Prince-elector

"College of Electors" redirects here. For other uses, seeElectoral college.

The imperial prince-electors
Left to right:Archbishop of Cologne,Archbishop of Mainz,Archbishop of Trier,Count Palatine,Duke of Saxony,Margrave of BrandenburgandKing of Bohemia(Codex Balduini Trevirorum,c. 1340)

Choosing the king. Above: the three ecclesiastical princes choosing the king, pointing at him. Middle: theCount Palatine of the Rhinehands over a golden bowl, acting as a servant. Behind him, theDuke of Saxonywith his marshal's staff and theMargrave of Brandenburgbringing a bowl of warm water, as a valet. Below, the new king in front of the great men of the empire (HeidelbergSachsenspiegel,around 1300).

Theprince-electors(German:Kurfürst(),pl.Kurfürsten,Czech:Kurfiřt,Latin:Princeps Elector) were the members of theelectoral collegethat elected therulerof theHoly Roman Empire.

From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince-electors gained the privilege ofelecting the King of the Romans.The king would then later becrowned Emperorby thepope.Charles V(elected in 1519) was the last emperor to be crowned (1530); his successors assumed the title "Elected Emperor of the Romans" (German:erwählter Römischer Kaiser;Latin:electus Romanorum imperator) upon their coronation as kings.

The dignity of elector carried great prestige and was considered to be behind only the emperor, kings, and the highest dukes.The electors held exclusive privileges that were not shared with other princes of theEmpire,and they continued to hold their original titles alongside that of elector.

Theheir apparentto a secular prince-elector was known as anelectoral prince(German:Kurprinz).

Rights and privileges

Electors were rulers ofreichsstände(Imperial Estates), enjoying precedence over the otherImperial Princes.They were, until the 18th century, exclusively entitled to be addressed with the titleDurchlaucht(Serene Highness). In 1742, the electors became entitled to the superlativeDurchlauchtigste(Most Serene Highness), while other princes were promoted toDurchlaucht.

As rulers of Imperial Estates, the electors enjoyed all the privileges of princes, including the right to enter into alliances, to autonomy in relation to dynastic affairs, and to precedence over other subjects. TheGolden Bullgranted them thePrivilegium de non appellando,which prevented their subjects from lodging an appeal to a higher Imperial court. However, while this privilege, and some others, were automatically granted to Electors, they were not exclusive to them and many of the larger Imperial Estates were also to be individually granted some or all those rights and privileges.

Imperial Diet

The electors, like the other princes ruling States of the Empire, were members of theImperial Diet,which was divided into threecollegia:the Council of Electors, the Council of Princes, and the Council of Cities. In addition to being members of the Council of Electors, most electors were also members of the Council of Princes by virtue of possessing territory or holding ecclesiastical position. The assent of both bodies was required for important decisions affecting the structure of the Empire, such as the creation of new electorates or States of the Empire.

Many electors ruled a number of States of the Empire or held several ecclesiastical titles, and therefore had multiple votes in the Council of Princes. In 1792, the Elector of Brandenburg had eight votes, the Elector of Bavaria six votes, the Elector of Hanover six votes, the King of Bohemia three votes, the Elector-Archbishop of Trier three votes, the Elector-Archbishop of Cologne two votes, and the Elector-Archbishop of Mainz one vote. Thus, of the hundred votes in theCouncil of Princes in 1792,twenty-nine belonged to electors, giving them considerable influence in the Council of Princes in addition to their positions as electors.

In addition to voting by colleges or councils, the Imperial Diet also voted in religious coalitions, as provided for in thePeace of Westphalia.The Archbishop of Mainz presided over theCatholicbody, thecorpus catholicorum,while the Elector of Saxony presided over theProtestantbody, thecorpus evangelicorum.The division into religious bodies was on the basis of the official religion of the state.

