Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Reichstag of the Holy Roman Empire (Germany)

Women with the right of vote in the German Reichstag

Also see Germany Parliament, East Germany Parliament

The Reichstag (Imperial Diet)
The legislative body of the Holy Roman Empire until 1803, and was divided into three collegia:

The Council of Electors (Kurfürstenkammer), which included the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Council of Princes (Furstenkammer) consisting of:
The Eccleastical Bench, where the Princess-Abbesses were members of the Colleges of the Prelates of the Swabia and Rhine, which had one joint vote in the Diet of the Realm.
The Secular Bench: Princes (those with the title of Prince, Grand Duke, Duke, Count Palatine, Margrave, or Landgrave) held individual votes; some held more than one vote on the basis of ruling several territories. Also, the Council included Counts or who were grouped into four Colleges: Wetterau, Swabia, Franconia, and Westphalia. Each College could cast one joint vote in the College of the Princes.
The Council of Cities, consisting of the self-governing cities.

When a woman held a territory as heiress (counties or lordships) or regent, she was able to cast her vote in the Council of Electors, Council of Princes or one of the four Colleges of Counts, also, though mostly through a representative, which was also the case for most of the male rulers, especially in the later years.

The Princess-Abbesses of the Chapers mentioned below held the right of vote in the Diet via the two Colleges of Prelates (consisting of Prince-Abbots and Princess-Abbesses), which both had one joint vote in the Council of the Princes.

College of the Prelates of Swabia (22 members) (Geistliche bank von Schawben)

Baindt
Gutenzell
Heggbach
Rottenmünster
Söflingen

College of the Prelates of the Rhine (17 members) (Geistliche bank der Rhein)
Buchau (Also member of the College of Secular Princes of Swabia)
Burtscheid
Essen
Gandersheim
Gernrode
Herford
Niedermünster in Regensburg
Obermünster in Regensburg
Quedlinburg
Thorn (The Netherlands)

Imperial Circle Estates (Assemblies) (Kresitage)

The Empire was devided into 10 Circles wich each had their an Assembly, and apart form the abowe mentioned, who were all members of one of the assemblies, the Chapter of Lindau was member of the Bench of the Secular Princes in the Swabian Circle.

Bavarian Circle Estate (Kreistag von Bayern)

The Ecclesiastical Bench:

Niedermünster in Regensburg
Obermünster in Regensburg

Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle (Niederheinisch-Westfälischen Kreis)

Essen
Herford
Thorn (The Netherlands)

Upper Saxon Circle (Kreistag von Obersachsen)

Gernrode - their seat was taken over by Anhalt after the annexation
Quedlinburg


Swabian Circle (Kreistag von Swabien)

Bench of the Secular Princes;

Buchau
Lindau

The Bench of Prelates:

Baindt
Hegbach
Guttenzell
Rottenmünster
Söfflingen

Landtag

Other Abbesses were members of the Local Assemblies (Landtag).

Source: www.wikipedia.org

Last update .02.05.06