European Kingdoms

Non-Dynastic Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire
AD 1273 - 1437

Central Europe All Modern States Hessian States Modern Balkans Modern British Isles Saxon States

At the end of a period of strength under the governance of the 'Hohenstaufen Emperors', the empire had to ensure a series of unrelated emperors.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from Noble Strategies in an Early Modern Small State: The Mahuet of Lorraine, Charles T Lipp, from The History of the Franks, Volume II, Gregory of Tours (O M Dalton, Trans, 1967), from From Roman Provinces to Medieval Kingdoms, Thomas F X Noble, from Popular Revolt, Dynastic Politics, and Aristocratic Factionalism in the Early Middle Ages: The Saxon Stellinga Reconsidered, Eric J Goldberg (Speculum, Vol 70, No 3, Jul 1995), and from External Links: the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, and from Encyclopaedia.com, and Cranach Digital Archive (in German and English), and Special Collections (University of Arizona).)

1257 - 1272

Candidate to succeed the Hohenstaufens.

1257 - 1284

Elected candidate. Never acceded throne.

1260 - 1274

The Livonian Knights and Teutonic Knights are defeated severely, at the Battle of Durbe in Livonia by the Samogitians. As a result, numerous rebellions break out all across the Baltics, including a general uprising throughout Prussia. The Prussians win several battles against the hard-pressed Knights and by 1264 the situation is critical. Reinforcements arrive from Germany and the knights launche a fresh offensive to end the rebellion by 1274.

1263

The Hessians have selected Henry of Brabant as their first landgrave, but following a heavy defeat at Besenstedt (near Wettin) in October 1263, his mother, Sophie of Brabant, has to admit failure in securing the remainder of Thuringia for her son. That passes to the March of Meissen, and through this it eventually becomes part of the electorate Saxony when the Wettins gain the ducal title (1423). Hesse is separated from Thuringia and is eventually recognised as the independent landgraviate of Hesse.

Duchess Sophia led the fight to secure the various Hessian lands as a unified landgraviate for her son, Henry of Brabant, otherwise known as Henry the Child due to his young age

c.1267

Part of the territory of Swabia, an obscure and unimportant part in the mountainous west of the duchy, is given over to the newly formed county of Vaduz. The Schellenbergs under Marquard now govern this important route into Italy.

1273 - 1291

Uncrowned. Duke of Austria, Carinthia, & Swabia. In Bohemia.

1278

Feeling in the German nobility is against the idea of a successful, conquering Czech king, so they support Rudolf so that he is able to wrest the duchy of Austria from Ottokar, and kill the Przemysl king in battle on the Moravia Field, on the right bank of the River Morava in Austria.

1292 - 1298

Uncrowned. Count of Nassau-Weilburg.

1292 - 1298

Henry I the Child, landgrave of Hesse, gains the title 'Prince of the Empire' from Emperor Adolph. Unfortunately, Adolf is killed at the Battle of Göllheim, near Speyer, in 1298 whilst fighting his rival, Albert of Habsburg in Austria. Unusually for the dukes of Lorraine, the soon-to-be Duke Thiébaut II is present at the battle on the side of Albert.

1306 - 1307

Uncrowned. Duke of Austria. King of Bohemia-Moravia.

1307 - 1308

Uncrowned. King of Bohemia-Moravia.

1298 - 1308

Uncrowned. Duke of Austria.

1308

Thanks to Albert's failure to address the problem of adequate compensation for the loss of Styria in 1283 by his brother, Rudolph II, the king is assassinated by Rudolph's son, John. John is named 'Parricide', and continues to hold his inherited claim on Swabia.

1308 - 1313

Procured title for his son, who became King John of Bohemia.

1313

With the death of John Parricide, any claim to the former Swabian duchy dies with him. Large areas of its territory have already gone to the established county of Württemberg and the margraviate of Baden. Territory formerly belonging to the Alemanni people also later forms parts of Austria (Vorarlberg), France (Alsace) and Switzerland, as well as the Bavarian Swabia region of Bavaria.

1314 - 1347

m Margaret, countess of Holland (1324). Senator of Rome (1328).

