county · Germany and Central Europe

Burgraviate of Friedberg

1216 CE – 1806 CE (approx.) · capital Friedberg

Unusual corporate state of the castle knights of Friedberg, who elected their burgrave and became the leading power of the Wetterau.

Origins

The Hohenstaufen built Friedberg castle in the Wetterau in the 12th century and garrisoned it with castle men, imperial knights who lived in the fortress. The burgrave, their commander, is documented from 1216. Over time the knights formed a self-governing corporation that elected the burgrave from their own ranks.

Rule and society

The Burgraviate was governed by the burgrave and an assembly of castle knights, a kind of aristocratic republic. It acquired the Free Court of Kaichen and gradually took control over the neighbouring Free Imperial City of Friedberg, which shared the hill. Its knights also led the Wetterau imperial knights. Most members accepted Lutheranism in the 16th century.

Decline and legacy

The Burgraviate survived until the end of the Holy Roman Empire, when it was mediatised and absorbed into the Grand Duchy of Hesse in 1806. The castle still dominates Friedberg in Hesse.

Lineage

Burgraviate of FriedbergGrand Duchy of Hesse 1806 CE – 1918 CE

Connections (1)

More states of Germany and Central Europe →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Burgraviate of Friedberg. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/burgraviate-of-friedberg
MLA
“Burgraviate of Friedberg.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/burgraviate-of-friedberg. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Burgraviate of Friedberg.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/burgraviate-of-friedberg.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Burgraviate of Friedberg’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/burgraviate-of-friedberg (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