other · Germany and Central Europe
Decapolis
Origins
In 1354 Emperor Charles IV approved an alliance of ten imperial cities in Alsace: Haguenau, Colmar, Wissembourg, Sélestat, Obernai, Kaysersberg, Rosheim, Munster, Turckheim and Mulhouse. They promised one another aid against the nobility and the bishop of Strasbourg, under the protection of the imperial bailiff (Landvogt) at Haguenau.
Rule and society
The league had no central government; delegates met in assemblies to settle disputes, share military costs and defend each member's rights. Membership changed: Mulhouse left in 1515 to ally with the Old Swiss Confederacy, and the Free Imperial City of Landau took its place in 1521. The members divided over the Reformation, with Colmar and Landau becoming Protestant while others stayed Catholic.
Decline and legacy
The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 transferred the imperial bailiwick to France, whose kings treated it as sovereignty. Louis XIV forced the cities to submit and had their walls razed in 1673, and the Treaty of Nijmegen of 1679 confirmed their annexation to the Kingdom of France.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (13)
- Republic of Mulhouse was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1515 CE
- Decapolis was part of Holy Roman Empire1354 CE – 1648 CE
- Free Imperial City of Haguenau was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Colmar was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Sélestat was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Wissembourg was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Obernai was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Kaysersberg was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Turckheim was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Rosheim was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Munster was part of Decapolis1354 CE – 1679 CE
- Free Imperial City of Landau was part of Decapolis1521 CE – 1679 CE
- Decapolis was conquered by Kingdom of France1673 CE – 1679 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Decapolis. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/decapolis
- MLA
- “Decapolis.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/decapolis. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Decapolis.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/decapolis.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Decapolis’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/decapolis (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