1314 - 1322

When Louis IV (Louis the Bavarian) is elected German king in 1314, a minority faction elects Frederick the Fair of Habsburg as emperor. Louis defeats Frederick in 1322 at the Battle of Mühldorf (in which Frederick's supporter, Duke Ferry IV of Lorraine, is also captured). The Pope refuses to recognise or crown him, so Louis has himself crowned emperor by representatives of the Roman people. This coronation is part of an agreement that has been reached with Frederick whereby the latter is crowned king of the Romans to administer Germany as regent while Louis will fulfil his role from Italy.

The vigorous king of Bavaria and HRE Louis IV also became king of Italy in 1327 despite many objections and opposition figures, with his strength of will and character being proof of his desire and eligibility to rule

1325 - 1330

Frederick IV of Austria. Withdraws from regency, returns home.

1328

Following the refusal of Pope John XXII to recognise him, Louis IV invades Italy and sets up Nicholas V as the first anti-pope of the Great Schism.

1330

Odo IV of the duchy of Burgundy has already married Joan III, countess of Burgundy, daughter of Philip V of France and also king of Navarre (in 1318). Now his wife inherits from her mother full control of the Free County of Burgundy, that pocket of Burgundian territory which largely lies on the east bank of the Saône. Formed in 982, it had gained a parcel of the duchy's own territory in 1004 and for three hundred years had largely been controlled by the Holy Roman empire.

1343

The St George's Night Uprising in Estonia sees a revolt defeated by the Livonian Knights, using a mixture of treachery and battle. However, they are unable to prevent some disasters, such as the loss of Pöide Castle on Ösel-Wiek, and the probable massacre of its entire garrison. Three years later, the Danish king sells North Estonia to the knights. All of Estonia is now ruled by a German nobility class.

The oppressed Estonian peasants began the St George's Night Uprising in 1343, which was brutally put down by the Livonian Order, resulting in the Order being able to take control of all of the major Danish strongholds in the duchy of Estonia

1346 - 1347

Pope Clement VI declares Louis IV deposed and secures the election of Charles IV. Louis successfully resists his rival until he dies in a hunting accident.

1347 - 1378

Grandson of Henry VII. King of Bohemia, Elector of Brandenburg.

1347 - 1349

1348

One of the first acts of Charles IV is to found the University of Prague. This is soon challenged by Archduke Rudolph IV of Austria when he founds the University of Vienna as a rival. Rudolph dedicates much of his efforts as archduke to increasing the prestige of Vienna, making it a major European capital.

1355 - 1356

Emperor Charles IV issues his Golden Bull at the end of 1355. It lays down the redrafted laws for the Holy Roman empire, one of which stipulates the role of primogeniture, ensuring that only the eldest son or the valid next in line succeeds to a title and its territory.

Towards the end of 1355 and in early 1356 Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV agreed with his prince electors a new treatise which regulated the emperor's position and the right of succession amongst all the princes

1356 - 1359

The title of archduke is 'granted' to Austria in 1359, even though it has to be invented and proclaimed by the first archduke, Rudolph IV. The bluff is propagated to make up for the loss to the Habsburgs of the imperial title and their failure to receive an electoral vote in the Golden Bull of 1356. Instead, Rudolph creates the Privilegium Maius, a document that has no authority behind it but which raises the dukes of Austria to archdukes, a new title, and one which grants them the same level of status as the seven prince-electors of the Holy Roman empire.

1378 - 1400

Son of Charles IV. King Bohemia, Hungary, Elector Brandenburg.

1395

Gian Galeazzo Visconti purchases a diploma for 100,000 florins from Wenceslas of Luxemburg. This diploma confirms Gian Visconti as duke of Milan and count of Pavia.

1400 - 1410

Uncrowned.

1410 - 1437

Son of Charles IV. King of Bohemia, Elector of Brandenburg.

Sigismund marries Mary of Anjou, queen of Hungary. In 1415 the electorate of Brandenburg is purchased from the Holy Roman empire by the Hohenzollerns from southern Germany.

Elector Sigismund of Brandenburg, and king of Hungary, Croatia, and Luxembourg, managed to add Bohemia to that list during an illustrious career, before becoming Holy Roman emperor in 1410

1410 - 1411

Rival. Elector of Brandenburg. Duke of Luxembourg.

1437

The death of Sigismund of Luxembourg, king of Bohemia, elector of Brandenburg, and king of Hungary through his wife, leaves the succession open to Albert V of Austria. His rule, plus that of his numerous successors, heralds the start and continuation of the 'Habsburg Emperors'.