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The Holy Roman Emperor (or "Roman-German Kaiser
Kaiser

Kaiser is the German language title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". It is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' Caesar , which in turn is derived from the name of Julius Caesar....
") was the elected monarch ruling over the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
, a Central European state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
 in existence during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
 and the Early Modern period. The Holy Roman Empire's origins can be traced back to the Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire

Carolingian Empire is a historiography term sometimes used to refer to the Francia under the Carolingian dynasty. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany....
 of Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
. Holy Roman Emperors were crowned by the Pope
Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
s up until the 16th century, and the last Emperor, Francis II
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor

Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Holy Roman Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon I of France at the Battle of Austerlitz....
, abdicated in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars that saw the Empire's final dissolution.

The Roman of the Emperor's title was a reflection of the translatio imperii
Translatio imperii

Translatio imperii, Latin language for "transfer of rule", is a concept invented in the Middle Ages for describing history as a linear development: a succession of transfers of power from one supreme ruler to the next....
 (transfer of rule) principle that regarded the (Germanic) Holy Roman Emperors as the inheritors of the title of Emperor of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire

The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire....
, a title left unclaimed in the West after the death of Julius Nepos
Julius Nepos

Flavius Julius Nepos was a Roman Emperor of the West during the Roman Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Some historians consider him to be the last De jure Western Emperor, others consider the western line to have ended with Romulus Augustus in 476....
 in 480.

the time of Otto the Great
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor

Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duchy of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan....
 onward, much of the former Carolingian
Carolingian

File:Charlemagne denier Mayence 812 814.jpgThe Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century....
 kingdom of Eastern Francia
Eastern Francia

East Francia , known variously as Francia Orientalis or the Kingdom of the East Franks, was the realm allotted to Louis the German by the 843 Treaty of Verdun....
 became the Holy Roman Empire.






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Timeline

824   The Constitutio Romana establishes the authority of the Holy Roman Emperors over the pope ''

973   Otto II becomes Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany

996   Pope John XV dies before being able to coronate Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. Otto resides in Pavia while waiting for the election of the next Pope.

996   Sixteen year old Otto III is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by his cousin Pope Gregory V.

1014   The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Symbol of the Faith is used for the first time during the Roman Mass after Henry II, the newly crowned Holy Roman Emperor, asked the Pope to add it together with the filioque clause. Prior to this date, the Creed was not used at all during the liturgy.

1027   Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II Holy Roman Emperor.

1046   Henry III crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II.

1084   Rome is besieged by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, and is then sacked by the Normans of Robert Guiscard, who intended to restore papal authority over the city.

1111   Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Paschal II

1127   Conrad III establishes the Hohenstaufen dynasty when he is crowned antiking to the Holy Roman Emperor, Lothair II.







Encyclopedia


The Holy Roman Emperor (or "Roman-German Kaiser
Kaiser

Kaiser is the German language title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". It is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' Caesar , which in turn is derived from the name of Julius Caesar....
") was the elected monarch ruling over the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
, a Central European state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
 in existence during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
 and the Early Modern period. The Holy Roman Empire's origins can be traced back to the Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire

Carolingian Empire is a historiography term sometimes used to refer to the Francia under the Carolingian dynasty. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany....
 of Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
. Holy Roman Emperors were crowned by the Pope
Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
s up until the 16th century, and the last Emperor, Francis II
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor

Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Holy Roman Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon I of France at the Battle of Austerlitz....
, abdicated in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars that saw the Empire's final dissolution.

The Roman of the Emperor's title was a reflection of the translatio imperii
Translatio imperii

Translatio imperii, Latin language for "transfer of rule", is a concept invented in the Middle Ages for describing history as a linear development: a succession of transfers of power from one supreme ruler to the next....
 (transfer of rule) principle that regarded the (Germanic) Holy Roman Emperors as the inheritors of the title of Emperor of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire

The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire....
, a title left unclaimed in the West after the death of Julius Nepos
Julius Nepos

Flavius Julius Nepos was a Roman Emperor of the West during the Roman Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Some historians consider him to be the last De jure Western Emperor, others consider the western line to have ended with Romulus Augustus in 476....
 in 480.

