List of German monarchs

Monarchy of Germany
Former Monarchy


Imperial Coat of arms

William II
First monarch	Louis II (as King)
Last monarch	William II (as Emperor)
Style	His Majesty
Monarchy started	11 August 843
Monarchy ended	18 November 1918
Current pretender	Georg Friedrich

The Monarchs of Germany ruled over the territory of Germany from the reign of Louis II in 843 until the abdication of William II 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 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 German Kingdom started out as the eastern section of the Kingdom of the Franks, 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.

The German Kingdom was never 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 Romanorum Augustus, 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 the Pope crowned him Emperor 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.

1 Kingdom of the East Franks (843–918)
- 1.1 Carolingian Dynasty (843–911)
- 1.2 Conradine Dynasty (911–918)
2 German Kingdom (919–1806)
3 Confederation of the Rhine (1806–1813)
- 3.1 House of Bonaparte (1806–1813)
4 German Confederation (1815–1848)
- 4.1 House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1815–1848)
5 German Empire (1849)
- 5.1 House of Hohenzollern (1849)
6 German Confederation (1850–1866)
- 6.1 House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1850–1866)
7 North German Confederation (1867–1871)
- 7.1 House of Hohenzollern (1867–1871)
8 German Empire (1871–1918)
- 8.1 House of Hohenzollern (1871–1918)
9 Family tree
10 Footnotes
11 External links

Kingdom of the East Franks (843–918)

Carolingian Dynasty (843–911)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Louis II the German	11 August 843	28 August 876	• Son of Louis I	King of the Franks

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Carloman	28 August 876	22 March 880	• Son of Louis II	King of Bavaria

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Louis III the Younger	28 August 876	20 January 882	• Son of Louis II	King of Saxony King of Bavaria (880–882)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Charles III the Fat	28 August 876	11 November 887	• Son of Louis II	King of the Franks Emperor of the Romans (881–887)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Arnulf	30 November 887	08 December 899	• Nephew of Charles III	King of the Franks Emperor of the Romans (896–899)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Louis the Child	04 February 900	20/24 September 911	• Son of Arnulf	King of the Franks

Conradine Dynasty (911–918)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Conrad I the Younger	10 November 911	23 December 918	• Nephew of Louis the Child	King of the Franks

German Kingdom (919–1806)

Ottonian Dynasty (919–1024)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Henry I the Fowler	23 April 919	02 July 936	• N/A	German King

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Otto I the Great	07 August 936	07 May 973	• Son of Henry I	German King Holy Roman Emperor (962–973)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Otto II the Red	26 May 961	07 December 983	• Son of Otto I	German King Holy Roman Emperor (967–983)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Otto III	25 December 983	21 January 1002	• Son of Otto II	German King Holy Roman Emperor (996–1002)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Henry II the Saint	07 June 1002	13 July 1024	• Second-cousin of Otto III	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1014–1024)

Salian Dynasty (1024–1125)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Conrad II	08 September 1024	04 June 1039	• Great-great-grandson of Otto I	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1027–1039)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Henry III the Black	14 April 1028	05 October 1056	• Son of Conrad II	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1046–1056)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Henry IV	17 July 1054	31 December 1105	• Son of Henry III	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1084–1105)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Henry V	06 January 1099	23 May 1125	• Son of Henry IV	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1111–1125)

House of Supplinburger (1125–1137)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Lothair III ^[1]	30 August 1125	04 December 1137	• Possibly 9th generation descendant of Otto I	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1133–1137)

House of Hohenstaufen (1138–1208)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Conrad III	07 March 1138	15 February 1152	• Grandson of Henry IV	German King

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Frederick I Barbarossa	04 March 1152	10 June 1190	• Nephew of Conrad III	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1155–1190)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Henry VI	15 August 1169	28 September 1197	• Son of Frederick I	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1191–1197)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Philip	06 March 1198	21 June 1208	• Son of Frederick I	German King

House of Welf (1208–1215)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Otto IV ^[2]	21 June 1208	05 July 1215	• Great-grandson of Lothair III	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1209–1215)

House of Hohenstaufen (1215–1254)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Frederick II ^[3]	05 July 1215	26 December 1250	• Son of Henry VI	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1220–1250)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Conrad IV	1237	01 May 1254	• Son of Frederick II	German King

House of Habsburg (1273–1291)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Rudolph I	29 September 1273	15 July 1291	• N/A	German King

House of Nassau-Weilburg (1292–1298)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Adolph	05 May 1292	23 June 1298	• N/A	German King

House of Habsburg (1298–1308)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Albert I	24 June 1298	01 May 1308	• Son of Rudolph I	German King

House of Luxembourg (1308–1313)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Henry VII	27 November 1308	24 August 1313	• N/A	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1311–1313)

