The cities
- The old fortress of Pfirt from the 12th century dominated all fortresses that were built up to the 16th century. The church is outside the fortress walls of the small town which originally comprised the forecourt or suburb of the fortress.
As in the time of the Carolingians there are only three cities: Strasbourg, Basel and Constance. At the beginning of the 13th century other, smaller cities appear.A city is defined as a walled settlement which enjoys special rights bestowed by its ruler. Colmar, Schlettstadt and Munster are elevated to the level of cities in this manner by their ruler, the Emperor. Altkirch, Thann or Ensisheim also receive this status from their feudal lord, the Count of Pfirt or the Count of Habsburg.At the beginning of the 14th century these cities are considered to be new, independent political centers. The imperial cities of Alsace unite in a league, the Decapole of Alsace which is officially recognized by Emperor Charles IV in 1354. The feudal lords receive their treasure mainly from the cities where there are markets and inns (charges are received in the latter which are calculated according to the amount of wine that is sold: the Umgeld). In the large cities the craftsmen organize themselves in guilds.
