An Afterlehen or Afterlehn "(plural: Afterlehne, Afterlehen)" is a fief that the liege lord has himself been given as a fief and which he has then, in turn, enfeoffed wholly or partially to a lesser vassal or vassals. The term is German. It is variously referred to in English as a mesne-fief or mesne-tenure, an arriere-fief or subfief, under-tenure or mesnalty.
Within the Holy Roman Empire, these mesne fiefs became inheritable over time and could have up to five "stations" between the actual holder of the fief and the overarching liege lord.
An example of an "Afterlehen" is Rothenberg Castle in Bavaria, Germany.
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