List of German monarchs
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This article lists the monarchs ruling or presiding over the territory comprising modern Germany, for some time including also Austria, Switzerland, the Low Countries and parts of France, from the beginning as a separate Kingdom (843) until the end of monarchic rule in Germany (1918).
This section covers the Eastern Frankish Kingdom, mostly inhabited by German people. It was later called German kingdom and was the chief component of the Holy Roman Empire. The kingdom occupied modern Germany, but also Austria, Switzerland, and the Low Countries and parts of western France.
| Name | House | King | Emperor | Ended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louis the German | Carolingian | 11 August 843 | — | 23 August 876 | Son of Emperor Louis the Pious |
| Louis the Younger | Carolingian | 28 August 876 | — | 20 January 882 | Son of Louis the German; ruled in East Francia, Saxony, from 880 also Bavaria |
| Carloman | Carolingian | 28 August 876 | — | 22 March 880 | Son of Louis the German; ruled in Bavaria; from 877 also King of Italy |
| Charles the Fat | Carolingian | 28 August 876 | 12 February 881 | 11 November 887 | Son of Louis the German; ruled in Alemannia, Raetia, from 882 in the entire Eastern Kingdom |
| Arnulf of Carinthia | Carolingian | 30 November 887 | 25 April 896 | 8 December 899 | Son of Carloman |
| Louis the Child | Carolingian | 21 January 900 | — | 20 August 911 | Son of Arnulf of Carinthia |
| Conrad I | Conradine (Franconian) | 10 November 911 | — | 23 December 918 | |
| Henry I the Fowler | Liudolfing (Saxon) | 23 April 919 | — | 2 July 936 | |
| Arnulf the Bad | Luitpolding (Bavarian) | 919 | — | 921 | Rival king to Henry I |
| Otto I the Great | Liudolfing | 7 August 936 | 2 February 962 | 7 May 973 | Son of Henry I |
| Otto II the Red | Liudolfing | 26 May 961 | 25 December 967 | 7 December 983 | Son of Otto I; King of Germany under his father 961-973, also crowned Emperor in his father's lifetime |
| Otto III | Ottonian | 25 December 983 | 21 May 996 | 21 January 1002 | Son of Otto II |
| Henry II | Liudolfing | 7 June 1002 | 26 April 1014 | 13 July 1024 | Greaat grand-son of Henry I |
| Conrad II | Salian (Frankish) | 8 September 1024 | 26 March 1027 | 4 June 1039 | Great great grand-son of Otto I |
| Henry III | Salian | 14 April 1028 | 25 December 1046 | 5 October 1056 | Son of Conrad II; King of Germany under his father 1028-1039 |
| Henry IV | Salian | 17 July 1054 | 21 March 1084 | 31 December 1105 | Associate king under his father Henry III, 1054-1056 |
| Rudolf von Rheinfeld | Rheinfeld | 15 March 1077 | — | 15 October 1080 | Rival King to Henry IV |
| Hermann von Salm | Salm | 6 August 1081 | — | 28 September 1088 | Rival King to Henry IV |
| Conrad | Salian | 30 May 1087 | — | 27 July 1101 | Son of Henry IV; King of Germany under his father 1087-1098, King of Italy 1093-1098, since 1095 in rebellion. |
| Henry V | Salian | 6 January 1099 | 13 April 1111 | 23 May 1125 | Son of Henry IV; King of Germany under his father 1099-1105, forced his father to abdicate. |
| Lothair | Supplinburger | 30 August 1125 | 4 June 1133 | 4 December 1137 | |
| Conrad III | Hohenstaufen | 7 March 1138 | — | 15 February 1152 | Grand-sof Henry IV; Previously Rival King to Lothair III 1127-1135 |
| Frederick I Barbarossa | Hohenstaufen | 4 March 1152 | 18 June 1155 | 10 June 1190 | Nephew to Conrad III |
| Henry VI | Hohenstaufen | 15 August 1169 | 14 April 1191 | 28 September 1197 | Son of Frederick I; King of Germany under his father 1169-1190 |
| Frederick II | Hohenstaufen | 1197 | — | 1197 | Son of Henry VI; King of Germany under his father 1197 |
| Philip of Swabia | Hohenstaufen | 6 March 1198 | — | 21 August 1208 | Son of Frederick II; Rival king to Otto IV |
| Otto IV | Welf | 29 March 1198 | 4 October 1209 | 5 July 1215 | Rival king to Philip of Swabia; later opposed by Frederick II; deposed 1215; died 19 May 1218 |
| Frederick II | Hohenstaufen | 5 December 1212 | 22 November1220 | 26 December 1250 | Son of Henry VI; Rival king to Otto IV until 5 July 1215 |
| Henry (VII) | Hohenstaufen | 23 April 1220 | — | 15 August 1235 | Son of Frederick II; King of Germany under his father 1220-1235 |
| Conrad IV | Hohenstaufen | May 1237 | — | 1 May 1254 | Son of Frederick II; King of Germany under his father, 1237-1250 |
| Henry Raspe | Thuringia | 22 May 1246 | — | 16 February 1247 | Rival King to Frederick II |
| William of Holland | Holland | 3 October 1247 | — | 28 January 1256
| Rival King to Frederick II, 1247-1254 |
| Richard of Cornwall | Plantagenet | 13 January 1257 | — | 2 April 1272 | Rival king to Alfonso of Castile; visited Germany only twice and held no real authority. |
