This article lists the German monarchs, ruling over the territory of Germany from the creation of a separate Eastern Frankish Kingdom in 843 until the end of German monarchy in 1918.

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 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. 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 of Germany 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 nobility 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, Venerable 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.

• Maximilian I was the first King to bear the title of Emperor-Elect. After the failure in 1508 of his attempt to march to Rome and be crowned by the Pope, he had himself proclaimed Emperor-elect with papal consent. His successor Charles V also assumed that title after his coronation in 1520 until he was crowned Emperor by the Pope in 1530. From Ferdinand I onwards, all Emperors were merely Emperors-Elect, although they were normally referred to as Emperors. At the same time, chosen successors of the Emperors were called King of the Romans, if elected by the college of Electors during their predecessor's lifetime.

Eastern Frankish Kingdom, later the German Kingdom, 843-1806

This section covers the Eastern Frankish Kingdom, the eastern portion of the Frankish Empire after its partition by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Later it became known as the Kingdom of Germany, which was the chief (and then sole) component of the Holy Roman Empire (of the German Nation).

The German Kingdom comprised the territory of modern Germany, but also Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, the Low Countries, as well as parts of modern France and Poland.

Kings

Emperors are listed in bold. Rival kings, anti-kings, and junior co-regents are italicized.

Imperial vicars

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.

German confederations, 1806-1871

Confederation of the Rhine, 1806-1813

German Confederation, 1815-1866

North German Confederation, 1867-1871

German Empire, 1871-1918

Pretenders to the German throne

see main article: Pretenders to the German throne

Family tree

Remarkably (or possibly not given the amount of intermarriage at the time), every ruler of Germany was related by marriage to every other. The relationships are shown at Kings of Germany family tree.

Footnotes