Establishment of the Holy Roman Empire

From the time of Otto the Great
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor

Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duchy of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan....
 onward, much of the former Carolingian
Carolingian

File:Charlemagne denier Mayence 812 814.jpgThe Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century....
 kingdom of Eastern Francia
Eastern Francia

East Francia , known variously as Francia Orientalis or the Kingdom of the East Franks, was the realm allotted to Louis the German by the 843 Treaty of Verdun....
 became the Holy Roman Empire. The various German princes elected one of their peers as King of the Germans
Kingdom of Germany

The Kingdom of Germany grew out of East Francia in the tenth century.The eastern partition of the Treaty of Verdun of 843 was never entirely Frankish and consisted also of large populations of Saxons, Bavarii, Thuringii, Alemanni and Frisii....
, after which he would be crowned as emperor by the Pope
Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
. The last emperor to be crowned by the pope was Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
; all emperors after him were technically emperors-elect, but were universally referred to as Emperor.

Conflict with the Papacy

The title of Emperor (Imperator
Imperator

The Latin word Imperator was a title originally roughly equivalent to commander during the period of the Roman Republic. It later went on to become a part of the titulature of the Roman Emperors as part of their cognomen....
) carried with it an important role as protector of the Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
, and women were ineligible to be crowned. As the papacy's power grew during the Middle Ages, Popes and emperors came into conflict over church administration. The most well-known and bitter conflict was that known as the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy

The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was an 11th century dispute between Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and Pope Gregory VII over who would control appointments of church officials ....
 fought during the 11th century between Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry IV was King of Germany from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century....
 and Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII

Pope Saint Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Soana , was papacy from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal authority and the new canon law governing...
.

Succession

Successions to the kingship were controlled by a variety of complicated factors. Elections meant the kingship of Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 was only partially hereditary, unlike the kingship of France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, although sovereignty frequently remained in a dynasty until there were no more male successors. Some scholars suggest that the task of the elections was really to solve conflicts only when the dynastic rule was unclear, yet, the process meant that the prime candidate had to make concessions, by which the voters were kept on side, which were known as Wahlkapitulationen (election capitulations). The Electoral council
Prince-elector

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
 was set at seven princes (three archbishops and four secular princes) by the Golden Bull of 1356
Golden Bull of 1356

The Golden Bull of 1356 was a decree issued by a Reichstag in Nuremberg headed by Emperor Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor that fixed, for a period of more than four hundred years, important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire....
. It remained so until 1648, when the settlement of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. The war was fought primarily in Germany and at various points involved most of the countries of Europe....
 required the addition of a new elector to maintain the precarious balance between Protestant and Catholic factions in the Empire. Another elector was added in 1690, and the whole college was reshuffled in 1803, a mere three years before the dissolution of the Empire.

After 1438, the Kings remained in the house of Habsburg
Habsburg

The House of Habsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known as supplying all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of Spanish Empire and the Austrian Empire....
 and Habsburg-Lorraine, with the brief exception of one Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach

The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a Germany dynasty from Bavaria. Their major principal roles were as List of rulers of Bavaria , Electoral Palatinate , List of rulers of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, County of Hainaut and Zeeland , List of bishops and archbishops of Cologne , Duchy of J?lich and Berg , Kings of Sweden...
, Charles VII
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor

Emperor Charles VII Albert , a member of the Wittelsbach family, was Prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from January 24, 1742 until his death in 1745....
. In 1508, and permanently after 1556, the King no longer traveled to Rome for the crowning by the Pope.

