DOCSLIB.ORG

Mecklenburg Vorpommern

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mecklenburg Vorpommern MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN LANDTAG (STATE PARLIAMENT) GENERAL DATA General data of the region Country: Germany (357,123.5 sq km; 81.8 million inhabitants) Region: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (23,180.14 sq. km; 1.636 million inhabitants) Regional government: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is governed by a coalition of the SPD and the CDU, formed as a result of the State Parliament election on 4 September 2011. The Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is Erwin Sellering. He is supported by the State Chancellery. In addition to the State Chancellery, there are eight ministries. The SPD leads five of these and the CDU three. Competences of the region: * Federal law takes precedence over Land law: The Federal Republic of Germany is made up of 16 constituent states (Länder). Accordingly, federal laws apply for the whole territory of the Federation, and Land laws only have validity in the Land in question. Land laws may not conflict with federal laws. The legislative competencies of the Federation and the Länder are regulated in detail by the Basic Law. Articles 71 to 75 list the legislative powers of the Federation. In all other cases, the Länder are responsible. * Exclusive legislation: The Federation holds exclusive legislative competence in the following fields: all foreign policy issues, defence, including the protection of the civil population, citizenship, currency and money, the unity of the customs and trading area and cooperation between the Federation and the Länder concerning criminal police work. 1 * Concurrent legislation: In fields subject to concurrent legislation, the Länder have the right to adopt legislation provided and in so far as the Federation makes no use of its legislative powers in these fields. Civil law, criminal law, the prison system, road traffic, the law of association and assembly, the law relating to the residence and establishment of foreign nationals, business law, consumer protection and the benefits granted to members of the public service are all among the fields subject to concurrent legislation. General data of the Parliament Headquarters: Schwerin castle Language: German Date of foundation: 14 October 1990 Web site: www.landtag-mv.de Logo Coat of Arms 2 FUNCTIONS OF THE PARLIAMENT The Landtag elects the Minister-President of the Land It is the legislative body, i.e. it decides on the laws of the Land, including the budget It controls the State Government and the Land’s administration COMPOSITION Total composition: 71 members Gender distribution and average age: 20 women and 51 men; average age: 49.1 years (Sept. 2011) Electoral system The electoral law of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern provides a so-called personalised proportional representation. Each voter has two votes. With the Erststimme (first vote) the candidate of the electoral district who receives the highest number of votes is elected (relative majority). As there are 36 electoral districts, 36 members of parliament are elected by first vote. The remaining 35 seats are assigned via the Land list of the parties (Zweitstimme – second vote). It is the Zweitstimme which determines the distribution of seats in the Landtag. It decides on the strength of a parliamentary group and thus on the possibilities of forming majorities and coalitions. In addition, there is a five per cent threshold in order to keep the parliament operational and prevent a fragmentation of the political landscape. Term of office 5 years 3 Voting conditions (active suffrage) Any citizen is entitled to vote who is German national according to Article 116 (1) of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany; who has reached the age of 18; who is not excluded from the right to vote; who has been permanent resident in the electoral territory for at least 37 days; who has been added to the electoral roll or who has received a ballot. Conditions for eligibility (passive suffrage) Any citizen is entitled to stand for election who is German according to Article 116 (1) of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany; who is entitled to hold public office; who has reached the age of 18; who has been permanent resident in the Land Mecklenburg- Vorpommern for at least three months. Composition of the Parliament as a result of the last parliamentary elections Political parties and number of seats (elections of September 4/18, 2011) SPD: 27 members CDU: 18 members DIE LINKE: 14 members Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: 7 members NPD: 5 members 4 Parliamentary political groups Requirements to form a parliamentary political group An association of at least four members of the Landtag constitutes a parliamentary group (Article 25 of the constitution of the Land Mecklenburg- Vorpommern). Parliamentary groups are independent branches of the Landtag. They contribute to the development of parliamentary opinion in the exercise of their own rights and duties. The relative strengths of the parliamentary groups determine the composition of the expert committees. Political group SPD Name : Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands - Social Democratic Party Chairman: Dr. Norbert Nieszery Number of members: 27 Contact details: [email protected] Phone: +49-385-525-2355 Political group CDU Name: Christlich Demokratische Union - Christian Democratic Union Chairman: Vincent Kokert Number of members: 18 Contact details: [email protected] Phone: +49-385-525-2205 5 Political group DIE LINKE Name: DIE LINKE – THE LEFT Chairman: Helmut Holter Number of members: 14 Contact details: [email protected] Phone: +49-385-525-2500 Political group Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Name: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen - Alliance 90/ The Greens Chairman: Jürgen Suhr Number of members: 7 Contact details: [email protected] Phone: +49-385-525-2451 Political group NPD Name: Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands – National Democratic Party Chairman: Udo Pastörs Number of members: 5 Contact details: [email protected] Phone: +49-385-525-1311 6 THE GOVERNING BODIES OF THE PARLIAMENT The President Method of election, term of office and functions In the constituent session of the Landtag Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on 4 October 2011, Sylvia Bretschneider was elected in secret ballot for President. She has chaired the Landtag since 2002. Details of current President Sylvia Bretschneider (SPD) Vice-Presidents First: Beate Schlupp (CDU) Second: Regine Lück (DIE LINKE) Third: Silke Gajek (BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN) Contact details [email protected] Phone: +49-385-525-2100 The President and Vice-Presidents of the Land Parliament. From left to right: Silke Gajek, Sylvia Bretschneider, Beate Schlupp, Regine Lück 7 PARLIAMENTARY OPERATING ORGANS Plenary session Composition According to Article 20 (2) of the Constitution, the Land Parliament shall consist of at least 71 members. Functions The Land Parliament is the elected representative of the people. It is the arena in which the political will is formed. It elects the Minister-President, exercises legislative power, and controls the activity of the Land government and administration. It deals with public issues. The Plenary Assembly during a vote - Photo: Balewski 8 Committees Presently there are 10 committees and one study commission. Composition According to Article 33 (1) of the Constitution, the composition of the committees shall correspond to the relative strength of the parliamentary groups, and shall take account of the rights of non-attached members. Committee on Petitions Functions The Committee on Petitions deals with suggestions, requests and complaints of citizens, provided that the matter falls within the competence of the authorities of the Land, and that there is no interference with a pending court procedure or the review of a court decision is demanded. Committee on Internal Affairs Functions As a corresponding expert committee the Committee on Internal Affairs monitors, accompanies and supports the governmental activity of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Sports. It essentially deals with: municipal affairs, police, fire brigades, sports, and the protection of the constitution. Committee on European and Legal Affairs Functions The Committee on European and Legal Affairs is competent for European and Federal matters, the judicial system of the Land, the constitution, the Rules of Procedure of the Landtag, the scrutiny of elections, matters relating to immunity and ecclesiastical affairs. As an expert committee it monitors the governmental activity of the State Chancellery regarding the Land’s European policy. Furthermore it monitors the governmental activity of the Ministry of Justice regarding the judicial system, including legal education, social services, the pardon system, the constitution and law. The members of the committee are also members of the special committee responsible for the preparation of the elections of the members of the Land Constitutional Court. 9 The members of the Committee on European and Legal Affairs Financial Committee Functions The main tasks of the Financial Committee are the monitoring of fiscal policy and the deliberations on the Land’s budget. The Land’s budget, in turn, constitutes the basis for the government activity during the respective financial year, which the Financial Committee accompanies in the framework of the parliamentary budget control by means of conditional acceptances and rights of information. The Financial Committee’s focus concerns the budget and budget control, budget law and budget systems, taxes and duties, national property and national debt, and staff expenditures
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Towards the Kalmar Union
    S P E C I A L I Z E D A G E N C I E S TOWARDS THE KALMAR UNION Dear Delegates, Welcome to the 31st Annual North American Model United Nations 2016 at the University of Toronto! On behalf of all of the staff at NAMUN, we welcome you to the Specialized Agency branch of the conference. I, and the rest of the committee staff are thrilled to have you be a delegate in Scandinavia during the High Middle Ages, taking on this challenging yet fascinating topic on the futures of the three Scandinavian Kingdoms in a time of despair, poverty, dependence and competitiveness. This will truly be a new committee experience, as you must really delve into the history of these Kingdoms and figure out how to cooperate with each other without sending everyone into their demise. To begin, in the Towards the Kalmar Union Specialized Agency, delegates will represent influential characters from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, which include prominent knights, monarchs, nobles, and important religious figures who dominate the political, military and economic scenes of their respective Kingdoms. The impending issues that will be discussed at the meeting in Kalmar, Sweden include the future of the Danish and Norwegian crowns after the death of the sole heir to the thrones, Olaf II. Here, two distant relatives to Valdemar IV have a claim to the throne and delegates will need to decide who will succeed to the throne. The second order of business is to discuss the growing German presence in Sweden, especially in major economic cities.
