An Imperial State or Imperial Estate (Latin: Status Imperii German: Reichsstand, plural: Reichsstände) was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Imperial Diet (Reichstag) assemblies. Several territories of the Empire were not represented, while some officials (such as the Hereditary Usher) were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States.
Rulers of Imperial States were immediate, which meant that they had no authority above them except the Holy Roman Emperor himself; furthermore, they possessed several important rights and privileges, including a degree of autonomy in the rule of their territories. On the other hand, the Imperial Knights, as well as several Imperial abbeys and minor territories, had an immediate status without admittance to membership of the Imperial Diet.
Read more about Imperial State: Composition, Rights and Privileges, Imperial Diet
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