弗里西亚自由时期

The Frisian freedom (; Old Frisian: Fresiska fridom; West Frisian: Fryske frijheid; Dutch: Friese vrijheid; German: Friesische Freiheit; Latin: Frisonica libertas) was the form of governance, legal system, and social structure in Frisia during the Middle Ages, characterised by self-government and the absence of feudalism. Its main aspects included freedom from serfdom, feudal duties, and taxation, as well as the election of judges and adjudicators.

According to medieval chronicles, exemption from feudalism was granted to the Frisians by Charlemagne, although the earliest evidence of regional autonomy appears in the 11th century and explicit references to "Frisian freedom" date to the 13th century. Throughout the Middle Ages, Frisians resisted the expansion of feudalism into their lands, fighting a series of wars against the County of Holland in order to maintain their autonomy. During this period, Frisian society was organised in a network of rural communes, people largely governed themselves through public assemblies, and elected judges established a codified legal system without any kind of central government. Frisians formed treaties with other powers to protect their freedom, which was recognised by a number of German kings during the Late Middle Ages.

Frisian freedom was brought to an end in the late-15th century, as increasing levels of class stratification in the East culminated in the establishment of the County of East Frisia, while West Frisia was brought under the rule of Saxony. Since the 16th century, the Frisian freedom has been subject to numerous reinterpretations. During the Dutch Revolt, it was used to argue for the restoration of rights lost under Habsburg rule, and Frisian freedom later inspired American and French Revolutionaries.……

History

Background

The region of Frisia extends along the North Sea coastline, from the Zuiderzee in the west to the Weser in the east. In most of western Europe during the High Middle Ages, social organisation developed along the lines of feudalism, as nobles gained the right of sovereignty over certain territories; but Frisia notably developed along a different path. Beginning in the mid-11th century, Medieval communes spread from northern Italy across much of Europe, gathering strength in areas outside the authority of feudal lords. These communes extended personal freedoms including public participation to its populace, which cultivated within them an antagonism towards feudalism. Within the Holy Roman Empire, some of these communes, including in Frisia, eliminated the power of local princes, establishing quasi-republican systems of government.

Development of autonomy

Frisian lands existed in a state of autonomy from at least the 11th century. Although Frisia was officially brought under the rule of the Holy Roman Empire, a de facto system of self-governance developed in the region.……

Communal and legal institutions

In contrast to developments in feudal counties, the Frisian nobility never developed feudal titles, knighthoods were never established, and the centralisation of polities into states was a slow-moving process.……

Modern reinterpretations

Early modern period

The concept of the Frisian freedom was reinterpreted during the Dutch Revolt, when it was used to argue for the reinstatement of historic rights that had been lost under Habsburg rule. In Friesland, the revolt was seen as a restoration of the Frisian freedom, as described in the writings of the Frisian republican Ubbo Emmius.

Towards the end of the 16th century, a fictionalised version of the history of Frisia, Andreas Cornelius's Croniicke ende waarachtige Beschrijvinge van Vrieslant, was published. Although its account of events was heavily mythologised, the book became very influential on the development of Frisian historiography over the subsequent centuries.

The idea of the Frisian freedom continued to endure into the late 18th century; American Revolutionary John Adams commented that Frisians were "famous for the spirit of liberty", while French Revolutionary Honoré Gabriel Riqueti compared Frisian to "a robust oak, with the sap of liberty preserving its strength and its verdure".

Late modern period

By the end of the early modern period, when Friesland was integrated into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, the concept was again reinterpreted during the rise of Frisian nationalism;……