List of Emperors

This list includes all emperors, whether or not they styled themselves Holy Roman Emperor, from Otto the Great
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor

Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duchy of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan....
 on. There are some gaps in the tally. For example, Henry the Fowler was King of Germany but not Emperor; Emperor Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor

Saint Henry II , called the Holy or the Saint, was the fifth and last Holy Roman Empire of the Ottonian dynasty from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later....
 was numbered as his successor as German King. The Guideschi follow the numeration for the Duchy of Spoleto
Duchy of Spoleto

The independent Duchy of Spoleto was a Lombards territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard dux Faroald I of Spoleto....
.

Ottonian (Saxon) Dynasty

  • Otto I the Great
    Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor

    Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duchy of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan....
    , 962–973
  • Otto II
    Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Otto II , called the Red, was the third ruler of the Saxony or Ottonian dynasty, the son of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor and Adelaide of Italy....
    , 973–983
  • Otto III
    Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor

    Otto III was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected king of Germany in 983 on the death of his father Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor....
    , 996–1002
  • Henry II the Saint
    Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Saint Henry II , called the Holy or the Saint, was the fifth and last Holy Roman Empire of the Ottonian dynasty from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later....
    , 1014–1024 (enumerated as successor of Henry I who was German King 919–936 but not Emperor.)


Salian (Frankish) Dynasty


  • Conrad II
    Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Conrad II was the son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, who inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms, Germany as an infant when Henry died at age twenty....
    , 1027–1039 (enumerated as successor of Conrad I
    Conrad I of Germany

    Conrad I , called the Younger, was duke of Franconia from 906 and king of Germany from 911 to 918, the only king of the Conradine dynasty....
     who was German King 911–918 but not Emperor)
  • Henry III
    Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor

    Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Empire. He was the eldest son of Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor and Gisela of Swabia and his father made him duke of Bavaria in 1026, after the death of Henry V, Duke of Bavaria....
    , 1046–1056
  • Henry IV
    Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor

    Henry IV was King of Germany from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century....
    , 1084–1105
  • Henry V
    Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor

    Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Empire , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor....
    , 1111–1125


Supplinburger dynasty

  • Lothair III
    Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor

    Lothair III of Supplinburg , was rulers of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. He was the son of Count Gebhard of Supplingburg....
    , 1133–1137 (enumerated as successor of Lothair II
    Lothair II of Lotharingia

    Lothair II , was the second son of Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours. He was married to Teutberga, daughter of Boso the ElderUpon his father's death in 855, he received as his kingdom a territory west of the Rhine stretching from the North Sea to the Jura mountains....
    , who was King of Lotharingia 855–869 but not Emperor)


Staufen (or Hohenstaufen) dynasty

  • Frederick I Barbarossa
    Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor

    Frederick I Barbarossa was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt am Main on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1154, and finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155....
    , 1155–1190
  • Henry VI
    Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor

    Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197....
    , 1191–1197


House of Welf

  • Otto IV of Brunswick
    Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor

    Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he was deposed in 1215....
    , 1209–1215 (d.1218)


Staufen (or Hohenstaufen) dynasty

  • Frederick II
    Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Frederick II , of the House of Hohenstaufen dynasty, was an Kingdom of Italy pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215....
    , 1211–1250


House of Luxembourg

  • Henry VII
    Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

    Henry VII was the King of Germany from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg. During his brief career he reinvigorated the imperial cause in Kingdom of Italy and inspired the praise of Dino Compagni and Dante Alighieri....
    , 1312–1313


House of Wittelsbach

  • Louis IV the Bavarian
    Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor

    Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the Duke of Bavaria from 1294/1301 together with his brother Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria, Electoral Palatinate until 1329, King of Germany from 1314, and Holy Roman Empire from 1328....
    , 1328–1347


House of Luxembourg

  • Charles IV
    Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor

    Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the eleventh king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and Holy Roman Emperor.He was the eldest son and heir of John of Bohemia, who died on 26 August 1346, thus Charles inherited the Count of Luxembourg and the King of Bohemia....
    , 1355–1378
  • Sigismund
    Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor

    Sigismund was Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, and the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also one of the longest ruling King of Hungary, reigning for fifty years from 1387 to 1437....
    , 1433–1437


