The study is dedicated to an reappraisal of the sovereign's fief policy in late middle age Austria. While the older research tendencies were mostly based on the idea of a slightly declining system signed by a rigid formalism, a new analysis of the fief structures in the hereditary territories of the Habsburg dynasty shows a slightly different picture. The anatomy of fief letters and books, reverses and letters of conveyance show that the increasing literacy transformed fiefdom into one of the central playgrounds of sovereign chancelleries. Mostly in case of dominion divisions or changes in late medieval rulership that vassality became important. Despite the reification of fiefdom, territorial rule and vasality do not oppose each other. The sovereign fiefdom in the 14th and 15th century is considered as an important often monetarised instrument among others, used to enhance and consolidate the sovereign's rule.
In February 1446 a group of about 1 100 confederate soldiers went on a short campaign to the neighbouring county of Sargans. The campaign can function as an example for the wide variety of texts produced alongside military actions in the 15th century. Therefore we find the protocols of the preparatory federal diets that agree the number of soldiers and discuss plans. As the campaign goes on, there are two letters of the Lucerne captain Cloos to his authority, giving short information on encounters and claiming money and reinforcements. On the Habsburg side, we have written evidence for the raising and equipment of troops in Vorarlberg as well as for the financial efforts for the counter-campaign. After the campaign and the victorious battle at Ragaz, confederate authors composed tales of the battle: one being the report of the Bernese captain to his authority, the other was the chancellor of Schwyz Hans Fründ with his quasi-offical chronicle of the Old Zürich war. Soon after, the annual commemoration of the battle of Ragaz (6 March 1446) was extended to all minor battles of the Confederates. The dead and mortally in all battles were registered in the parish-registers under the day of St Fridolin, the patron saint of Glarus (6 March). As a result of these texts, the campaign has subsequently been considered a success for the Confederates.
The roots of the Imperial Principality of Liechtenstein reach back to the late Middle Ages. In 1342, the County of Vaduz came into being, and in 1379 its owners were granted important privileges of jurisdiction (freedom from foreign judges). From 1396 to 1719, imperial immediacy was confirmed more than 25 times by the emperors. From 1500, the sovereigns were recognized as imperial estates. Over some 300 years the dynasties changed five times. With the exception of the Princes of Liechtenstein, all of them were economically too weak to ensure continuity over a longer period of time. This was only possible for the Princes of Liechtenstein, who bought the domain of Schellenberg in 1699 and the County of Vaduz in 1712. Greater continuity and thus the centuries-long existence of the small but immediate county was made possible by the Holy Roman Empire, its laws and its institutions.