Arnold argues that, by 1200, the institutions of the Landfrieden "public peace," the hereditary county and the Landgericht, if not identical, had "emerged as a collective legal structure which princes exercised power directly or through delegate judges from amongst their vassals, ministeriales, and officials.
In addition, there were regional terms for such courts; for example, the Gogericht in Saxony; the Freigericht in Westphalia, the Hesse and southwest Germany; and the Zentgericht in Franconia, and parts of the Duchy of Bavaria and Lotharingia.
[4] Originally, all free men who were resident or owned land within the Hundertschaft "century territory", Gau "shire" or Pflege (a small, historical, administrative district in the Electorate of Saxony) were obliged to participate in the thing.
Every prince and lord who the king had given juridical authority was to hold a Landgericht every eighteen weeks that had to be attended by all those over the age of 24 living in the associated judicial district (Gerichtssprengel) or who owned a house in the same.
The Landgericht was responsible for property (freehold, estates) and inheritance, freedom processes and allegations of crime by the princes, their families and entourage against free men.