Lex Alamannorum

Pactus Alamannorum and Lex Alamannorum are names for the Alemannic legal records of the early Middle Ages. They were published in 1530 by Johannes Sichard in Basel for the first time in parts. It is the oldest and most important text documents from the Alemannic Duchy with important information about the economy and society, everyday life and culture in the Alemannic - Swabian region. The text is written in Latin, but contains Germanic fragments.

About delivery and content

The Pactus Alamannorum (also Pactus legis Alamannorum ) than older text level from the first third of the 7th century in a single manuscript of 9-10. Handed century and consists of four non-contiguous external leaf fragments. Its content represents the legislative attempt to bring by means of a standardized Bußenkatalogs traditional revenge and feud habits rights violations (of libel through to the slaying of a man ) under control.

The Lex Alamannorum is witnessed by fifty manuscripts from the 8th to the 12th century, representing a Merovingian and Carolingian one version. The Lex is attributed according to the input formula in two manuscripts Duke Lantfrid ( 727-730 ). However, it is most likely a degradation resulted in the island of Reichenau Monastery fake, mainly having a church preferential position to the goal, but otherwise probably reflects the Alemannic legal relationships applicable. It is divided into three parts: Church matters, ie especially education of church property; Duke stuff, that is, Education and protection of the ducal rule; People's stuff, that is, a Bußenkatalog as in Pactus.

On the laws of an advanced social and political consolidation of the Alemannic tribal structures to a feudal order with Free and unfree or semi- free can be seen. There is also a certain amount of text proximity to other Germanic legal records. The Alemannic rights record is already in the context of the Frankish Empire, whose kings exercised authority over their own issues, such as the law, although independent, but not unaffected Alemannic dukes. In the part of Lex Alamannorum on the church property despite the relatively young Christianization already well -trained church organization is expressed. During the Pactus Alamannorum still has no ecclesiastical influence, the Church in the Lex Alamannorum has secured their rights on a large scale.

Detail of the Bußenkatalog

(Second Fragment of Pactus Alamannorum, legal propositions No. 16-23; Latin original with German translation. )

Swell

• Eckhardt, Karl August: The laws of the Carolingian Empire 714-911 II Alemanni and Bavarians. Weimar 1934.
• Eckhardt, Karl August: Leges Alamannorum. 2nd ed Hannover 1966 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae, Leges nationum germanicarum, V, 1)
• Schott, Claus Dieter: Lex Alamannorum - Law and Constitution of the Alemanni, Augsburg 1997 ( facsimile edition ).