Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle

The Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle (German: Niederrheinisch-Westfälischer Reichskreis, Dutch: Nederrijns-Westfaalse Kreits) was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised territories of the former Duchy of Lower Lotharingia, Frisia and the Westphalian part of the former Duchy of Saxony.

The circle was made up of numerous small states, however the Counts De la Marck were able to collect a significant amount of territories, the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1521 on. The Empire's largest ecclesiastical territory was held by the Prince-Bishops of Münster.

Composition

The circle was made up of the following states:

Transfers

The Duchy of Guelders passed to the Burgundian Circle in 1548

The Duchy of Luxembourg passed to the Burgundian Circle in 1512

The County of Drenthe passed to the Burgundian Circle in 1548

The Lordship of Groningen passed to the Burgundian Circle in 1548

The Lordship of Overijssel passed to the Burgundian Circle in 1548

The Bishopric of Utrecht passed to the Burgundian Circle in 1548

The County of Zutphen passed to the Burgundian Circle in 1548

References

• Imperial Circles in the 16th Century Historical Maps of Germany
• The list of states making up the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle is based in part on that in the German Wikipedia article Niederrheinisch-Westfälischer Reichskreis.
• (in German) List of the imperial circles of 1532

External links

• Media related to Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle at Wikimedia Commons