Imperial City of Lübeck

Lübeck was founded in the early 9th century and was granted a city charter in 1160. It became an independent imperial city in 1226 (and thus part of Imperial Germany), after which it became one of the most important cities in the Hanseatic League.

 

Over time, Lübeck acquired territory outside of the old city. In 1852, all of the city’s territory was divided into three Ämter:

 

• The Stadtamt, consisting of the old city and three adjacent suburbs. The three suburbs were originally named based on their proximity to specific city gates. They were each later renamed after the major church nearest the gate as follows:
  • vor dem Holstentor (later St. Lorenz) consisted of territory west of the Trave;
  • vor dem Burgtor (later St. Gertrud) consisted of territory east of the Trave and north of the Wakenitz; and
  • vor dem Mühlentor (later St. Jürgen) consisted of territory east of the Trave and south of the Wakenitz.

  The database recognizes only the place “Lübeck” within the Stadtamt. None of the territory in the Stadtamt was acquired by the Imperial City later than 1531, when the cathedral chapter was forced to surrender its last assets in the city (and the database starts). As the subdivision name, I use the term “Stadtamt* Lübeck”, where the * signifies that the name is applied retroactively to a period when it was not actually used.

• Amt* Travemünde, consisting of the city of that name (located at the mouth of the Trave River), and, after 1803, several surrounding villages that had previously belonged to the Bishopric of Lübeck. Like the Stadtamt, I apply the name retroactively and signify that with an *.
• The Landamt, consisting of other adjacent villages plus exclaves in Holstein and Lauenburg. Unlike “Stadtamt” and “Amt Travemünde”, I do not apply the term “Landamt” retroactively as a subdivision name. Instead, I recognize actual Ämter where they existed, and where Ämter didn’t exist, I organized villages into Gerichte (consisting of villages owned by the same institution) and quasi-Ämter (defined by the suburb to which they were adjacent). The four exclaves acquired from Holstein in 1802 would normally have been assigned to the Holstentor sector, but based on common ownership with Falkenhusen, three of them were assigned to that Gericht.

 

The database ends in 1806, when the city fell to France.