Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a Free Imperial City (Freie Reichsstadt) was a self-ruling city that enjoyed Imperial immediacy, and as such, was subordinate only to the emperor, as opposed to a territorial city or town (Landstadt) which was subordinate to a territorial lord - such as a lay prince (duke, margrave, count, etc.) or an ecclesiastical prince (prince-bishop, prince-abbot).
Free Imperial Cities were Imperial Estates and had representation in the Reichstag.
Read more about Free Imperial City: Distinction Between Free Imperial Cities and Other Cities, Origin, Development
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—Stanley Kubrick (b. 1928)
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“Notice how he has numbered the blue veins
in my breast. Moreover there are ten freckles.
Now he goes left. Now he goes right.
He is building a city, a city of flesh.
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—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)