Elections

Main article:Imperial election

The electors were originally summoned by the Archbishop of Mainz within one month of an Emperor's death, and met within three months of being summoned. During theinterregnum,imperial power was exercised by twoimperial vicars.Each vicar, in the words of the Golden Bull, was "the administrator of the empire itself, with the power of passing judgments, of presenting to ecclesiastical benefices, of collecting returns and revenues and investing with fiefs, of receiving oaths of fealty for and in the name of the holy empire". The Elector of Saxony was vicar in areas operating under Saxon law (Saxony,Westphalia,Hannover,and northern Germany), while the Elector Palatine was vicar in the remainder of the Empire (Franconia,Swabia,theRhine,and southern Germany). The Elector of Bavaria replaced the Elector Palatine in 1623, but when the latter was granted a new electorate in 1648, there was a dispute between the two as to which was vicar. In 1659, both purported to act as vicar, but ultimately, the other vicar recognized the Elector of Bavaria. Later, the two electors made a pact to act as joint vicars, but the Imperial Diet rejected the agreement. In 1711, while the Elector of Bavaria was under theban of the Empire,the Elector Palatine again acted as vicar, but his cousin was restored to his position upon his restoration three years later.

Finally, in 1745, the two agreed to alternate as vicars, with Bavaria starting first. This arrangement was upheld by the Imperial Diet in 1752. In 1777, the question was settled when the Elector Palatine inherited Bavaria. On many occasions, however, there was no interregnum, as a new king had been elected during the lifetime of the previous Emperor.

Frankfurtregularly served as the site of the election from the fourteenth century on, but elections were also held atCologne(1531),Regensburg(1575 and 1636), andAugsburg(1653 and 1690). An elector could appear in person or could appoint another elector as his proxy. More often, an electoral suite or embassy was sent to cast the vote; the credentials of such representatives were verified by the Archbishop of Mainz, who presided over the ceremony. The deliberations were held at the city hall, but voting occurred in the cathedral. In Frankfurt, a special electoral chapel, orWahlkapelle,was used for elections. Under the Golden Bull, a majority of electors sufficed to elect a king, and each elector could cast only one vote. Electors were free to vote for whomsoever they pleased (including themselves), but dynastic considerations played a great part in the choice.

From the sixteenth century on, electors drafted aWahlkapitulation,or electoral capitulation, which was presented to the king-elect. The capitulation may be described as a contract between the princes and the king, the latter conceding rights and powers to the electors and other princes. Once an individual swore to abide by the electoral capitulation, he assumed the office of King of the Romans.

In the 10th and 11th centuries, princes often acted merely to confirm hereditary succession in theOttonianandSalian dynasty.But with the actual formation of the prince-elector class, elections became more open, starting with the election ofLothair IIIin 1125. TheStaufendynasty managed to get its sons formally elected in their fathers' lifetimes almost as a formality. After these lines ended in extinction, the electors began to elect kings from different families so that the throne would not once again settle within a single dynasty. All kings elected from 1438 onwards were from among theHabsburg dynastyuntil 1740, when Austria was inherited by a woman,Maria Theresa,sparking theWar of the Austrian Successionand the short-lived rule of a Bavarian Wittelsbach emperor. In 1745, Maria Theresa's husband,Francis I of Lorraine,was elected emperor. All of his successors were also from the Habsburg-Lorraine family.

High offices

Each elector held a "High Office of the Empire" (Reichserzämter) analogous to a modern cabinet office position and was a member of the ceremonialImperial Household.The three spiritual electors becameArchchancellors(German:Erzkanzler,Latin:Archicancellarius): theArchbishop of MainzbecameArchchancellor ofGermany,theArchbishop of ColognebecameArchchancellor ofItaly,and theArchbishop of TrierbecameArchchancellor ofBurgundy.The secular electors were grantedheraldic augmentationsto their coats of arms reflecting their positions in the Household. These augmentations were displayed in three alternative ways: firstly, as aninescutcheonon their coat of arms (as in the case of the Arch-Steward, Treasurer, and Chamberlain); secondly: asdexterimpalements (as in the case of the Arch-Marshal and Arch-Bannerbearer) and thirdly: integrated into the charge within theescutcheon(as in the case of the Arch-Cupbearer, where the Lion of Bohemia acquired a "simple crown" held in his dexter paw).

