|
Fürst (, female form Fürstin, plural Fürsten; from Old High German ''furisto'' "der Erste", English "the first", a translation of the Latin ''princeps'', were, since the medieval period, members of the highest nobility who ruled over the Holy Roman Empire and later its former territories, below the ruling ''Kaiser'' (emperor) or ''König'' (king).〔Duden; Definition of the German title ''Fürst'' (in German). ()〕 A ''Fürst'' was the reigning sovereign ruler, monarch, of an imperial state that held imperial immediacy in the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire.〔 The territory ruled is referred to in German as a ''Fürstentum'' (principality),〔Duden; Definition of ''Fürstentum'' (in German). ()〕 the family dynasty referred to as a ''Fürstenhaus'' (princely house), and the (non-reigning) descendants of a Fürst are titled and referred to in German as Prinz (prince) or Prinzessin (princess).〔Duden; Definition of the German title ''Prinz'' (in German). ()〕 English uses the term ''prince'' for both concepts. Latin-based (French, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese) and Slavic-based (Russian, Polish, Serbian, etc.) languages also employ a single term, whereas the Scandinavian languages and Dutch use separate terms similar to those used in German. Since the Middle Ages, the German designation and title ''Fürst'' refers to: * the highest members of the nobility who ruled over the Holy Roman Empire, below the ruling ''Kaiser'' (Emperor) or ''König'' (King)〔 * members of the nobility above the rank of ''Graf'' (Count) but below ''Herzog'' (Duke)〔 * a Ruler, Monarch〔 ==Use of the title in German== The title ''Fürst'' (female form ''Fürstin'', female plural ''Fürstinnen'') is used for the heads of princely houses of German origin (in German a ''Fürstenhaus''). From the Late Middle Ages it referred to any vassal of the Holy Roman Emperor ruling over an immediate estate. Unless he also holds a higher title, such as grand duke or king, he will be known either by the formula "''Fürst von'' + (origin of the dynasty )", or by the formula "''Fürst zu'' + (of the ruled territory )". These forms can be combined, as in "''...von und zu Liechtenstein''". The rank of the title-holder is not determined by the title itself, but by his degree of sovereignty, the rank of his suzerain, or the age of the princely family (note the terms ''Uradel, Briefadel, altfürstliche, neufürstliche''; and see German nobility). The ''Fürst'' (Prince) ranked below the ''Herzog'' (Duke) in the Holy Roman Empire's hierarchy, but princes did not necessarily rank below dukes in non-German parts of Europe. Likewise, the style usually associated with the title of ''Fürst'' in post-medieval Europe, ''Durchlaucht'' (translated as "Serene Highness"), was considered inferior to ''Hoheit'' ("Highness") in Germany, though not in France. The present-day rulers of the principality of Liechtenstein bear the title of ''Fürst'', and the title is also used in German when referring to the ruling princes of Monaco. The hereditary rulers of the one-time principalities of Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania were also all referred to in German as ''Fürsten'' before they eventually assumed the title of "King" (''König''). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fürst」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|