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Brandenburg.] GERMANY. 4,t
Of the Franconian Principalities of the
Marggraves of Brandenburg in general,
§.i. ' I ''HE marggravial principalities of Brandenburg in the circle of
Francouia, namely, the principahties of Bayreuth and Anjhach^
conftitute the burggravate of Niirnberg, it having been gradually enlarged
by Imperial and Royal inveftiture, by inheritance and purchafe. This
burggravate takes its name from the ancient Caftrum Noricum, afterwards
called Niirnberg^ as being the feat of the ancient Burggraves, and probably
received its beginning in the tv/elfth century ; at leaft the firft Burggrave
of Nürnberg, of whom we have any certain knowledge ; namely, Godfrey
of Hohenlohe, makes his appearance in an adt of the Emperor CofiradWl.
bearing date 1 138. Conrad, Count of Zollern, is to be found as Burggrave
oi Nürnberg in an adl which bears date fo early as the year 1164, and
from him the burggravial dignity has conftantly, and indeed hereditarilv,
continued in the houfe oi Zollern, having been conferred upon it as an Imperial
fief ; at leaft it is certain, that from the Burggrave Frederick I. who
died in the year 12 18, all the fucceeding Burggraves have been of the
houfe o{ Zollern. Burggrave Frederick II. (whom others call Frederick III.
and who, as the Brandenburg hifliorians aflert, was already by rank a Prince)
obtaining of the Emperor Rudolph!, the inveftiture of this burggravate in
1273, the Eledors gave him teftimony, that his father, and others of his
predeceflbrs, had received the burggravate of his Majefty in fief; or, as the
words properly run, they teftified that the King of the Romans had in their
prefence granted to Frederick, Burggrave of Nürnberg, all the eftates
which his father and others of his anceftors were wont to receive, to be
held by him of his Majefty : but the King granted to this Burggrave, according
to the words of the letters of inveftiture, the Comicia Biirggrwjia
in Nuremberg, as likewife the Burg which he had in Nürnberg,
together with the right of garrifoning the gate fituated at the Burg, the prcvincial-tribunal,
in which the Burggrave was to prefide in the name of the
Emperor; the right of taking precedency in the town-court amono- the
King's bailiffs, and, as well in civil as criminal matters, receive two thirds
of the dues and penalties paid ; moreover, that he ftiould likewife colle(5l
the taxes arifing from all forts of manufadures in the town, as alfo the
imports on all immoveable goods from the other part of the bridge, together
with the average and hand-fervice during the time of harveft, and have the
right of chace and the third tree in the wood, as likewife of all timber lying
therein ; that he fhould be pofl^efted of the foreft-court from the bridge,
as alfo of the places of Werd, Buch, Sclmant and the citadel of Creufen, and
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