Imperial office (German,Latin)	Augmentation	Elector
Arch-Cupbearer (Erzmundschenk, Archipincerna)	A simple crown,or	King of Bohemia
Arch-Steward (Erztruchseß, Archidapifer)	gules,anorb,Or	Elector Palatine(1356-1623) Elector of Bavaria(1623–1706) Elector Palatine(1706–1714) Elector of Bavaria(1714–1806)
Arch-Marshal (Erzmarschall, Archimarescallus)	per fesssableandargent,two swords insaltire,gules	Elector of Saxony
Arch-Chamberlain (Erzkämmerer, Archicamerarius)	azure,ascepterpalewise,or	Elector of Brandenburg
Arch-Treasurer (Erzschatzmeister, Archithesaurarius)	Gules,Crown of the Holy Roman Empire,or	Elector Palatine(1648–1706) Elector of Hanover(1710–1714) Elector Palatine(1714–1777) Elector of Hanover(1777–1806)
Arch-Bannerbearer (Erzbannerträger, Archivexillarius)	Azure, a lance partyper fess,or, and gules bendwise flying to sinister chief abanner, or, with the Imperial Eagle	Elector of Hanover(1692–1710) Elector of Hanover(1714–1777) Elector of Württemberg(1803–1806)

Arms ofMaximilian I, Duke of Bavaria and Prince-Elector,with inescutcheon of the Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire

TheLesser coat of arms of the Elector of Hanoverwith inescutcheon of the Arch-Treasurer, borne as an inescutcheon on the royal arms of the United Kingdom byKing George III.

When theDuke of Bavariareplaced the Elector Palatine in 1623, he assumed the latter's office of Arch-Steward. When the Count Palatine was granted a new electorate, he assumed the position of Arch-Treasurer of the Empire. When the Duke of Bavaria was banned in 1706, the Elector Palatine returned to the office of Arch-Steward, and in 1710, the Elector of Hanover was promoted to the post of Arch-Treasurer. Matters were complicated by the Duke of Bavaria's restoration in 1714; the Elector of Bavaria resumed the office of Arch-Steward, while the Elector Palatine returned to the post of Arch-Treasurer, and the Elector of Hanover was given the new office of Archbannerbearer. The Electors of Hanover, however, continued to be styled Arch-Treasurers, though the Elector Palatine was the one who actually exercised the office until 1777, when he inherited Bavaria and the Arch-Stewardship. After 1777, no further changes were made to the Imperial Household; new offices were planned for the Electors admitted in 1803, but the Empire was abolished before they could be created. The Duke of Württemberg, however, started to adopt the trappings of the Arch-Bannerbearer.

The electors discharged the ceremonial duties associated with their offices only during coronations, where they bore the crown and regalia of the Empire. Otherwise, they were represented by holders of corresponding "Hereditary Offices of the Household".The Arch-Butler was represented by the Hereditary Butler (Cupbearer) (theCount of Althann), the Arch-Seneschal by the HereditarySteward(theCount of Waldburg,who adopted the title into their name as "Truchsess von Waldburg" ), the Arch-Chamberlain by the HereditaryChamberlain(theCount of Hohenzollern), the Arch-Marshal by the HereditaryMarshal(theCount of Pappenheim), and the Arch-Treasurer by the HereditaryTreasurer(theCount of Sinzendorf). After 1803, the Duke of Württemberg as Arch-Bannerbearer assigned the count of Zeppelin-Aschhausenas Hereditary Bannerbearer.

History

Coats of arms representing the seven original electors with the figure ofGermania.Original colours were vivid. Germania's gown was gold, not beige, and the blue-grey was purple. Also, the browns were painted as vivid red and the muted grey in Saxony's arms was a brilliant green.

The German practice of electingmonarchsbegan when ancientGermanic tribesformedad hoccoalitions and elected the leaders thereof. Elections were irregularly held by theFranks,whosesuccessor statesincludeFranceand theHoly Roman Empire.TheFrench monarchyeventually becamehereditary,but the Holy Roman Emperors remained elective. While all free men originally exercised the right to vote in such elections, suffrage eventually came to be limited to the leading men of the realm. In the election ofLothar IIIin 1125, a small number of eminentnobleschose the monarch and then submitted him to the remaining magnates for their approbation.

