PFAHLBURGHERS.
The complaint has frequently been made of late that certain citizens and
subjects of princes, barons, and other lords, in order to escape from
their proper subjection, have had themselves received as citizens in
other cities, and thus, while dwelling in the lands, cities, towns, or
regions of the lords whom they have deserted, they claim to enjoy the
liberty and immunity of the other cities, and to be freed from the
lord's authority, because of that citizenship; these are the persons who
are called in the vulgar tongue in Germany "pfahlburghers." Now since
fraud and deceit cannot constitute a legal defense for any one, we
hereby decree by our imperial authority and by the advice of the
electoral princes, ecclesiastical and secular, that from this day forth
within all the lands of the empire such citizens shall not enjoy the
rights and liberties of the cities, unless they have actually moved into
them and established their homes there, making their real residence and
domicile in the cities and bearing their share of the debts, burdens,
and municipal taxes. If any such persons are or shall be admitted into
cities contrary to this edict, the admission shall be void of effect,
and the persons shall not profit by the laws and liberties of those
cities, in spite of any laws, privileges, and customs to the contrary,
all of which, as far as they contradict this decree, we declare to be
void; and the lords shall retain their rights over the persons and goods
of their subjects who have deserted them in this manner. Those who
receive the subjects of other lords on these terms contrary to our law,
and who do not drive them away within one month after receiving notice
of their presence, shall be fined for each such violation, 100 pounds of
gold, half of which shall go to the imperial treasury and half to the
lords of the deserters.