Ministerialen#

Ministerials (also ministeriales), in the Middle Ages retainers of the sovereigns coming mostly from the class of unfree knights (Burghut), who rose to the nobility and, after the great ("free") families had died out by the end of the 12th century, advanced to the highest rank. In the 13th century the "Ministeriales Austriae" took decisions in the absence of a sovereign (nomination of Otakar II of Bohemia). In the 15th century the families of ministerials gradually died out; they were replaced as Lords by new noble families who had been raised to the rank of Baron or Count by the sovereigns.