Geschichte des Parlamentarismus

Contrary to popular belief, parliamentarianism did not originate in the 19th century through the merging of representation and democratic principles. This volume traces its history from Germanic Thing assemblies to Western estate assemblies, examining their suppression by the rise of "absolutism". Combining an account of the factors that shaped this history with shorter case studies across Europe, it provides detailed examinations of England, France, Poland and Germany, the latter at both the Reich level and within the principalities. Building on previous publications on ecclesiastical parliamentarism from antiquity to modern times, as well as on pre-Christian and non-European parliamentarism, this volume continues the series.