Traktaten i Metz 1214 og den kejserlige opfattelse af Nordalbingens statsretlige tilhørsforhold indtil 1225

The Treaty of Metz (1214) and the Imperial understanding of the constitutional position of Nordelbingen until 1225Both German and Danish historians typically interpret provisions of the Treaty of Metz (1214) as if Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II ceded the Imperial territory between the Eider and Elbe rivers (Nordelbingen) to King Waldemar II not just de facto but also de jure. Moreover, some even claim that Nordelbingen was incorporated into Denmark at that time. However, it is historically incorrect to replace the personal categories of medieval politics with concepts of modern statehood – the rule of Denmark’s king within and outside of the kingdom cannot be equated with the governance of Denmark. Furthermore, an analysis of the exact terms used in combination with hitherto unnoticed source material demonstrates that the emperor connected the de facto cession of the area with transpersonal and transepochal ideas of the Holy Roman Empire, and that he still considered the territory to be an Imperial possession, even though Waldemar II wielded uncontested military and political power. For these reasons, it is incorrect to speak of territorial incorporation into Denmark