Swabian College of Imperial Counts

The College was a development of various earlier bodies in the area, such as the 1407 Sankt Jörgenschild 'Knights' Society' (Rittergesellschaft) and the 1488 Swabian League.

It took until 1524 for the Holy Roman Emperor to firmly commit to a curial vote for the Imperial Counts of Swabia.

In 1579 the Wetterau and Swabian Colleges created the Dinkelsbühler Union, by which they internally resolved disputes between them without resorting to war and supported each other against other imperial estates.

The Swabian College held regular meetings from 1533 onwards, but these were interrupted between 1630 and 1645 by the Thirty Years' War.

Without their consent no council of counts could be summoned and the directors had to seek their advice on important issues.