House of Habsburg

  • Frederick III
    Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor

    Frederick III of Habsburg was elected as King of the Romans as the successor of Albert II, Holy Roman Emperor in 1440.Born in Innsbruck, he was the son of Duke Ernest of Austria from the Leopoldinian line of the Habsburg family ruling Inner Austria, i.e....
    , 1452–1493
  • Maximilian I
    Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor

    Maximilian I of Habsburg was Holy Roman Empire from 1508 until his death, but had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his reign, from circa 1483....
    , 1508–1519 (emperor-elect)
  • Charles V
    Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

    Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
    , 1530–1556 (emperor-elect 1519–1530)
  • Ferdinand I
    Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor

    Ferdinand I was a Central European monarch from the Habsburg. He was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558, King of Bohemia and King of Hungary and Croatia from 1526....
    , 1558-1564 (emperor-elect)
  • Maximilian II
    Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Maximilian II was king of Bohemia from 1562, king of Hungary from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1564 and king of the Romans until his death....
    , 1564–1576 (emperor-elect)
  • Rudolf II, 1576–1612 (emperor-elect; enumerated as successor of Rudolf I who was German King 1273–1291 but not Emperor)
  • Matthias
    Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor

    Matthias of the House of Habsburg, Holy Roman Emperor , King of Kingdom of Hungary , King of Bohemia .Matthias was born in the Archduchy of Austrian capital of Vienna to Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria of Spain....
    , 1612–1619 (emperor-elect)
  • Ferdinand II
    Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Ferdinand II , of the House of Habsburg, Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , King of Hungary ....
    , 1619–1637 (emperor-elect)
  • Ferdinand III
    Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor

    Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor February 15, 1637 – 1657. King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, King of the Romans....
    , 1637–1657 (emperor-elect)
  • Leopold I
    Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

    Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor Habsburg , Holy Roman emperor, King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, was the second son of the emperor Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor and his first wife Maria Anna of Spain....
    , 1658–1705 (emperor-elect)
  • Joseph I
    Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor

    Joseph I , Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Romans was the elder son of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and his third wife, Eleonore-Magdalena of Pfalz-Neuburg, who was the daughter of Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine....
    , 1705–1711 (emperor-elect)
  • Charles VI
    Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor

    Charles VI was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary from 1711 to 1740, Archduke of Austria. From 1703 to 1711 he was an active claimant to the List of Spanish monarchs as Charles III....
    , 1711–1740 (emperor-elect)


House of Wittelsbach

  • Charles VII Albert, 1742–1745 (emperor-elect)


House of Habsburg-Lorraine

  • Francis I
    Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor

    Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa of Austria, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty....
    , 1745–1765 (emperor-elect)
  • Joseph II
    Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg Monarchy from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and her husband, Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor....
    , 1765–1790 (emperor-elect)
  • Leopold II
    Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor

    Leopold II , born Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1790 to 1792, King of Hungary, archduke of Austria, and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790....
    , 1790–1792 (emperor-elect)
  • Francis II, 1792–1806 (emperor-elect)


Coronation

The Emperor was crowned in a special ceremony, traditionally performed by the Pope
Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
 in Rome
Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with 2,724,347 residents in an urban area of some ....
, using the Imperial Regalia
Imperial Regalia

The Imperial Regalia, insignia, or crown jewels are the regalia of the Emperors and Monarchs of the Holy Roman Empire. The most important parts are the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, the Holy_Lance#Vienna_lance_ and the Imperial Sword....
. Without that coronation, no king, despite exercising all powers, could call himself Emperor. In 1508, Pope Julius II allowed Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor

Maximilian I of Habsburg was Holy Roman Empire from 1508 until his death, but had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his reign, from circa 1483....
 to use the title of Emperor without coronation in Rome, though the title was qualified as Electus Romanorum Imperator ("elected Emperor of the Romans"). Maximilian's successors adopted the same titulature, usually when they became the sole ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Maximilian's first successor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
 was the last to be crowned Emperor.

