Prince-elector
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The prince-electors (
From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince-electors gained the privilege of
The dignity of elector carried great prestige and was considered to be second only to that of king or emperor.[1] The electors held exclusive privileges that were not shared with other princes of the Empire, and they continued to hold their original titles alongside that of elector.
The heir apparent to a secular prince-elector was known as an electoral prince (German: Kurprinz).
Rights and privileges
Electors were rulers of reichsstände (
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. The Golden Bull granted them the Privilegium 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.[2]
Imperial Diet
The electors, like the other princes ruling States of the Empire, were members of the Imperial Diet, which was divided into three collegia: 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 the Council 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 the
Elections
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 the interregnum, imperial power was exercised by two
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.
From the sixteenth century on, electors drafted a
In the 10th and 11th centuries, princes often acted merely to confirm hereditary succession in the
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 ceremonial
Imperial office ( Latin ) |
Augmentation | Elector |
---|---|---|
Arch- Cupbearer (Erzmundschenk, Archipincerna) |
A simple crown, or [a][b][c] |
King of Bohemia
|
Arch-Steward (Erztruchseß, Archidapifer) |
gules, an orb, Or |
Elector of Bavaria (1714–1806)
|
Arch-Marshal (Erzmarschall, Archimarescallus) |
per fess sable and argent, two swords in saltire, gules |
Elector of Saxony
|
Arch-Chamberlain (Erzkämmerer, Archicamerarius) |
scepter palewise , or
|
Elector of Brandenburg
|
Arch-Treasurer (Erzschatzmeister, Archithesaurarius) |
Gules, Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, or |
Elector of Hanover (1777–1806)[3]
|
Arch- Bannerbearer (Erzbannerträger, Archivexillarius) |
Azure, a lance party per fess, or, and gules bendwise flying to sinister chief a banner, or, with the Imperial Eagle |
Elector of Hanover (1692–1710)[4] Elector of Hanover (1714–1777) Elector of Württemberg (1803–1806)[5] |
When the
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 "
History
The German practice of electing
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 the dukes of the stem duchies.
1257 to Thirty Years' War
The electoral college is known to have existed by 1152, but its composition is unknown. A letter written by Pope Urban IV in 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.[6]
- Three ecclesiastical Electors:
- The Archbishop of Mainz
- The Archbishop of Trier
- The Archbishop of Cologne
- The
- Four secular Electors:
- The King of Bohemia
- The Count Palatine of the Rhine
- The Duke of Saxony
- The Margrave of Brandenburg
- The
The three Archbishops oversaw the most venerable and powerful sees in Germany. Since 1214, the Palatinate and Bavaria were held by the same individual, but in 1253, they were divided between two members of the House 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.[7]
The
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 the Schmalkaldic War.
Thirty Years' War to Napoleon
In 1623, the Elector Palatine,
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 (the Imperial Diet officially 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 the Protestant body in the Reichstag.
In 1706, the Elector of Bavaria and Archbishop of Cologne were outlawed during the War of the Spanish Succession, but both were restored in 1714 after the Peace 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 by
In 1788, the ruling family of Savoy pushed 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.[8]
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, and Würzburg became Grand Dukes. The Elector of Hesse-Kassel, however, retained the meaningless title "Elector of Hesse", thus distinguishing himself from other Hessian princes (the Grand Duke of Hesse(-Darmstadt) and the Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg). Napoleon soon exiled him and Kassel was annexed to the Kingdom 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.
The Congress of Vienna accepted 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 the King of Hanover. The restored Elector of Hesse tried to be recognized as the King of the Chatti. However, the European powers refused to acknowledge this title at the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818) and instead listed him with the Grand Dukes as a "Royal Highness".[9] 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 the Austro-Prussian War and was absorbed into Prussia.
Marks of office
Electoral arms
Below are the State arms of each Imperial Elector. Emblems of Imperial High Offices are shown on the appropriate arms.
Three Electors Spiritual (Archbishops): all three were annexed by various powers through German Mediatisation of 1803.
Four Electors Secular:
-
The Palatinate was an electorate until 1777, when the Elector acceded to Bavaria. The office of Arch-Treasurertransferred to Hanover.
Electors added in the 17th century:
-
Bavaria was granted electoral dignity by Ferdinand II in 1623, removing the dignity from the Count Palatine of the Rhine.
-
War 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. Except for the prince Württemberg, who had already inherited his office, the electors were not given augments or high office in the imperial household.[10]
-
In 1777, the number of Electors dropped from nine to eight, until 1803, when Württemberg was raised to an electorate by Napoleon, while the prince himself was elevated from Standard-Bearer (Bannerherr) to Arch-Standardbearer.[10]
-
Hesse-Cassel was added in 1803.
-
Principality of Regensburg, ruled by the former prince-archbishop of Mainz was added in 1803, after the annexation of Mainzby the French.
-
mediatized to Austria in 1805, its electoral vote was transferred to Würzburg. Salzburg and Würzburg were ruled by the same person, Ferdinand III.
-
Grand Duchy of Würzburgwas added in 1805.
-
Margraviate of Baden was added in 1803.
Timeline of electors
See also
References
Armorials
Citations
- ^ "Precedence among Nations". www.heraldica.org. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
- Free Imperial City such as Schwäbisch Gmünd had been granted the Privilegium de non appellando in 1475. Cf. Kaiser Friedrich III.: Privilegium de non appellando für Schwäbisch Gmünd, 1475
- ^ a b c The augmentation was borne borne as an inescutcheon continuously and without interruption by the Electors of Hanover from 1714-1837. There is no evidence that this inescutcheon was ever borne by the Elector Palatine (House of Wittelsbach).
- ISBN 978-3-668-62294-4.
- ^ “The Holy Roman Empire”, Heraldica
- ^ Bryce, James (1866). The Holy Roman Empire (Revised ed.). London: Macmillan. p. 252.
- ^ Wolf, Armin (2020-04-23). "Electors". Historisches Lexikon Bayerns. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ Peter Wilson. Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire. Cambridge: 2016. p. 227. [ISBN missing]
- ^ Satow, Ernest Mason (1932). A Guide to Diplomatic Practice. London: Longmans.
- ^ a b "the Holy Roman Empire". www.heraldica.org. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
- ^ "The Holy Roman Empire, section 2A: The States of the Empire:"The archbishop of Mainz presided over the Catholic body"". www.heraldica.org. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
Sources
- Bryce, J. (1887). The Holy Roman Empire, 8th ed. New York: Macmillan.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 173–175.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public 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."
- New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
.
- Armin Wolf, Electors, published 9 May 2011, english version published 26 February 2020 ; in: Historisches Lexikon Bayerns