Freihaus

As a free house were in the Middle Ages and the early modern period referred to in houses which, although within the walls of a city lay, but not legally belonged to it. That is, the owners of the houses were free country immediately, they had as well as all the inhabitants of the corresponding building frees her jurisdiction before the district court and were from the urban taxes. In addition to the nobility often possessed and church institutions on such privileged urban home ownership.

Free houses were often given as sovereign fief, often they were allodial possession of the owner. They often belong to a Burglehnbezirk. There the noble defenders of the fortress were located. But it also happened that sovereigns privileged individual house sites in a city and exceptions of the city rights. Between the owners of the free houses and the cities in which they lay, was often debatable whether urban crafts may be used in these houses, and if so, whether these are subject to the compulsory guild.

In some countries, in addition to the noble descent enough owning a house free in order to be a full member of the Estates community can.

Similarly meaning of the term open space is used; here below refers to a property that was liberated mostly by making a tax in money or other equivalent values ​​of the princely, manorial or civil charges in whole or in part. A patio is usually in a noble or spiritual possession. This term was first used in a bill of sale ( " free houses " ) of 1507 and an imperial resolution of 24 May 1518 the stands above the Enns.