Talk:Margraviate of Bayreuth

I redirected the article from principality ob Bayreuth, because the official title of the territory as quoted in the Reichsmatrikel, the former imperial register of the persons and cooperations occupying a seat at the diet, which was the ultimate source of the titles of the nobility of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation, is Margraviate of Bayreuth. There is another reason to use the title of margraviate. In it´s original sense, the German title of prince is a title awarded by the Emperor to dukes, margraves, landgraves and counts palatine, expressing a certain level of independence in relation to the Empire. The rank of the person still was expressed by his original title. So in relation to his neighbour, the Duke of Palatinate Zweibrücken, the count of Nassau Saarbrücken occupied the lower rank of nobility, although both of them were princes. There was only one difference. The count of Saarbrücken used the title of prince, because for him, this was a possibility of separation from other counts, not being allowed to use this title. The duke of Palatinate Zweibrücken used the dukal title, because he wanted to show his higher position in comparison to a simple count or margrave, who was allowed to use the title of prince too. Therefore usually only princes with the position of count were called prince. The higher nobles used their own title, indicating their princedom only with the address "Durchlaucht". With the exception of the lowest rank, the title prince usually only means collective term. To be precise, the real title has to be used. The magraviates of Ansbach and Kulmbach were principalities but the accurate title is magraviate. Not to do so is like calling the King of england or the emperor of Nippon monarch of England and Monarch of Nippon. It is not wrong, but why use an imprecise title, if there is a correct title.Thw1309 07:21, 9 May 2007 (UTC)