imperial city · Germany and Central Europe
Free Imperial City of Überlingen
Origins
Überlingen was a royal estate and Hohenstaufen town on the north shore of Lake Constance, with a harbour serving the grain trade across the lake. After the fall of the Hohenstaufen around 1268, it became an imperial city, confirmed by later kings, with a small territory of nearby villages.
Rule and society
A council dominated by guilds ruled. Its grain market supplied Switzerland and the lake region, and wine was another source of wealth. The town remained Catholic and loyal to the Habsburgs, and in 1632 and 1634 it withstood Swedish sieges. Its large Gothic minster of St. Nicholas holds a famous carved high altar by Jörg Zürn.
Decline and legacy
Überlingen lost its freedom in 1803 when it was annexed by Baden. In the 19th century its mineral spring made it a spa and resort town, and it is now in Baden-Württemberg, its minster and walls well preserved.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Free Imperial City of Überlingen was part of Holy Roman Empire1268 CE – 1803 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Free Imperial City of Überlingen. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-imperial-city-of-uberlingen
- MLA
- “Free Imperial City of Überlingen.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-imperial-city-of-uberlingen. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Free Imperial City of Überlingen.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-imperial-city-of-uberlingen.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Free Imperial City of Überlingen’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/free-imperial-city-of-uberlingen (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