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Communalism is a term used by the German historian Blickle for a form of representative government in Europe before 1800. Especially in Germany of the Holy Roman Empire was a widespread communal institutionalization. Several small states decided to cooperate with each other in order to jointly develop their countries without having a dominant ruler or state. Trade routes were secured. There was some form of legislature, military cooperation. This all was done voluntarily without much military force. Most well-known forms of communal governments are the city leagues, like the Hanseatic League. But there were also communal cooperations between cities, principalities, Knights, prince-bishoprics and farmer republics. Examples of communal government are Switzerland, Friesland, the German kreis. Communal government had lots of internal problems and external threats of major powers. The various legal solutions for these problems were used by rulers and political thinkers in their thoughts about constitutions.