    [Show full text]
  • Optitrans Baseline Study Thuringia
    Sharing solutions for better regional policies European Union | European Regional Development Fund OptiTrans Baseline Study Thuringia Version 1.0 14.03.2018 OptiTrans – Baseline Study Thuringia | 1 / 55 Contents 1 Introductions ......................................................................................................................................................3 2 Thuringia: Population and Territorial Characteristics ........................................................................................4 2.1 Settlement Structure and Urban Development............................................................................................4 2.2 Population and demographic development ...............................................................................................10 2.3 Economy and Economic Welfare ..............................................................................................................14 2.4 Main transport infrastructure .....................................................................................................................17 2.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................23 3 Mobility and Public Transport: Between high-speed train and challenges of transport services in rural areas .....................................................................................................................................25 3.1 Mobility and transport statistics .................................................................................................................25
    [Show full text]
  • INFORMATION to USERS This Manuscript Has Been Reproduced
    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI film s the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough* substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely afreet reproductioiL In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these wül be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Nnsaber 9816176 ‘‘Ordo et lîbertas”: Church discipline and the makers of church order in sixteenth century North Germany Jaynes, JefiErey Philip, Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • New General Map of Raw Materials of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (NE-Germany) in the Scale of 1:500.000
    New general map of raw materials of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (NE-Germany) in the scale of 1:500.000 A. BÖRNER1 1 Landesamt für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie Meckenburg-Vorpommern (LUNG M-V); Geologischer Dienst; D-18273 Güstrow, Goldberger Str. 12, [email protected],de A new general map of distribution of near- surface mineral ressources (KOR 500 M-V) was published in May 2007 by the State Office for Environment, Nature protection and Geology Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (LUNG M-V). The distribution of raw material based generally on the first edition of the general map (GRANITZKI & ZANDER 1996) and on recent maps of mineral ressources M-V in the scale of 1:50.000 (Karte der oberflächennahen Rohstoffe M-V = KOR50 M-V). The new general map presents the so far existing knowledge on the geology of raw materials in M-V, especially based on exploration- documents in archive of LUNG M-V. The KOR-500 M-V is basically structured into geometric sections and was primary constructed in GIS (ArcView 3.2) section. This KOR 500 M-V should present an overview about the state-wide distribution of mineral ressources in M-V. The KOR 500 M-V shows the superficial distribution of sand and gravel-sand, clayish raw materials, limestones, limy raw materials and some selected peat deposits for the State Fig. 1 General legend of KOR 500 M-V of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The areas with an higher potential of mineral Literature (References) ressources are characterized by a special BERGAMT M-V (1991-2005) Jahresberichte über den signature.
