imperial city · Germany and Central Europe
Free Imperial City of Goslar
Origins
Silver was found in the Rammelsberg near Goslar in the 10th century, and the Salian emperors built an imperial palace there, where Henry III often resided. The town grew rich from mining and metal trade. After the decline of royal power it gradually took control of its own affairs and was a free imperial city by around 1290.
Rule and society
A council dominated by mine owners and merchants ruled. Silver, copper and lead from the Rammelsberg brought Goslar great wealth, and it joined the Hanseatic League. The city adopted the Reformation in 1528. In the Treaty of Riechenberg of 1552 it lost control of the mine and forests to Henry the Younger of the Principality of Wolfenbüttel, beginning a long decline.
Decline and legacy
Goslar lost its freedom in 1802 to Prussia, belonged to the Kingdom of Westphalia from 1807 and to the Kingdom of Hanover from 1816. Its old town and the Rammelsberg mine are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Free Imperial City of Goslar was part of Holy Roman Empire1290 CE – 1802 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Free Imperial City of Goslar. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-imperial-city-of-goslar
- MLA
- “Free Imperial City of Goslar.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-imperial-city-of-goslar. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Free Imperial City of Goslar.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-imperial-city-of-goslar.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Free Imperial City of Goslar’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-imperial-city-of-goslar (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