Declaration of Rhense
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The Declaration of Rhense (or the Treaty of Rhense) was a decree issued on July 16, 1338 and initiated by the Archbishop of Trier, Baldwin of Luxembourg, brother of the late Emperor Henry VII. Six electors met in Rhense to support Emperor Louis IV in his fight with the papacy. Louis, the choice of the Ghibellin party (which included Luxembourg and Wittelsbach supporters) was crowned by just a cardinal, an archbishop and a Roman senator, against the will of the pope.
Even though the practice of election of the Holy Roman Emperor had existed earlier, it was now fixed that the election by all or the majority of the electors automatically conferred the royal title and rule over the empire, without papal confirmation. The convened prince-electors decided that "Louis is the rightfully elected King of the Romans, and his legitimate power (in the German kingdom) is not dependent upon the pope's will".
The Golden Bull of 1356 specified the procedures for imperial election 18 years later, the prince-electors having already been those seven by custom. The declaration is not to be confused with another meeting of electors at Rhense (August 20, 1400) to depose the King Wenceslaus, whom they decided to be unworthy.