    [Show full text]
  • Transatlantic Migration and the Politics of Belonging, 1919-1939
    W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects Summer 2016 Between Third Reich and American Way: Transatlantic Migration and the Politics of Belonging, 1919-1939 Christian Wilbers College of William and Mary - Arts & Sciences, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Wilbers, Christian, "Between Third Reich and American Way: Transatlantic Migration and the Politics of Belonging, 1919-1939" (2016). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1499449834. http://doi.org/10.21220/S2JD4P This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Between Third Reich and American Way: Transatlantic Migration and the Politics of Belonging, 1919-1939 Christian Arne Wilbers Leer, Germany M.A. University of Münster, Germany, 2006 A Dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of the College of William and Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy American Studies Program The College of William and Mary August 2016 © Copyright by Christian A. Wilbers 2016 ABSTRACT Historians consider the years between World War I and World War II to be a period of decline for German America. This dissertation complicates that argument by applying a transnational framework to the history of German immigration to the United States, particularly the period between 1919 and 1939. The author argues that contrary to previous accounts of that period, German migrants continued to be invested in the homeland through a variety of public and private relationships that changed the ways in which they thought about themselves as Germans and Americans.
    [Show full text]
  • Quality Standards and Measures Required to Improve the State of the Tourism Industry in the East German Federal States Final
    Quality Standards and Measures Required To Improve the State of the Tourism Industry In the East German Federal States Final Report Executive Summary Research Assignment Z 6 – 10.08.06.1.17 Submitted by: The Prof. Dr. Albrecht Steinecke, Prof. Dr. Heinz-Dieter Quack & Dipl.-Geogr. Peter Herrmann Study Group Paderborn/Goslar/Trier November 2004 Research project commissioned by the German Federal Office of Construction and Regional Planning, Bonn conducted by: The Prof. Dr. Albrecht Steinecke, Prof. Dr. Heinz-Dieter Quack & Dipl.-Geogr. Peter Herrmann Study Group with the collaboration of Aline Albers, M.A. Dipl.-Geogr. Matthias Beier Dipl.-Geogr. Daniel Demler Dipl.-Geogr. Miriam Dubois Dipl.-Geogr. Nicole Wittersheim Research Assignment Z 6 – 10.08.06.1.17 _________________________________________________________________________________ Preface In May 2004, within the scope of the "Aufbau Ost" ("Rebuilding of East Germany“) project coordinated by the German Federal Office of Construction and Regional Planning (BBR), the undersigned were asked to conduct a research project on the "Quality Standards and Meas- ures Required to Improve the State of the Tourism Industry in the East German Federal States (Z6 – 10.08.06.1.17)“. The project focused on the following questions: 1. Which mutual interactions between the factors that determine how tourism develops led to the current situation? 2. Taking particular account of price/performance ratios, which quality standards are relevant to which target groups, both at present and in the future? 3. What measures, or packages of measures, are taking effect in which regions, and for which target groups? From the very start, the client and contractor were in agreement that a complex project of this nature could only be successfully conducted on the basis of ongoing, trustful feedback be- tween all the project partners.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix for “The Feudal Revolution and Europe's Rise: Political
    Appendix for “The Feudal Revolution and Europe’s Rise: Political Divergence of the Christian West and the Muslim World before 1500 CE” August 1, 2012 1 Feudalism and Political Stability To formalize the intuition presented in Section 3.3 using a simple framework, suppose that a perfectly myopic, risk-neutral sovereign imperfectly controls a polity that creates output of size one each period. Denote by γ the amount of land controlled by the military regardless of the actions of the sovereign (this can be interpreted as the percentage of the entire polity controlled by the military). Suppose that there are N perfectly myopic, risk-neutral members of the military (where N is sufficiently large) and that γ is evenly distributed between the members of this class. We consider the parameter value γ exogenously given. A value of γ = 0 corresponds to a perfectly absolutist sovereign (who uses mamluks or mercenaries to staff his military) whereas higher values of γ denote more feudal arrangements. Note that our assumption of perfectly myopic agents allows us to abstract from the potentially important issue of how the sovereign compensates the military (i.e., iqta’ rents versus land grants).1 In addition, we abstract from other important issues in order to focus on the sovereign’s desire to prevent a successful revolt. We do so in order to highlight one mechanism that we believe contributes to the observed increase in ruler duration. The order of play in the game is as follows: after observing γ the sovereign moves first and decides whether to keep the entire amount of output he controls to himself or whether to divide it equally between himself and the military.
