Imperial Council

 The Imperial Court Council was an institution of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed from the 16th century until the end of the Empire in 1806 and primarily fulfilled three functions:

1. As the highest court of the Empire, it had jurisdiction over lawsuits against imperial vassals and appeals against judgments of territorial courts, as well as over lawsuits concerning breaches of the peace, denial or delay of justice, and appeals for annulment.
2. As an imperial authority, the Imperial Court Council primarily handled matters of fiefs and privileges. In addition, it dealt with a wide variety of petitions to the Imperial Head, such as those concerning the confirmation of wills and contracts, the appointment of guardians, or the legitimization of children born out of wedlock, as well as requests from individuals for protection and assistance.
3. As an imperial council composed of jurists well-versed in imperial law and possessing extensive experience, the Head of the Empire consulted the Imperial Court Council or individual members thereof for expert opinions on legally relevant matters.

The territorial jurisdiction of the Imperial Court Council extended from northern Germany to Italy, and from Alsace to Bohemia. Its seat was always at the emperor’s court and thus, for the most part, at the Hofburg in Vienna. The House, Court, and State Archives on Vienna’s Minoritenplatz therefore also houses the majority of the files and other archival materials left behind by the Imperial Court Council. This is a vast collection comprising approximately 70,000–80,000 catalog entries, which, when placed end to end, occupy approximately 1,300 meters of shelf space. Since 2006, these files have been edited as part of a long-term project funded by the Union of German Academies; the FRQ has been participating in this project as a cooperation partner since 2010.