how legal actions can end the limited possibilities of enforcement. Thus, the findings on settlement agreements for the ancient and medieval history according to which the propensity for settlement always increases when the effectiveness of ordinary legal protection is not really high would also apply to this early modern practice.124 It is likely that such settlements are frequently also the basis of the large number of legal actions simply no longer pursued, which are not covered by the present research. The reasons why parties sought the procedural – cost-entailing – cancellation of the judicial proceedings in addition to an agreement, instead of suspending them, can only be speculated on: In any case, the parties must have seen concrete benefits in doing so. Such benefits could be seen in the restoration of good reputation following formal and thus public annulment of the action or in the possibility of fully exhaust all instances. 3. The analysed proceedings reveal a customary formal practice that was followed in amicable dispute resolution. The parties' agreement was stipulated in writing with the involvement of an authoritative body, and notified to the Imperial Chamber Court in the oral hearing. The legal counsels needed a special power of attorney for the motion for cancellation. 4. When the litigants reached an agreement at a substantive law level in the form of a settlement agreement, this regularly resulted in the closing of the Imperial Chamber Court proceedings. Then, the dispute resolutions also showed the effect of ending and, additionally, blocking the action. 124 Ebel, Friedrich 1978 p. 2. 108
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