Soon, the right to choose the monarch was settled on an exclusive group of princes, and the procedure of seeking the approval of the remaining nobles was abandoned. The college of electors was mentioned in 1152 and again in 1198. The composition of electors at that time is unclear, but appears to have included bishops and thedukesof thestem duchies.

1257 to Thirty Years' War

The electoral college is known to have existed by 1152, but its composition is unknown. A letter written byPope Urban IVin 1265 suggests that by "immemorial custom",seven princes had the right to elect the King and future Emperor. The pope wrote that the seven electors were those who had just voted in the election of 1257, which resulted in the election of two kings.

• Three ecclesiastical Electors:
  • TheArchbishop of Mainz
  • TheArchbishop of Trier
  • TheArchbishop of Cologne
• Four secular Electors:
  • TheKing of Bohemia
  • TheCount Palatine of the Rhine
  • TheDuke of Saxony
  • TheMargrave of Brandenburg

The three Archbishops oversaw the most venerable and powerfulseesin Germany. Since 1214, the Palatinate and Bavaria were held by the same individual, but in 1253, they were divided between two members of theHouse of Wittelsbach.The other electors refused to allow two princes from the same dynasty to have electoral rights, so a heated rivalry arose between the Count Palatine and the Duke of Bavaria over who should hold the Wittelsbach seat.

Meanwhile, the King of Bohemia, who held the ancient imperial office of Arch-Cupbearer, asserted his right to participate in elections. Sometimes he was challenged on the grounds that his kingdom was not German, though usually he was recognized, instead of Bavaria which after all was just a younger line of Wittelsbachs.

TheDeclaration of Rhenseissued in 1338 had the effect that election by the majority of the electors automatically conferred the royal title and rule over the empire, without papal confirmation. TheGolden Bull of 1356finally resolved the disputes among the electors. Under it, the Archbishops ofMainz,Trier,andCologne,as well as theKing of Bohemia,theCount Palatine of the Rhine,theDuke of Saxony,and theMargrave of Brandenburgheld the right to elect the King.

The college's composition remained unchanged until the 17th century, although the Electorate of Saxony was transferred from the senior to the junior branch of the Wettin family in 1547, in the aftermath of theSchmalkaldic War.

Thirty Years' War to Napoleon

In 1623, the Elector Palatine,Frederick V,came under theimperial banafter participating in theBohemian Revolt(a part of theThirty Years' War). The Elector Palatine's seat was conferred on the Duke of Bavaria, the head of a junior branch of his family. Originally, the Duke held the electorate personally, but it was later made hereditary along with the duchy. When the Thirty Years' War concluded with thePeace of Westphaliain 1648, a new electorate was created for the Count Palatine of the Rhine. Since the Elector of Bavaria retained his seat, the number of electors increased to eight; the two Wittelsbach lines were now sufficiently estranged so as not to pose a combined potential threat.

In 1685, the religious composition of the College of Electors was disrupted when a Catholic branch of the Wittelsbach family inherited the Palatinate. A new Protestant electorate was created in 1692 for the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, who became known as the Elector of Hanover (theImperial Dietofficially confirmed the creation in 1708). The Elector of Saxony converted to Catholicism in 1697 so that he could become King of Poland, but no additional Protestant electors were created. Although the Elector of Saxony was personally Catholic, the Electorate itself remained officially Protestant, and the Elector even remained the leader of theProtestant body in the Reichstag.

In 1706, the Elector of Bavaria and Archbishop of Cologne wereoutlawedduring theWar of the Spanish Succession,but both were restored in 1714 after thePeace of Baden.In 1777, the number of electors was reduced to eight when the Elector Palatine inherited Bavaria.