Emperor Coronation date Officiant Location
Charles I
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
 25 December 800 Pope Leo III
Pope Leo III

Pope Saint Leo III was Pope from 795 to 816. Protected by Charlemagne from his enemies in Rome, he subsequently strengthened Charlemagne's position by crowning him as Roman Emperor....
 Rome
Louis I
Louis the Pious

Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Franks with his father, Charlemagne, from 813....
 816 Pope Stephen V
Pope Stephen V

Pope Stephen V, , succeeded Pope Adrian III, and was in turn succeeded by Pope Formosus. In his dealings with Constantinople in the matter of Photios I of Constantinople, as also in his relations with the young Slavonic church, he pursued the policy of Pope Nicholas I....
 Reims
Lothair I
Lothair I

Lothair I , king of Italy and crowned Carolingian Empire King of Italy, Emperor of the Romans and was Empire of the Franks .Lothair was the eldest son of the Carolingian emperor Louis the Pious and his wife Ermengarde of Hesbaye, daughter of Ingerman of Hesbaye, duke of Hesbaye....
 5 April 823 Pope Paschal I
Pope Paschal I

Pope Paschal I was pope from January 25, 817 to February 11, 824. A native of Rome and son of Bonosus, he was raised to the pontificate by the acclamation of the clergy, shortly after the death of Pope Stephen IV, and before the sanction of the emperor Louis the Pious had been obtained - a circumstance for which it was one of his first cares...
 Rome
Louis II
Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor

Louis II the Younger was the King of Italy from 844 and then Holy Roman Emperor from 855 until his death.He was the eldest son of the Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours....
 850 Pope Leo IV
Pope Leo IV

Pope Saint Leo IV was pope from April 10, 847 to July 17, 855.A Rome by birth, he was unanimously chosen to succeed Pope Sergius II. When he was elected, on April 10, 847, he was cardinal of Santi Quattro Coronati, and had been subdeacon of Pope Gregory IV and archpriest under his predecessor....
 Rome
Charles II
Charles the Bald

File:Charles le Chauve denier Bourges after 848.jpgCharles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith, daughter of Welf....
 29 December 875Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII

John VIII was pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century and the last bright spot on the papacy until Pope Leo IX two centuries later....
 Rome
Charles III
Charles the Fat

Charles the Fat was the Duke of Swabia from 876, King of Italy from 879, Carolingian Empire from 881, King of Germany from 882, and King of France from 884....
 12 February 881 
Guy III of Spoleto
Guy III of Spoleto

Guy of Spoleto , sometimes known by the Italian version of his name, Guido, or by the German version, Wido, was the Margrave of Camerino from 880 and then List of Dukes of Spoleto from 883....
 May 891 Pope Stephen V
Pope Stephen V

Pope Stephen V, , succeeded Pope Adrian III, and was in turn succeeded by Pope Formosus. In his dealings with Constantinople in the matter of Photios I of Constantinople, as also in his relations with the young Slavonic church, he pursued the policy of Pope Nicholas I....
 
Lambert II of Spoleto
Lambert II of Spoleto

Lambert II was the King of Italy from 891, Holy Roman Emperor, co-ruling with his father from 892, and Duke of Spoleto from his father's death in 894....
 30 April 892Pope Formosus
Pope Formosus

Formosus was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 891 to 896. His brief reign as Pope was troubled, and his remains were exhumed and put on trial in the notorious Cadaver Synod....
 Ravenna
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia

Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of Germany from 887 and Holy Roman Emperor from 896 until his death. He was the illegitimate son of Carloman, King of Bavaria, and his concubine, Liutswind, of Carantanians origin, daughter of one Count Ernst....
 22 February 896 Rome
Louis III
Louis the Blind

Louis the Blind was the king of Provence from 887, king of Italy from 900, and briefly Holy Roman Emperor, as Louis III, between 901 and 905....
 901 Pope Benedict IV
Pope Benedict IV

