late medieval wills in southwest german imperial towns which is why in this case the executors of the will were to sell the goods intended for the Mass in the city of Ulm and in Mähringen and to acquire other goods and incomes for the financing of the Mass from the money thus obtained.36 The participation of the judges demanded by the city of Ulm served to control property transactions in order to prevent too many houses and estates from falling into ecclesiastical hands and becoming exempt from taxation. This is probably the motive for the control and the role of the city in wills. The most important diplomatics expressions of these demands were the witnessing and co-signing by the judges. For Reutlingen, a new inheritance law was documented on 16 June 1500 by a privilege of King Maximilian that has been preserved in the original. It mainly regulated what happened when citizens died without a will. Inheritance distributions were to be entered into the city books of the city of Reutlingen.37 Wills have been preserved in all three imperial cities, usually in original form.38 Notarial registers or special town books in which wills could or even had to be entered39 do not exist in these three towns, although Maximilian’s privilege for Reutlingen provided for an entry in the town book for inheritance distributions.40 The relevant customs and rights of the town provided the framework for the forms used for the wills. Most wills are sealed documents. Typical forms were used in each town. In Reutlingen, the wills were drawn up as deeds of judges and sealed with the common seal of the town. The judges speak in the first person plural, while the provisions of the will are referred to in the third person. The deed was usually written by the town clerk.41 In Esslingen, the deed 36 Stadtarchiv Ulm A Urk. 1524, Digitalization and regest at https://www.stadtarchiv-ulm. findbuch.net/php/main.php?ar_id=3766#412055726b2ex3041 37 Deigendesch et al., eds (2023) Nr. 783 pp. 592–597. 38 Stadtarchiv Ulm, A Urk. 1734, Digitalization and regest at https://www.stadtarchiv-ulm. findbuch.net/php/main.php?ar_id=3766#412055726b2ex3258(1448); Stadtarchiv Ulm, A Urk. 1798, Digitalization and regest at https://www.stadtarchiv-ulm.findbuch. net/php/ main.php?ar_id=3766#412055726b2ex3326; Stadtarchiv Ulm A Urk. 2241, Digitalization and regest at https://www.stadtarchiv-ulm.findbuch.net/php/main.php?ar_id=3766# 412055726b2ex3773 (1469) 39 Wüller 1996; Rabeler 2014. 40 Deigendesch et al., eds (2023) Nr. 783 pp. 592–597. 41 E.g. Stadtarchiv ReutlingenU820. 24
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