    [Show full text]
  • OSW Commentary 68, 10.01.2011
    OswcOMMentary issue 69 | 10.01.2011 | ceNTRe fOR eAsTeRN sTudies The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region from Germany’s perspective NTARy Me Marta Zawilska-Florczuk ces cOM Germany is one of the eight EU member states which participate in the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region along with Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden. Germany had a positive ap- tudies proach to the EUSBSR strategy (see Appendix 1) right from planning stage. s This project contributed to the continuation of Germany’s co-operation with the countries in this region, which has been conducted since the mid astern 1980s mainly by German federal states. Germany is playing a major role as e part of this strategy because it is the coordinator of its three priority areas. However, the German federal government sees the EUSBSR as a project to be implemented at the level of federal states. This has been proven by the entre for c great activity of three German federal states participating in the strategy (Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein) and at the same time the low level of engagement from the Bundestag, the federal government and expert circles. Furthermore, federal states more often for- NTARy mulate evaluations of the effects of co-operation achieved so far as part of Me the EUSBSR. Still, the relatively low level of Berlin’s engagement does not mean that it is not interested in co-operation in the Baltic region as such. Germany actively participates in the work of such bodies as the Coun- ces cOM cil of the Baltic Sea States or the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM).
    [Show full text]
  • Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
    Print Mecklenburg-Vorpommern INFORMATION ABOUT MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) is situated in the very northeast of the country bordering Poland to the east and the Baltic Sea to the north. The ''state of a thousand lakes'' is mainly characterized by its intact nature. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's diversified 350 kilometers-long coastline offers islands like Rügen - the largest German island, Hiddensee and Usedom. Countless nature and landscape reserves and three of Germany's 14 national parks spread through the state. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is often called the ''state of a thousand lakes'', but the nickname is only half correct. The state actually has over 2,000 lakes, which - in addition to countless castles, stunning Hanseatic coastline towns with white cliffs and beaches, and excellent ferry facilities - make tourism the state's main industry. MV's over 350 km of Baltic Sea coastline attract other industries, too. Over the last 10 years, more than EUR 500 million have been invested in MV's shipyards and harbor infrastructure, making MV one of Northern Europe's premier regions for shipbuilding and maritime trade. Using MV's top-of-the-line port infrastructure and modernized transportation infrastructure, businesses also take advantage of the state's prime location between Eastern Europe and Scandinavia and its proximity to Central Europe's two largest cities, Hamburg and Berlin. Other significant industries in MV include lumber, logistics, agriculture, food processing, and the service sector. These and other industries also benefit from the fact that MV offers some of the highest investment incentives in the EU. MV also boasts centuries-old universities and a host of highly innovative R&D enterprises, which have made it a dynamic region in high-technology, biotechnology, and medical technology.
    [Show full text]
  • A Little History of the U.S. Consulate General Hamburg Imprint
    E UUNNIITTEEDD H SS T TT F AA O TT O EE S LL SS A A R R E E N Y N N E Y Y E N E G G N N G A E A E E M T T T M A A R A L L ER L U U U E S S G S N N , N G O O O , C C G, C CIRGH E UUNNIITTEEDD NPBZIU H SS H LMAEUMI T TT F AA O TT O EE S LL SS A A R R E E N Y N N E Y Y E N E G G N N G A E A E E M T T T M A A R A L L ER L U U U E S S G S N N , N G O O O , C C G, C RGH ZIUCI H LMAEUMINPB A Little History of the U.S. Consulate General Hamburg Imprint Publisher: U.S. Consulate General Hamburg Public Affairs Alsterufer 27/28 20354 Hamburg, Germany Editor: Dr. Heiko Herold Copyright 2019 U.S. Consulate General Hamburg Photo credits: Title page, page 4, 6, 8, 14: Dr. Heiko Herold, U.S. Department of State; page 10 top: U.S. Department of State; page 5: Staatsarchiv Hamburg, 111-1 / CLVII Lit. Jb Nr. 20 Vol. 18 page 7: Stiftung Hanseatisches Wirtschaftsarchiv, Sammlung Commerzbibliothek, S/749; page 9: Staatsarchiv Hamburg, 141-21=7/231, 141-21=7/24, 141-21=7/245; page 10 bottom: Willi Beutler, Denkmalschutzamt Hamburg Bildarchiv, Nr.