Benedict IV was Pope from 900 to 903. He was the son of Mammalus, a native of Rome. The tenth-century historian Frodoard, who nicknamed him the Great, commended his noble birth and public generosity....
 Rome
Berengar
Berengar I of Italy

Berengar of Friuli was the Margrave of Friuli from 874 until no earlier than 890 and no later than 896, King of Italy from 887 until his death, and Holy Roman Emperor from 915 until his death....
 December 915 Pope John X
Pope John X

John X, Pope from March, 914 to May, 928, was deacon at Bologna when he attracted the attention of Theodora , the wife of Theophylact, Count of Tusculum, the most powerful noble in Rome, through whose influence he was elevated first to the see of Bologna and then to the archbishopric of Ravenna....
 Rome
Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor

Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duchy of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan....
 2 February, 962 Pope John XII
Pope John XII

John XII, born Octavianus , was Pope from December 16, 955 to May 14, 964. The son of Alberic II, patricianship of Rome , and his stepsister Alda of Vienne, he was a seventh generation descendant of Charlemagne on his mother's side....
 
Otto II
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor

Otto II , called the Red, was the third ruler of the Saxony or Ottonian dynasty, the son of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor and Adelaide of Italy....
 25 December, 967 Pope John XIII
Pope John XIII

John XIII of Crescenzi family served as Pope from October 1, 965 until his death.Born in Rome, he spent his career in the papal court. He was elected Pope John XIII five months after the death of Pope Leo VIII , as a compromise candidate, with the agreement of Emperor Otto I ....
 
Otto III
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor

Otto III was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected king of Germany in 983 on the death of his father Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor....
 21 May, 996 Pope Gregory V
Pope Gregory V

Gregory V, n? Bruno von K?rnthen , Pope from May 3, 996 to February 18, 999, son of the Salian Otto I, Duke of Carinthia, who was a grandson of the Emperor Otto I the Great ....
 
Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor

Saint Henry II , called the Holy or the Saint, was the fifth and last Holy Roman Empire of the Ottonian dynasty from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later....
 14 February, 1014 Pope Benedict VIII
Pope Benedict VIII

Benedict VIII , born Theophylactus, Pope from 1012 to 1024, of the noble family of the counts of Tusculum , descended from Theophylact, Count of Tusculum like his predecessor Pope Benedict VI ....
 
Conrad II
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor

Conrad II was the son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, who inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms, Germany as an infant when Henry died at age twenty....
 26 March, 1027 Pope John XIX
Pope John XIX

John XIX , born Romanus, was Pope from 1024 to 1032.He succeeded his brother, Pope Benedict VIII , both being members of the powerful house of counts of Tusculum....
 
Henry III
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Empire. He was the eldest son of Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor and Gisela of Swabia and his father made him duke of Bavaria in 1026, after the death of Henry V, Duke of Bavaria....
 25 December, 1046 Pope Clement II
Pope Clement II

Clement II, born Suidger of Morsleben and Hornburg , was Pope from December 25, 1046 to his death. He was the first in a series of reform-minded Popes from Germany....
 
Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry IV was King of Germany from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century....
 31 March, 1084 Antipope Clement III
Antipope Clement III

Guibert or Wibert of Ravenna was a cleric made Antipope in 1080 due to perceived abuses of Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy, a title that lasted unto his death....
 
Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Empire , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor....
 13 April, 1111 Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II

Paschal II, born Ranierius, was Pope from August 13, 1099, until his death. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was created cardinal priest of the Titulus Basilica di San Clemente by Pope Gregory VII about 1076, and was consecrated pope in succession to Pope Urban II on August 19, 1099....
 
Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Empire , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor....
 23 March, 1117 Antipope Gregory VIII
Antipope Gregory VIII

Gregory VIII was antipope from March 10, 1118 to April 22, 1121....
 