| Alfonso of Castile | Castilian | 1 April 1257 | — | 1275 | Rival king to Richard of Cornwall; never visited Germany and held no authority; later opposed by Rudolf I; relinquished claims 1275 |
| Rudolf I | Habsburg | 29 September 1273 | — | 15 July 1291 | |
| Adolf of Nassau | Nassau | 5 May 1292 | — | 23 June 1298 | |
| Albert I | Habsburg | 24 June 1298 | — | 1 May 1308 | Son of Rudolf I; Rival King to Adolf of Nassau, 1298 |
| Henry VII | Luxemburg | 27 November 1308 | 13 June 1311 | 24 August 1313 | |
| Louis IV | Wittelsbach | 20 October 1314 | 17 January 1328 | 11 October 1347 | Rival king to Frederick the Fair 1314-1322 |
| Frederick the Fair | Habsburg | 19 October 1314/ 5 September 1325 | — | 28 September 1322/ 13 January 1330 | Son of Albert I; Rival king to Louis IV 1314-1322; associate king with Louis IV 1325-1330 |
| Charles IV | Luxemburg | 11 July 1346 | 5 April 1355 | 29 November 1378 | Nephew to Henry VII; Rival king to Louis IV, 1346-1347 |
| Günther von Schwarzburg | Schwarzburg | 30 January 1349 | — | 24 May 1349 | Rival King to Charles IV |
| Wenceslaus | Luxemburg | 10 June 1376 | — | 20 August 1400 | Son of Charles IV; King of Germany under his father 1376-1378; deposed 1400; died 1419 |
| Rupert of Palatinate | Wittelsbach | 21 August 1400 | — | 18 May 1410 | |
| Sigismund | Luxemburg | 1410 | 3 May 1433 | 9 December 1437 | Son of Charles IV |
| Jobst of Moravia | Luxemburg | 1 October 1410 | — | 8 January 1411 | Nephew of Charles IV; Rival King to Sigismund |
| Albert II | Habsburg | 18 March 1438 | — | 27 October 1439 | |
| Frederick III | Habsburg | 2 February 1440 | 16 March 1452 | 19 August 1493 | |
| Maximilian I | Habsburg | 16 February 1486 | 4 February 1508 | 12 January 1519 | Son of Frederick III; King of Germany under his father 1486-1493; adopted the title Emperor-elect in 1508 with the Pope's approval |
| Charles V | Habsburg | 17 June 1519 | 24 February 1530 | 21 September 1556 | Grand-son of Maximilian I; Crowned as Emperor by the Pope (the last to be crowned by the Pope - all futures Emperors were merely Emperors-elect); abdicated 1556; died 21 September 1558; |
| Ferdinand I | Habsburg | 5 January 1531 | 21 September 1556 Emperor-elect | 25 July 1564 | Grand-son of Maximilian I; King of Germany under his brother Charles V 1531-1556 |
| Maximilian II | Habsburg | 22 November 1562 | 25 July 1564 Emperor-elect | 12 October 1576 | Son of Ferdinand I; King of Germany under his father 1562-1564 |
| Rudolf II | Habsburg | 27 October 1575 | 2 November 1576 Emperor-elect | 20 January 1612 | Son of Maximilian II; King of Germany under his father, 1575-1576 |
| Matthias | Habsburg | 13 June 1612 | 13 June 1612 Emperor-elect | 20 March 1619 | Son of Maximilian II |
| Ferdinand II | Habsburg | 28 August 1619 | 28 August 1619 Emperor-elect | 15 February 1637 | Grand-son of Maximilian II; |
| Ferdinand III | Habsburg | 22 December 1636 | 15 February 1637 Emperor-elect | 2 April 1657 | Son of Ferdinand II; King of Germany under his father 1636-1637 |
| Ferdinand IV | Habsburg | 31 May 1653 | — | 9 July 1654 | Son of Ferdinand III; King of Germany under his father |
| Leopold I | Habsburg | 18 July 1658 | 18 July 1658 Emperor-elect | 5 May 1705 | Son of Ferdinand III |
| Joseph I | Habsburg | 23 January 1690 | 5 May 1705 Emperor-elect | 17 April 1711 | Son of Leopold I; King of Germany under his father 1690-1705 |
| Charles VI | Habsburg | 27 October 1711 | 27 October 1711 Emperor-elect | 20 October 1740 | Son of Leopold I |
| Charles VII | Wittelsbach | 14 January 1742 | 14 January 1742 Emperor-elect | 20 January 1745 | |
| Francis I Stephan | Lorraine | 13 September 1745 | 13 September 1745 Emperor-elect | 18 August 1765 | Husband of Maria Theresa, daughter of Charles VI |
| Joseph II | Habsburg-Lorraine | 27 March 1764 | 18 August 1765 Emperor-elect | 20 February 1790 | Son of Francis I and Maria Theresa; King of Germany under his father 1764-1765 |
| Leopold II | Habsburg-Lorraine | 30 September 1790 | 30 September 1790 Emperor-elect | 1 March 1792 | Son of Francis I and Maria Theresa |
| Francis II | Habsburg-Lorraine | 7 July 1792 | 7 July 1792 Emperor-elect | 6 August 1806 | Son of Leopold II; Dissolved the Holy Roman Empire; also Emperor of Austria 1804-1835; died 1835 |
Imperial Vicars, 1437-1792
During interregna, imperial authority was exercised by two imperial vicars - the Elector of Saxony, in his role as Count Palatine of Saxony exercised this office in northern Germany, and the Elector Palatine, as Count Palatine of the Rhine, exercised it in southern Germany. The confusion over the Palatine electorate during the Thirty Years War and after led to some confusion about who the rightful vicar was in the later years of the Empire.
