Ganerbschaft

In modern German legal parlance it corresponds to a "community of joint ownership" (Gesamthandsgemeinschaft or Gemeinschaft zur gesamten Hand).

Ganerbschafts arose as a result of the simultaneous nomination of several co-heirs to the same estate; this occurred mainly in the Middle Ages for reasons of family politics.

Although the initially very close community of co-heirs (Ganerben) tended to become looser over the decades, the unity of the estate to the outside world was maintained.

Around 1500 the lords of Stetten owned 25% of Künzelsau, 20% belonged to the House of Hohenlohe and 15% to the imperial town of Schwäbisch Hall.

Following the Tierberg Feud of 1488 a burgfrieden treaty was agreed in 1493 that governed the joint management of the estate under a Gemeinschaftlichen Ganerben-Amts-Schultheißen ("Common Ganerben Office Sheriff").