The Rhenish League of 1254–1257 in historiographical perspective

AbstractOne of the distinctives of Rhineland cities during the central and later Middle Ages was their propensity to form leagues (Städtebünde) on their own initiative in the absence of strong imperial authority. These diplomatic and military alliances demonstrate remarkable collaboration between otherwise economic rivals in order to resolve conflicts and sustain the “king's peace” (Landfriede) when the monarch was incapable of doing so. The Rhenish League of 1254–1257, formed a century before the Hanseatic League, was the first of many such leagues. It embodied profound burgher agency and cooperation in traditional Hohenstaufen territory after the dynasty's collapse. Promising beginnings proved short‐lived, however, as the league itself dissolved over disagreements about the split royal election of 1257. But as pioneer and template for subsequent urban leagues, it has garnered special attention in German historiography. This article reviews the historical significance of the league for modern German historians and locates such perspectives within their own radically divergent historical contexts: German Confederation, Empire, Weimar Republic, Nazi Dictatorship, Cold War FRG/GDR, and since Reunification.