Lothair III
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor

Lothair III of Supplinburg , was rulers of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. He was the son of Count Gebhard of Supplingburg....
 4 June, 1133 Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II

Pope Innocent II , born Gregorio Papareschi, was pope from 1130 to 1143, and was probably one of the clergy in personal attendance on the antipope Antipope Clement III ....
 Basilica of St. John Lateran
Basilica of St. John Lateran

The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope....
Frederick I
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick I Barbarossa was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt am Main on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1154, and finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155....
 18 June, 1155 Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian IV

Pope Adrian IV , born Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare, was Pope from 1154 to 1159.Adrian IV is the only England who has occupied the papal chair....
 
Henry VI
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197....
 14 April, 1191 Pope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III

Pope Celestine III , born Giacinto Bobone, was elected Pope on March 30, 1191, and reigned until his death. He was born into the noble Orsini family, though he was only a deacon before becoming Pope....
 
Otto IV
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he was deposed in 1215....
 4 October, 1209 Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III

Pope Innocent III was born in either 1160 or 1161, and died on July 16, 1216 at Perugia. He was born with the name Lotario de Conti, and he was pope from January 8, 1198 until his death....
 
Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick II , of the House of Hohenstaufen dynasty, was an Kingdom of Italy pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215....
 22 November 1220 Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III

Pope Honorius III , born Cencio, was Pope from 1216 to 1227....
 
Henry VII
Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry VII was the King of Germany from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg. During his brief career he reinvigorated the imperial cause in Kingdom of Italy and inspired the praise of Dino Compagni and Dante Alighieri....
 29 June 1312 Cardinals 
Louis IV
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the Duke of Bavaria from 1294/1301 together with his brother Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria, Electoral Palatinate until 1329, King of Germany from 1314, and Holy Roman Empire from 1328....
 17 January 1328 Sciarra Colonna
Sciarra Colonna

Sciarra Colonna , byname of Giacomo Colonna , was a member of the powerful Colonna family, and a strong enemy of Pope Boniface VIII. During the Outrage of Anagni, in September 1303, Sciarra reportedly slapped the pope in the face....
 
Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the eleventh king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and Holy Roman Emperor.He was the eldest son and heir of John of Bohemia, who died on 26 August 1346, thus Charles inherited the Count of Luxembourg and the King of Bohemia....
 5 April, 1355 Cardinal 
Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor

Sigismund was Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, and the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also one of the longest ruling King of Hungary, reigning for fifty years from 1387 to 1437....
 31 May, 1433 Pope Eugenius IV 
Frederick III
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick III of Habsburg was elected as King of the Romans as the successor of Albert II, Holy Roman Emperor in 1440.Born in Innsbruck, he was the son of Duke Ernest of Austria from the Leopoldinian line of the Habsburg family ruling Inner Austria, i.e....
 19 March, 1452 Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V

Pope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455....
 
Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
 February 1530 Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII

Pope Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a Cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534....
 Bologna
Bologna

Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Po Valley , between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, exactly between the Reno River and the S?vena River....
, Italy


See also

  • Holy Roman Emperors family tree
  • King of the Romans
    King of the Romans

    King of the Romans was the title used by the Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, the Imperator futurus prior to his imperial coronation performed by the Pope, ....
  • List of German monarchs
    List of German monarchs

    This article lists the German monarchs, ruling over the territory of Germany from the creation of a separate East Francia in 843 until the end of German monarchy in 1918....
  • Holy Roman Empress
  • Emperor
    Emperor

    An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress is the female equivalent. As a title, "empress" may indicate the wife of an emperor or a woman who rules in her own right ....
     for other uses of the title "Emperor" in western Europe.
  • Concordat of Worms
    Concordat of Worms

    The Concordat of Worms, sometimes called the Pactum Calixtinum by papal historians, was an agreement between Pope Calixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor on September 23 1122 near the city of Worms, Germany....
  • First Council of the Lateran
    First Council of the Lateran

    The Council of 1123 is reckoned in the series of Ecumenical councils by the Catholic Church. It was convoked by Pope Callixtus II in December, 1122, immediately after the Concordat of Worms....