1918–19, the German Großbürger along with German nobility
as a legally defined class was abolished on August 11, 1919 with the Weimar Constitution
, under which all Germans were made equal before the law, and the legal rights and privileges due to the Großbürger (Great Burgher) and all ranks of nobility ceased to exist. Any title held prior to the Weimar Constitution were permitted to continue merely as part of the family name or erased from future use.
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
and legally defined "order of citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
", a higher ranking type of citizen and social order
Social order
Social order is a concept used in sociology, history and other social sciences. It refers to a set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain and enforce "normal" ways of relating and behaving....
, a formally defined social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
of wealthy high status individuals and families in medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
German-speaking cities and towns under the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. This hereditary title
Hereditary Title
Hereditary titles, in a general sense, are titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families....
and powerful elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
status, held by few individuals and families across Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, formally existed well into the late 19th century and early part of the 20th century. In strictly civil free imperial cities
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
like Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, where nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
was not admitted to real property
Real property
In English Common Law, real property, real estate, realty, or immovable property is any subset of land that has been legally defined and the improvements to it made by human efforts: any buildings, machinery, wells, dams, ponds, mines, canals, roads, various property rights, and so forth...
or burghership, the Great Burghers (Großbürger) or patricians ("Patrizier") constituted the ruling class
Ruling class
The term ruling class refers to the social class of a given society that decides upon and sets that society's political policy - assuming there is one such particular class in the given society....
.
Since the beginning of the 15th century the group of legally coequal burghers started to split into three different groups: great burghers, (small) burghers and non-burghers, the last ones being merely inhabitants without specific rights. Burghership gave a person the right to exist in a town, to be an active member of society and to participate in town affaires amongst many other exclusive constitutional rights, privileges, exemptions and immunities, especially that of the great burghership (German: Großbürgerschaft). Many Great Burghers held rich historical and cultural roles created and expanded over the decades, including union with other families of the same status and branches of nobility. The names of the individuals and families is generally known in the city or town where they lived, and in many cases, their ancestors had contributed to regional history.
It seems that this German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
concept has been taken over by other countries and cities. In Hamburg great and small burghership were existing before 1600. In 1657 the council of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
for example established criteria for the rights of burghers in New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
, distinguishing between great and small burgher rights following the distinction made in this regard in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
1652. 1664 the concept was assumed by Beverwijck.
Both types of burghership could be acquired at expense, in New Amsterdam during the mid 1600's - the small burghership for 20 Dutch florin, the great burghership for 50 fl. The burghership oath
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
expense in Hamburg in 1600 was 50 Reichstaler for the great and 7 Reichstaler for the small burghership, in 1833 the initial expense for acquiring great burghership in Hamburg was 758 Mark 8 Schilling (Hamburg Mark
Hamburg mark
The Mark was the currency of Hamburg until 1873. It was subdivided into 16 Schilling, each of 12 Pfennig. The Hamburg Mark was on a silver standard, with the final peg being 1 Mark = 1/34 Cologne mark. It was replaced by the Goldmark at a rate of 1 Hamburg mark = 1.2 Goldmark .-External links:*...
); that of a small burghership, 46 Mk 8 Sh. Different ways to become a Great Burgher were to marry a great burgher or subject to constitutional conditions the daughter of a great burgher, born in the city or town. These rules varied from place to place.
In Hamburg for example only great burghers had full freedom of large-scale trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
and were allowed to entertain a bank account, as well as be elected to the Senate of Hamburg. The acquired great burghership was in most instances hereditary, in both male and female family lines, and a hereditary title or rank often stated as the person's occupation in records.
Following the German Revolution of 1918–19, the German Großbürger along with German nobility
German nobility
The German nobility was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class from ca. 500 B.C. to the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany.-Principles of German nobility:...
as a legally defined class was abolished on August 11, 1919 with the Weimar Constitution
Weimar constitution
The Constitution of the German Reich , usually known as the Weimar Constitution was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic...
, under which all Germans were made equal before the law, and the legal rights and privileges due to the Großbürger (Great Burgher) and all ranks of nobility ceased to exist. Any title held prior to the Weimar Constitution were permitted to continue merely as part of the family name or erased from future use.
See also
- BourgeoisieBourgeoisieIn sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
- Patrician (post-Roman Europe)
- Hanseaten (class)Hanseaten (class)The Hanseaten is a collective term for the heirachy group consisting of elite individuals and families of prestigious rank who constituted the ruling class of the free imperial city of Hamburg, conjointly with the equal First Families of the free imperial cities Bremen and Lübeck...
- BildungsbürgertumBildungsbürgertumBildungsbürgertum, a social class that initially emerged in mid 18th century Germany as an educated class of the bourgeoisie with an educational ideal based on idealistic values and classical antiquity...