Facts about Holy Roman Emperor Elections
- 07
During the 1742 imperial election, the traditional seven electors were bypassed when Francis Stephen of Lorraine won the crown without formal unanimous consent, marking a significant departure from established electoral procedures.
- 06
Emperor Maximilian II's 1564 election marked the last time a Holy Roman Emperor was chosen while still alive, as subsequent emperors were elected only after their predecessors' deaths.
- 05
Beginning in 1273, the German prince-electors could choose emperors without papal approval, fundamentally shifting power away from Rome and toward the autonomous German princes.
- 04
Charlemagne's coronation in 800 established the precedent for papal involvement in imperial elections, a practice that generated centuries of conflict between emperors and popes over selection authority.
- 03
The double election of 1619 saw both Frederick V and Ferdinand II claim the imperial throne simultaneously, fracturing the Holy Roman Empire and triggering the Thirty Years' War.
- 02
In 1519, the imperial election of Charles V cost approximately 850,000 guilders in bribes and payments to the seven electors, making it one of the most expensive elections in Holy Roman history.
- 01
Seven German prince-electors chose Holy Roman Emperors from 1356 onward, as formalized in the Golden Bull of 1356 issued by Charles IV.