German Passport History and Borders (1/4)
German Passport History & Borders: Martin Luther
In 1521, Martin Luther is on his way from Eisenach to Worms, 400 kilometers away. There he had to appear before the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire. He had a letter from the emperor with him on this journey. History German Passports Travel
We, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor by the grace of God, confess that we have promised Martin Luther our safety and the safety of the Holy Empire. Martin Luther had stirred up the Church and the faithful with his critical writings.
Nevertheless, the emperor’s letter of safe conduct was intended to enable him to travel safely. In it, Charles V addresses all electors, counts, free lords, knights, servants and all other subjects that the monk will encounter on his journey through the numerous dominions.
Under penalty of punishment, he orders Martin Luther to leave. Not to offend, nor to grieve, nor to allow anyone else to do so, nor to be dear to anyone in any way. A standardized passport, as is common today, did not exist during Martin Luther’s lifetime.
Safe Conduct Letters History German Passports Travel
Letters of escort were composed individually for each journey and written by hand. They often said more about the goods being transported than about the travelers themselves. A letter from the emperor was one of the most powerful documents at the time.
However, those who could afford it also used the regional power and prominence of dukes, bishops and mayors to travel safely. And they made good money doing so.
Albrecht Dürer
The painter Albrecht Dürer experienced this on his journey from Nuremberg to the Netherlands in 1520. He carried his already famous works of art with him. In Bamberg, Dürer presented the bishop with two series of engravings and a large-format painting. After paying two gold guilders to the bishop’s chancellery, he received several letters.
Expensive Customs Fees History German Passports Travel
He was allowed to pass through all customs offices up to Frankfurt am Main free of charge. Like my customs letter, they let me go. Dürer noted in his diary. Things got expensive again on the Rhine. Two gold guilders were due shortly after Mainz in Ehrenfels.
And again just a few kilometers downstream in Bacharach. 10 km further on in St. Goa, Dürer refuses to pay again. But I say I won’t give him any money. Letters of transit and customs offices are medieval methods of regulating mobility.
Control over people
on the move is an age-old desire of the authorities. Sedentariness was considered normal and desirable. For the rulers of Europe, people were subjects who had to be in their own place.
Freedom of movement
I.e. the right to determine one’s own place of residence and whereabouts, did not exist. If you wanted to travel, you needed enough money or a good reason. Nevertheless, far more people were mobile than is often assumed, says Marta Vata, Associate Professor of Modern History at the University of Tübingen. History German Passports Travel
It is always assumed that people were hardly ever on the move. And only those people were on the move who may have had money, such as aristocratic students who wanted to attend universities abroad or aristocrats who were on educational trips or visited other courts.
Substantial mobility within the lower economic classes
But there was also an enormous mobility of people who belonged to the lower classes, such as migrant workers. Travelling craftsmen, day laborers, tinkers, scissor grinders, mobile traders, entertainers and bathers, the group of itinerants is large.
Homelessness History German Passports Travel
The legal historian Karl Härter estimates that up to 10% of the population in Central Europe could have lived on the streets permanently or temporarily in the 17th and 18th centuries. Nevertheless, the states were nowhere near achieving absolute control; consequently, the less affluent segment of the population, in particular, sought to evade detection when traveling without authorization.
Joseph Fenwick – First consular post in US History
Tom Topol | Passport Historian & Author
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