Beginning in the 10th century, the German king was elected by the dukes, the leaders of the duchies that made up the realm. These duchies were semi-sovereign and often acted independently, though theoretically they were under the command of the king/Emperor.
After Friedrich III all of the kings of Germany and the Holy Roman Emperors were from the Habsburg family, with the exception of one. The Habsburgs personally possessed extensive territories in Austria, and later in Bohemia, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. By this time the Emperors were no longer crowned by the popes. The last Holy Roman Emperor was removed by Napoleon in 1806.
Name | Years | |
---|---|---|
Karl I the Great | 800-814 | |
Ludwig I the Pious | 813-840 | |
Lothar I | 817-855 | |
Ludwig II the Younger | 844-875 | |
Karl II the Bald | 875-877 | |
Karl III the Fat | 876-887 | |
Arnulf of Carinthia | 887-899 | |
Ludwig III the Child | 900-911 | |
Konrad I of Franconia | 911-918 | |
Heinrich I the Fowler | 919-936 | |
Otto I the Great | 936-973 | |
Otto II the Red | 961-983 | |
Otto III | 983-1002 | |
Heinrich II | 1002-1024 | |
Konrad II | 1024-1039 | |
Heinrich III | 1028-1056 | |
Heinrich IV | 1054-1105 | |
Heinrich V | 1099-1125 | |
Lothar III of Saxony | 1125-1137 | |
Konrad III | 1138-1152 | |
Friedrich I Barbarossa | 1152-1190 | |
Heinrich VI | 1169-1197 | |
Philipp of Swabia | 1198-1208 | |
Otto IV | 1198-1215 | |
Friedrich II | 1212-1250 | |
Konrad IV | 1237-1254 | |
William of Holland | 1247-1256 | |
Richard of Cornwall | 1257-1272 | |
Alfonso of Castile | 1257-1273 | |
Rudolf I | 1273-1291 | |
Adolf of Nassau | 1292-1298 | |
Albrecht I | 1298-1308 | |
Heinrich VII | 1308-1313 | |
Ludwig IV | 1314-1347 | |
Karl IV | 1346-1378 | |
Wenzel | 1376-1400 | |
Ruprecht | 1400-1410 | |
Sigismund | 1410-1437 | |
Albrecht II the Magnanimous | 1438-1439 | |
Friedrich III | 1440-1493 | |
Maximilian I | 1486-1519 | |
Karl V | 1519-1556 | |
Ferdinand I | 1531-1564 | |
Maximilian II | 1562-1576 | |
Rudolf II | 1575-1612 | |
Matthias | 1612-1619 | |
Ferdinand II | 1619-1637 | |
Ferdinand III | 1636-1657 | |
Leopold I | 1658-1705 | |
Joseph I | 1690-1711 | |
Karl VI | 1711-1740 | |
Karl VII Albrecht | 1742-1745 | |
Franz I | 1745-1765 | |
Joseph II | 1764-1790 | |
Leopold II | 1790-1792 | |
Franz II | 1792-1806 |