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King Frederick William III and his Ministers Stein and Schrötter, "Ordinance for All Cities of the Prussian Monarchy" (November 19, 1808)

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Title II. Regarding the Cities in General.

§ 3. The city law and the city limits generally encompass the suburbs.

§ 4. Therefore all inhabitants and the complete properties of the city and suburbs belong to the city police and community area [Gemeinebezirk].

§ 5. The inhabitants of every city consist only of two classes, of citizens and dependents [Schutzverwandte], or of inhabitants who have won civil rights, and those who have not attained them.

Inhabitants are all those who have their residence in the community area.

§ 6. Both citizens as well as dependents will be judged according to this ordinance and the constitution of the city in all affairs relevant to the general interest of the city.

§ 7. The difference, which previously existed between unfree [mittelbaren] and free [unmittelbaren] cities shall in the future cease in all matters relevant to the city's affairs.

§ 8. The lords [Gutsherren] are not allowed to exercise over unfree cities rights or privileges that are contrary to this ordinance.

§ 9. In the future, all cities will be classified as large, mid-sized, and small, according to the number of their inhabitants.

§ 10. Large cities are those which, excepting the military, have ten thousand souls and more. Mid-sized cities are those which, without the military, have three thousand five hundred, but not yet ten thousand souls. Small cities are understood as those which, not counting the military, have fewer than three thousand five hundred souls. [ . . . ]


Tit. III. Regarding Citizens and Civil Rights.

§ 14. A citizen or member of a city is he who has civil rights in a city.

§ 15. Civil rights consist of the right to conduct a city trade and to possess property in the area governed by the city [Polizeibezirk]. If the citizen is allowed to vote, then he also receives the right to take part in the election of the city representatives, to be elected to public city offices, and to enjoy participation in the public administration, as well as the associated civil rights. [ . . . ]

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