Notes
The relationship between the title of "king" and "emperor" in the area that is today called Germany is just as complicated as the history and the structure of the Holy Roman Empire itself. The following remarks may or may not clarify things a little (for details, refer to the Holy Roman Empire article):
- The Holy Roman Empire (although only titled as such much later) started when Charlemagne, King of the Franks and the Lombards was crowned Emperor of the Romans in 800. The Kingdom of Germany started out as the eastern section of the Frankish kingdom, which was split by the Treaty of Verdun in 843 (while the western section eventually became France). The rulers of the eastern area thus called themselves rex Francorum, king of the Franks, and later just rex. A reference to the "Germans", indicating the emergence of a German nation of some sort, did not appear until the eleventh century, when the pope referred to his enemy Henry IV as rex teutonicorum, King of the Teutons, in order to brand him as a foreigner. The kings reacted by consistently using the title rex Romanorum, King of the Romans, to emphasize their universal rule even before becoming Emperor. This title remained until the end of the Empire in 1806 (but in this and related entries, the kings are called kings of Germany, for clarity's sake.)
- The kingdom was never entirely hereditary; instead, ancestry was only one of the factors that determined the succession of kings. The king was formally elected by the leading nobilty in the realm, continuing the Frankish tradition. Gradually the election became the privilege of a group of princes called Electors and the Golden Bull of 1356 formally defined election proceedings.
- In the Middle Ages, the King did not assume the title "Emperor" (since 982 the full title was Imperator Augustus Romanorum, August Emperor of the Romans) until crowned by the Pope. He also had to be crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy, after which he assumed the title of rex Italicum, King of Italy. After this he would ride on to Rome and be crowned Emperor by the Pope.
- In 1508 Maximilian I was the first king who announced that henceforth he would use the title of "Emperor-Elect", after his attempt to march to Rome and be crowned by the Pope had failed. His successor, Charles V, was the last emperor to be crowned by the Pope. From Ferdinand I onwards, all Emperors were merely "Emperors-Elect", although they were normally referred to as "the Emperor." At the same time, chosen successors of the Habsburg emperors were called "King of the Romans", if elected during their father's lifetime.
| Name | Title | House | Began | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napoleon I | Emperor of the French, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine | Bonaparte | 25 July 1806 | 19 October 1813 |
| Name | Title | House | Began | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis I | Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation | Habsburg-Lorraine | 20 June 1815 | 2 March 1835 |
| Ferdinand I | Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation | Habsburg-Lorraine | 2 March 1835 | 12 July 1848 |
| Archduke Johann of Austria | Imperial Vicarelected by the Frankfurt National Assembly as Imperial Vicar of a new German Reich. The German Confederation was considered to have been dissolved. | Habsburg-Lorraine | 12 July 1848 | 20 December 1849 |
| Frederick William IV | King of Prussia | Hohenzollern | offered title of Emperor of the Germans by the Frankfurt Assembly in 1849, but refused it. | |
| Francis Joseph I | Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation | Habsburg-Lorraine | 1 May 1850 | 24 August 1866 |
| Name | Title | House | Began | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William I | King of Prussia, President of the North German Confederation | Hohenzollern | 1 July 1867 | 18 January 1871 |
He became German Emperor in 1871.
| Name | Title | House | Began | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilhelm I | German Emperor, King of Prussia | Hohenzollern | 18 January 1871 | 9 March 1888 |
| Friedrich III | German Emperor, King of Prussia | Hohenzollern | 9 March 1888 | 15 June 1888 |
| Wilhelm II | German Emperor, King of Prussia | Hohenzollern | 15 June 1888 | 9 November 1918 |
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