The document is thus not a forgery tied to the emergence of the modern federal state in 1848. It should rather be seen in the context of chapter 15 of the Golden Bull of 1356, where Charles IV outlawed any "conjurationes, confederationes," and "conspirationes", meaning in particular the city alliances ("Städtebünde"), but also other communal leagues that had sprung up through the communal movement in medieval Europe. It was then very common to produce documents only when needed. At the time, agreements were most often verbal, and any documentation drawn up later might have its contents or dates changed to suit current purposes.