Many changes to the composition of the college were necessitated byNapoleon's aggression during the early 19th century. TheTreaty of Lunéville(1801), which ceded territory on theRhine's left bank toFrance,led to the abolition of the archbishoprics of Trier and Cologne, and the transfer of the remaining spiritual Elector from Mainz toRegensburg.In 1803, electorates were created for theDuke of Württemberg,theMargrave of Baden,theLandgrave of Hesse-Kassel,and theDuke of Salzburg,bringing the total number of electors to ten. WhenAustriaannexed Salzburg under theTreaty of Pressburg (1805),the Duke of Salzburg moved to theGrand Duchy of Würzburgand retained his electorate. None of the new electors, however, had an opportunity to cast votes, as the Holy Roman Empire was abolished in 1806, and the new electorates were never confirmed by the Emperor.

In 1788, the ruling family ofSavoypushed to receive an electoral title. Their ambition was backed by Brandenburg-Prussia. However, the French Revolution and subsequent Coalition Wars soon rendered this a moot point.

After the Empire

After the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in August 1806, the Electors continued to reign over their territories, many of them taking higher or alternative titles. The Electors of Bavaria, Württemberg, and Saxony styled themselves Kings, while the Electors of Baden,Regensburg,andWürzburgbecameGrand Dukes.The Elector of Hesse-Kassel, however, retained the meaningless title "Elector of Hesse",thus distinguishing himself from other Hessian princes (theGrand Duke of Hesse(-Darmstadt)and the Landgrave ofHesse-Homburg). Napoleon soon exiled him and Kassel was annexed to theKingdom of Westphalia,a new creation. The King of Great Britain remained at war with Napoleon and continued to style himself Elector of Hanover, while the Hanoverian government continued to operate in London.

TheCongress of Viennaaccepted the Electors of Bavaria, Württemberg, and Saxony as Kings, along with the newly created Grand Duke of Baden. The Elector of Hanover finally joined his fellow Electors by declaring himself theKing of Hanover.The restored Elector of Hesse tried to be recognized as the King of theChatti.However, the European powers refused to acknowledge this title at theCongress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818)and instead listed him with the Grand Dukes as a "Royal Highness".Believing the title of Prince-Elector to be superior in dignity to that of Grand Duke, the Elector of Hesse-Kassel chose to remain an Elector, even though there was no longer a Holy Roman Emperor to elect. Hesse-Kassel remained the only Electorate in Germany until 1866, when the country backed the losing side in theAustro-Prussian Warand was absorbed into Prussia.

Marks of office

Electoral arms

Coats of arms of prince electors surround the Holy Roman Emperor's; from flags book ofJacob Köbel(163#+1545). Left to right: Cologne, Bohemia, Brandenburg, Saxony, the Palatinate, Trier, Mainz

Below are the State arms of each Imperial Elector. Emblems ofImperial High Officesare shown on the appropriate arms.

The emperorMaximiliansurrounded by shields of electorates

Three Electors Spiritual (Archbishops): all three were annexed by various powers throughGerman Mediatisationof 1803.

• 
  Mainz
• 
  Trier
• 
  Cologne

Four Electors Secular:

• 
  Kingdom of Bohemia.The white lion bears in his right paw a simple crown, the device of the office of Arch Cupbearer. Restored directly from Medieval, hand-drawnarmorials.
• 
  The Palatinatewas an electorate until 1777, when the Elector acceded to Bavaria. The office ofArch-Treasurertransferred to Hanover.
• 
  Saxony
• 
  Brandenburg

Electors added in the 17th century:

• 
  Bavariawas granted electoral dignity byFerdinand IIin 1623, removing the dignity from the Count Palatine of the Rhine.
• 
  Hanover(Brunswick-Lüneburg), made an elector byLeopold Iin 1692 as a reward for aid given in theWar of the Grand Alliance.Later, the ceremonial office of Chief Treasurer was transferred here from the Palatinate.

Napoleonic additions

As Napoleon waged war on Europe, between 1803 and 1806, the following changes to the Constitution of the Holy Roman Empire were attempted until the Empire's collapse. The arch-chancellor of Germany and archbishop elector of Mainz continued to be an elector, but as the prince of Regensburg, which took over Mainz's arch-episcopal status. The prince of Württemberg received the formerly defunct office of Arch-Bannerbearer, while the other new electors were not given augments or high office in the imperial household, though new offices were planned.

