Kampf gegen den Untergang

Reinhard v. Berstett (1744-1814) was a representative of the Free Imperial Knights at the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss in Regensburg in 1802/03 and in Augsburg and Munich in 1805/06. In his diaries he reports on his attempts to save the Imperial Knights from mediatization during the territorial reorganization of Germany. His notes show perceptions of the political events and the room for manoeuvere, the politically weak Knights had. Hoping and worrying for the future, v. Berstett together with other representatives tried to convince the large powers by means of information and bribery that the Imperial Knights should remain independent. In the end, however, it became evident that the Knights were just a bargaining chip of the large powers in German and European politics.

Daniel Menning is junior researcher at the University of Tübingen. His research has focused on the history of the German nobility between the 18th and 20th century.