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Austrian Circle Österreichischer Reichskreis
Imperial circle of theHoly Roman Empire
1512–1806
The Austrian Circle as at the beginning of the 16th century within theHoly Roman Empire
History
• Established	1512
• Disestablished	1806
Today part of	Austria Croatia Czech Republic France Germany Italy Liechtenstein Slovenia Switzerland

TheAustrian Circle (German:Österreichischer Reichskreis) was animperial circle of theHoly Roman Empire. It was one of the four imperial circles created by decree after the 1512Diet atCologne, twelve years after the original six Circles were established in the course of theImperial Reform.^[1][2] It roughly corresponds to present-dayAustria (except forSalzburg andBurgenland),Slovenia, and theTrentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol andVenezia Giulia regions ofNorthern Italy, but also comprised theFurther Austrian territories in the formerSwabian stem duchy.

The Austrian Circle was largely coterminous with the"Hereditary Lands" (Erblande) of theHouse of Habsburg, dominated by theArchduchy of Austria. Beside the Habsburg lands, which had a single collective seat to theReichstag, it included thePrince-Bishoprics ofTrent andBrixen, which, however, were largely ruled within the Habsburg lands ofTyrol, and some littlevassal principalities.

The Circle's territory was again enlarged with the acquisition of the BavarianInnviertel according to the 1779Treaty of Teschen, as well as theElectorate of Salzburg and theBerchtesgaden Provostry by theGerman mediatisation in 1803. Nevertheless, the Austrian Circle was dissolved when EmperorFrancis II resigned on 6 August 1806.

The circle was made up of the following states:

Name	Type of entity	Comments
Auersperg	Principality	Thengen was originally a rear county held by theMainau commandery of theTeutonic Order since 1488, front county toFurther Austria in 1522. ThePrince of Auersperg pegged his 88thReichstag seat here from 1663.
An der Etsch	Bailiwick	Established about 1260, an administrative grouping of lands held by theTeutonic Knights in Tyrol
Austria	Archduchy	March of Austria established in 976 by EmperorOtto II, raised to duchy by EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa in 1156, toHabsburg in1278, self-bestowed "Archduchy" since 1358, 1stReichstag seat
Austrian Bailiwick [de]	Bailiwick	An administrative grouping of lands held by the Teutonic Order in Austria
Brixen	Prince-Bishopric	Established in 1027 by EmperorConrad II, Prince-Bishopric since 1179, 39th seat to theReichstag
Carinthia	Duchy	Established in 976 by Emperor Otto II, held by the Archdukes of Austria since 1457, part ofInner Austria 1564–1619
Carniola	Duchy	March of Carniola established in 1040 byEmperor Henry III, raised to duchy in 1364, held by the Archdukes of Austria since 1457, part of Inner Austria 1564–1619; ownsInner Istria, aMarch established in 1040 by Emperor Henry III, the little remaining territory aroundPazin(Mitterburg) to Austria since 1374
Chur	Prince-Bishopric	Established in the 4th century, principality since 1170, held by theLeague of God's House since 1367, 51st seat to theReichstag, fromSwabia to Austria in 1720
Dietrichstein	Principality	Former Barony ofTarasp held by the Archdukes of Austria since 1464 and rented to the Princely family in 1678 with the 85th seat in theReichstag
Gorizia	County	Separated from the Patriarchate of Aquileia about 1127, held by the Archdukes of Austria from 1500, part of Inner Austria 1564-1619, merged intoGorizia and Gradisca in 1747
Liechtenstein	Principality	Former County ofVaduz and Lordship ofSchellenberg, in Swabian Circle, revoked fromHohenems in 1684 for robbery and psycotic tendencies towitch-hunts, finally sold to theHabsburgs-subjectedPrincely Family of Liechtenstein in 1699 (Schellenberg) and 1712 (Vaduz) to form the new principality.
Styria	Duchy	March of Styria established about 970 byEmperor Otto I, raised to a duchy in 1180, held by the Dukes of Austria since 1192, part of Inner Austria 1564-1619
Trent	Prince-Bishopric	Established in 1027 by Emperor Conrad II, 37th seat to theReichstag
Trieste	City	Held by the Archdukes of Austria since 1382
Tyrol	County	Established about 1140, held by the Archdukes of Austria since 1363, raised to "Princely County" in 1504, toFurther Austria 1564-1665

• States and territories established in 1512
• States and territories disestablished in 1806
• Austrian Circle
• Circles of the Holy Roman Empire
• 1512 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire

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