 The term has survived as a placename in German-speaking countries, for example, in Germany and in Switzerland.According to the early Saxon legal document, the "Sachsenspiegel" which dates to around 1230, the "Graf" or count is a special judge ("Sonderrichter") who, in the name of the king may preside at a juridical court, in certain cases, under the king's ban, i.e.king's authority.