 Berne initially did not participate in the administration of some of the eastern condominiums, as it had no part in their conquest and its interests were focused more on the western border.In 1712, Berne replaced the Catholic cantons in the administration of the "Freie Ämter" ("Free Districts"), the Thurgau, the Rhine valley, and Sargans, and furthermore the Catholic cantons were excluded from the administration of the County of Baden.The "German bailiwicks" () were generally governed by the "Acht Orte" apart from Berne until 1712, when Bern joined the sovereign powers