| Frisian freedom Fryske frijheid | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| de facto autonomous region of the Holy Roman Empire | |||||||||
| c. 1100–1498 | |||||||||
 Map of Frisia in 1300 | |||||||||
| Demonym | Frisian | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Alleged Karelsprivilege | c. 800 | ||||||||
• Earliest evidence of regional autonomy | c. 1100 | ||||||||
• Recognition of imperial liberty by Sigismund | 1417 | ||||||||
• Establishment of the County of East Frisia | 1464 | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1498 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | |||||||||
The Frisian freedom (West Frisian: Fryske frijheid; Dutch: Friese vrijheid; German: Friesische Freiheit) was a period of the absence of feudalism in Frisia during the Middle Ages. Its main aspects included freedom from serfdom, feudal duties and taxation, as well as the election of judges and adjudicators.
According to medieval chronicles, exemption from feudalism was granted to the Frisians by Charlemagne, although the earliest clear evidence of the Frisian freedom has been dated to the 13th century. Throughout the Middle Ages, Frisians resisted the expansion of feudalism into their lands, fighting a series of wars against the County of Holland in order to maintain their autonomy. During this period, Frisian society was organised in a network of rural communes, people largely governed themselves through public assemblies, and elected judges established a codified legal system without any kind of central government. Frisians formed treaties with other powers to protect their freedom, which was recognised by a number of German kings during the Late Middle Ages.
Frisian freedom was brought to an end in the late-15th century, as increasing levels of class stratification in the East culminated in the establishment of the County of East Frisia, while West Frisia was brought under the rule of Saxony. Since the 16th century, the Frisian freedom has been subject to numerous reinterpretations. During the Dutch Revolt, it was used to argue for the restoration of rights lost under Habsburg rule, and Frisian freedom later inspired American and French Revolutionaries. One Frisian history book from this period contained a fictionalised portrayal of the Frisian freedom, which deeply influenced later Frisian historiography. It was later recast as a national myth by Frisian nationalism, which depicted freedom as an inherent trait of the Frisian people and portrayed a level of historical continuity that is disputed by historians.