xiii Preface The Holy Roman Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia is a valuable resource for high school and undergraduate students, as well as for general readers interested in the medieval and early modern history of Europe. The encyclopedia provides the means for readers to investigate the history and culture of the longest-lasting Eu ro pean Empire. The ency- clopedia’s two volumes contain 220 entries organized into the following eight topical sections: Government and Politics Organization and Administration Individuals Groups and Organizations Key Events Military Objects and Artifacts Key Places Each section begins with an overview essay, followed by an array of entries that describe important characteristics of the Holy Roman Empire. The topic entries are alphabetized within each specific section. Each entry contains “See also” cross- references to related entries in that and other sections and concludes with a current bibliography of related information resources. The encyclopedia also provides a table of contents, permitting easy access to areas of specific interest, a general introduction introducing readers to the general context of imperial history, and a chronology of important events. Brief sidebars complement many entries, providing in-depth infor- mation about small, yet interesting stories that are often overlooked in general history texts. Following the thematic sections are 44 selections from primary documents that are useful both for students preparing projects and presentations and for general readers wanting to read from contemporary sources that describe the important events and individuals of the Holy Roman Empire. The encyclopedia also includes a select bibli- ography of useful secondary sources. Finally, The Holy Roman Empire includes a