FINAL RECESS OF THE REICHSDEPUTATION
FEBRUARY 25, 1803

The original German name of this act is the Hauptschluß
der ausserordentlichen Reichsdeputation or a bit shorter, the Reichsdeputationshauptschluß.

In English, it is also called the Principal Decree of the Imperial Deputation.

The Final Recess of the Reichsdeputation was one of the last laws the Holy Roman Empire came up with. The Empire collapsed in 1806.

What was the background of the Final Recess of the Reichsdeputation?
With the Treaty of Luneville in 1801, French Napoleon had the Holy Roman Empire sign over all German territories left of the Rhine River.

These territories belonged to various German princes, who, according to another paragraph in the Treaty of Luneville, should be compensated.

Holy Roman Emperor Francis II was obliged to realize this compensation and his administration composed the Final Recess of the Reichsdeputation.

What did the Final Recess of the Reichsdeputation stipulate?
The Final Recess of the Reichsdeputation arranged for said compensation by means of

a) Secularization

and

b) Mediatization

Secularization meant that possessions formerly owned by the Church were now given to above listed German princes in need.

Mediatization meant that smaller German states were annexed by larger German states.

In other words, an incredible amount of money, stuff, citizens, and territory changed hands.

And illustrated on a map, the entire thing looked like this

1803 Central Europe