    [Show full text]
  • WOLFSBURG, V2, English Crisis Information Hydrography Consequences Within the AOI
    Schleswig-Holstein Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GLIDE number: N/A Activation ID: EMSR261 Legend Hamburg Product N.: 03WOLFSBURG, v2, English Crisis Information Hydrography Consequences within the AOI Flooded Area (03/08/2017 17:23 UTC) River Bremen Luneburg Wolfsburg - GERMANY Unit of measurement Affected Total in AOI Weser-Ems Spre e, H a Flooded Area (29/07/2017 05:00 UTC) Lake vDenmark Flood - Situation as of 03/08/2017 Flooded area e Baltic Sea ha 42.5 l General Information North Sea Delineation Map - MONIT01 Reservoir Hannover 01 Berlin Area of Interest Estimated population No. of people 71 1240639 Wolfsburg Sachsen-Anhalt Berlin Transportation !( Poland r Netherlands ^ Settlements Built-Up Area ha 0.1 46397.2 03 Image Footprint ! Airfield runway Germany Cartographic Information Transportation Airfield runway No. 0 1 Belgium Brandenburg Czech Not Analysed - No data Highway E Detmold 02 Luxembourg Highway km 0.0 459.9 m Tepla Vltava, V Republic s Z lta v a S Full color ISO A1, high resolution (300 dpi) w chw i , a 1:145000 c rz Slovakia k E e Placenames Primary Road Primary Road km 0.0 890.3 France a lb E u e Ausltsria Braunschweig er M te e Switzerlandu r ! p ld 0 3 6 12 ip Placename km 0.0 1630.7 e Italy Hungary Secondary Road L Liechtenstein , km Secondary Road M u er ld Arnsberg W All Uns e Built-Up Area R e tru u rr a t r h e , Thuringen t Dresden Grid: WGS 1984 UTM Zone 32N map coordinate system r W s le l es aa 30 Built-Up Area Kassel e S E Leipzig Tick marks: WGS 84 geographical coordinate system r e s km is ± Fu e lda W Chemnitz
    [Show full text]
  • Congress of Vienna
    CONGRESS OF VIENNA MUNUC 32 UPDATE PAPER Introduction to Nobility Understanding the Noble system is important to understanding hierarchy and alliances in Europe. Generally, land is organized as a ‘title’ which is presented to a family. These titles confer corresponding noble ranks upon their holder. The titles as well are arranged in a hierarchy, with larger titles usually including a series of enfiefed smaller titles below it. For example, an Empire may have several Kingdoms and numerous Duchies inside of it associated with its title. A generalized set of titles and the title-holder nomenclatures is giving below in descending order: 1. Empire - Emperor / Empress 2. Kingdom - King / Queen 3. Archduchy - Archduke / Archduchess 4. Grand Duchy - Grand Duke / Grand Duchess 5. Duchy - Duke / Duchess 6. County - Count / Countess 7. Barony - Baron / Baroness There are also cases where land is held by Christian theocratic leadership corresponding to ecclesiastical position: 1. Prince Archbishopric - Prince Archbishop (Compare to Duchy level title) 2. Prince Bishopric - Prince Bishop (Compare to County level title) 3. Prince Abbot - Prince Abbot (Compare to Barony title) Certain titles were bestowed as a reward for bureaucratic service or to recognize the non-successive low nobility. These titles did not bestow any land rights: 1. Marquis / Marquess 2. Viscount / Viscountess 3. Baronet / Baronetess 4. Master (Mr.) / Mistress (Ms. or Mrs.) Usage of these titles varied from culture to culture, and each title has different terminology in different languages ex. Herzog, Graf, and Freiherr are Duke, Count, and Baron in German. Titles could be held in the plural, united by only their monarch.
    [Show full text]