• 
  In 1777, the number of Electors dropped from nine to eight, until 1803, whenWürttembergwas raised to an electorate bythe Imperial diet,while the prince himself was elevated from Standard-Bearer (Bannerherr) to Arch-Standardbearer.
• 
  Hesse-Casselwas added in 1803.
• 
  Principality of Regensburg,ruled by theformer prince-archbishop of Mainzwas added in 1803, after the annexation ofMainzby the French.
• 
  Grand Duchy of Salzburgwas added in 1803. After it wasmediatizedto Austriain 1805, its electoral vote was transferred toWürzburg.Salzburg and Würzburg were ruled by the same person,Ferdinand III.
• 
  Duchy of Würzburgwas added in 1805.
• 
  Margraviate of Badenwas added in 1803.

Timeline of electors

	Third ecclesiastical elector	Second ecclesiastical elector	First ecclesiastical elector	Elector of theSaxons	Elector of theSwabians	Elector of theBavarians	Elector of theFranks	Eighth elector	Ninth elector	Tenth elector
Pre-1059	Prior history of ecclesiastical electors unclear	Prior history of ecclesiastical electors unclear	Prior history of ecclesiastical electors unclear	Duchy of Saxony	Duchy of Swabia	Duchy of Bavaria	Duchy of Franconia	—	—	—
1059–1189							County Palatine of the Rhine– The Palatinate
1189–1214			Archbishopric of Trier
1214–1238						Kingdom of Bohemia
1238–1251		Archbishopric of Cologne
1251–1257 or 1268	Archbishopric of Mainz
1257 or 1268–1296					Margraviate of Brandenburg
1296–1621				Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg–Electorate of Saxony
1621–1623							Imperial bandue toThirty Years' War
1621–1648							Duchy of Bavaria–Electorate of Bavaria
1648–1692								County Palatine of the Rhine– The Palatinate
1692–1706									Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg–Electorate of Hanover
1706–1714		Imperial bandue toWar of the Spanish Succession					Imperial ban due toWar of the Spanish Succession
1714–1777		Archbishopric of Cologne					Electorate of Bavaria
1777–1801								None (Merged intoDuchy of Bavaria)
Treaty of Lunéville
1801–1803	Archbishopric of Regensburg	None	None	Electorate of Saxony	Margraviate of Brandenburg	Kingdom of Bohemia	Electorate of Bavaria	None	Electorate of Hanover	None
1803–1805		Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel–Electorate of Hesse	Margraviate of Baden–Electorate of Baden					Duchy of Württemberg–Electorate of Württemberg		Electorate of Salzburg
1805–1806										Electorate of Würzburg
Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire
Congress of Vienna(1814–1815)
Successor states	Fully Subsumed intoKingdom of Bavaria	Electorate of Hesse	Grand Duchy of Baden	Kingdom of Saxony	Fully Subsumed intoKingdom of Prussia	Crown Land of theAustrian Empire	Kingdom of Bavaria	Kingdom of Württemberg	Kingdom of Hanover	Fully Subsumed intoKingdom of Bavaria

See also

• Elective monarchy
• Electoral Palace (disambiguation)
• Electress
• Imperial election

References

Sources

• Bryce, J. (1887).The Holy Roman Empire,8th ed. New York: Macmillan.
• Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Electors".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 173–175.
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chambers, Ephraim,ed. (1728)."Elector".Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences(1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al.

External links

• The Avalon Project. (2003). "The Golden Bull of the Emperor Charles IV 1356 A.D."
• Oestreich, G. and Holzer, E. (1973). "Übersicht über die Reichsstände." In Gebhardt, Bruno.Handbuch der Deutschen Geschichte,9th ed. (Vol. 2, pp. 769–784). Stuttgart: Ernst Ketler Verlag.
• Velde, F. R. (2003). "Royal Styles."
• Velde, F. R. (2004). "The Holy Roman Empire."
• "Electors, German Imperial".New International Encyclopedia.1905.
• Armin Wolf, Electors, published 9 May 2011, english version published 26 February 2020; in: Historisches Lexikon Bayerns