The term Kaiserpfalz or Königspfalz (Imperial Palace, literally "Emperor's palace") refers to a number of castles across the Holy Roman Empire which served as temporary, secondary seats of power for the Holy Roman Emperor in the Early and High Middle Ages. It is a German word that is a combination of Kaiser, meaning "emperor", which is derived from "caesar"; and Pfalz, meaning "palace", and itself derived from the Latin palatium, meaning the same (see palace). Unlike the common conception of "palace", a pfalz is not a permanent residence but a place where the emperor stays for a certain time, usually less than a year. Moreover, they were not always grand palaces in the accepted sense, some were small castles or fortified hunting lodges, such as Bodfeld in the Harz. Also, before the end of the Middle Ages, the emperor had to be officially anointed as Roman Emperor by the pope, but could use the pfalzen in his function as the German king. Examples of remaining Imperial palaces can be found in the cities of Goslar or Düsseldorf-Kaiserswerth.
The palaces were installed to sustain the emperor and his guests and cortege. Each was administered by a count palatine, who executed jurisdiction in the emperor's stead.
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