对中古德意志政治道路“问题”的思考

A Reflection on the“Issue”of the Political Route Germany Took in the Medieval Times

中古德意志政治进程成为一个"问题",由来已久。帝国政治、诸侯领地政府与王权之间的关系,是论者解说中古德意志政治进程的基本着眼点。以往的解释多以单一民族国家、主权国家概念为前提,以中古英、法王国演进道路为标准,把帝国政治和诸侯领地政府作为德意志国家"正常"发展的主要障碍。其实,中古德意志可谓多"国"并存。它既是帝国,也是王国,还是诸侯领地政府组成的松散联合体。多重国家形态显示的是一种多元权力结构并存的格局。它们之间有矛盾和冲突,但又是协调和一致的。帝国政治带给德意志王权的不只是损失和灾难,也有荣誉、尊严和利益。王权无论如何软弱,10世纪以后德意志都作为一个政治共同体始终存在。13世纪以后领地政府的成长意味着国家权力的分散化,然而分散化的德意志仍然是一个政治共同体,并且为统治集团所认同。

Treating the political route Germany took in the medieval times has been a＂Issue＂for long.The basic point of departure for interpreting it before has resided in its relations with the imperial politics,the territorial governments of dukes or princes and the monarchy power.Most of these explanations chiefly relied on the concept of single national state,the criterion that undertook the evolutionary route that both Britain and France embraced,and that treated the German imperial politics and territorial governments of dukes and princes as the principal obstacles to the‘normal＇development of the German country.In reality,Germany then was one comprised of a number of＂states＂.It is an empire,a kingdom,and also a loose union made up of territorial governments of dukes and princes,which is in a structure of multivariant power displayed from the multivariant states form.It has conflicts,but also harmony.The imperial politics has brought to German kingship not only loss and disaster,but also honour and benefit.As a political community,the kingship was still alive after 10 th century of existence,however weak it had been,including the time after the 13 th century when it was still acknowledged as a ruling bloc.