Stadt and Amt Linz

Amt Neuerburg

Linz was founded on the east bank of the Rhein in the 9th century, and was acquired by the Electorate of Cologne in the late 13th century. It received city rights in 1365 and became the seat of an Amt at around that time. Although the Amt was seated in Linz, it was initially called Amt Altenwied. Amt Linz was created during the 15th century through an east-west split that left Amt Altenwied without access to the Rhein. The territory of Amt Linz remained part of the Electorate of Cologne throughout the period covered by the database.

 

Amt Linz consisted of the Stadt and surrounding Amt as well as Stadt Unkel, downstream from Linz. In 1718, the two Ämter were reunited as Oberamt Linz. I do not restore the names of the two Ämter in my simplified subdivision names, although that is not noticeable in the case of Linz because the Amt and the Oberamt had the same name. Adjacent to Amt Linz were two Unterherrschaften that were not part of the Amt but were grouped with it for statistical purposes. They are described on a separate page.

 

Neuerburg castle was built in the later 12th century and it was acquired by the Electorate of Cologne in 1250, where it became the seat of an Amt. Between 1577 and 1664, it was owned by the Isenburg family. That family had produced an Elector, so I treat its territory as fully part of the Electorate during that period. Between 1678 and 1740, Neuerburg was administered by the von der Leyen family. In 1740, it was absorbed into Oberamt Linz, thereby consolidating the vast majority of the Electorate’s territory east of the Rhein. The villages listed below should be understood to have still belonged to Amt Neuerburg from 1740 through 1803 when it was part of the Oberamt.