House of Habsburg (1314–1330)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Frederick the Fair ^[4]	19 October 1314	13 January 1330	• Son of Albert I	German King

House of Wittelsbach (1314–1347)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Louis IV the Bavarian	20 October 1314	11 October 1347	• Grandson of Rudolph I	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1328–1347)

House of Luxembourg (1346–1400)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Charles IV ^[5]	11 July 1346	29 November 1378	• Grandson of Henry VII	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1355–1378)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Wenceslaus	10 June 1376	20 August 1400	• Son of Charles IV	German King

House of Wittelsbach (1400–1410)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Rupert	21 August 1400	18 May 1410	• Great-grandnephew of Louis IV	German King

House of Luxembourg (1410–1437)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Sigismund	20 September 1410	09 December 1437	• Son of Charles IV	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1433–1437)

House of Habsburg (1438–1740)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Albert II	18 March 1438	27 October 1439	• Son-in-law of Sigismund	German King

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Frederick III	02 February 1440	19 August 1493	• Second cousin of Albert II	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1452–1493)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Maximilian I	16 February 1486	12 January 1519	• Son of Frederick III	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1508–1519)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Charles V	28 June 1519	03 August 1556	• Grandson of Maximilian I	German King Holy Roman Emperor (1530–1556)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Ferdinand I	05 January 1531	25 July 1564	• Brother of Charles V	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1558–1564)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Maximilian II	22 November 1562	12 October 1576	• Son of Ferdinand I	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1564–1576)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Rudolph II	27 October 1575	20 January 1612	• Son of Maximilian II	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1576–1612)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Matthias	13 June 1612	20 March 1619	• Son of Maximilian II	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1612–1619)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Ferdinand II	28 August 1619	15 February 1637	• Grandson of Ferdinand I	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1619–1637)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Ferdinand III	22 December 1636	02 April 1657	• Son of Ferdinand II	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1637–1657)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Ferdinand IV	31 May 1653	09 July 1654	• Son of Ferdinand III	German King

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Leopold I	18 July 1658	05 May 1705	• Son of Ferdinand III	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1658–1705)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Charles VI	27 October 1711	20 October 1740	• Son of Leopold I	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1711–1740)

House of Wittelsbach (1742–1745)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Charles VII Albert	12 February 1742	20 January 1745	• Great great Grandson of Ferdinand II	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1742–1745)

House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1745–1806)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Francis I	13 September 1745	18 August 1765	• Great grandson of Ferdinand III	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1745–1765)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Joseph II	27 March 1764	20 February 1790	• Son of Francis I	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1765–1790)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Leopold II	30 September 1790	01 March 1792	• Son of Francis I	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1790–1792)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Francis II	05 July 1792	06 August 1806	• Son of Leopold II	German King Holy Roman Emperor-elect (1792–1806)

Confederation of the Rhine (1806–1813)

House of Bonaparte (1806–1813)

Portrait	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Napoleon I	12 July 1806	04 November 1813	• N/A	Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine

German Confederation (1815–1848)

House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1815–1848)

Portrait	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Francis I	20 June 1815	02 March 1835	• Son of Leopold II	President of the German Confederation

Portrait	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Ferdinand I	02 March 1835	12 July 1848	• Son of Francis I	President of the German Confederation

German Empire (1849)

House of Hohenzollern (1849)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Frederick William IV	28 March 1849	03 April 1849	• N/A	Emperor-elect of the Germans^[6]

German Confederation (1850–1866)

House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1850–1866)

Portrait	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Francis Joseph I	01 May 1850	24 August 1866	• Nephew of Ferdinand I	President of the German Confederation

North German Confederation (1867–1871)

House of Hohenzollern (1867–1871)

Portrait	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	William I	01 July 1867	18 January 1871	• Brother of Frederick William IV	President of the North German Confederation

German Empire (1871–1918)

House of Hohenzollern (1871–1918)

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	William I	18 January 1871	09 March 1888	• Brother of Frederick William IV	German Emperor

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	Frederick III ^[7]	09 March 1888	15 June 1888	• Son of William I	German Emperor

Portrait	Name	Monarch From	Monarch Until	Relationship with Predecessor(s)	Title(s)
	William II	15 June 1888	18 November 1918	• Son of Frederick III	German Emperor

Family tree

Family tree of German Monarchs

Footnotes

↑ Enumerated as successor of Lothair II, who was King of Lotharingia 855–869 but not Emperor.
↑ Rival King to Philip of Swabia 1198–1208.
↑ Rival King to Otto IV 1212–1215.
↑ Rival King to Louis IV 1314–1322.
↑ Rival King to Louis IV 1346–1347.
↑ Elected Emperor of the Germans by the Frankfurt National Assembly on 28 March 1849, but refused the crown on 03 April 1849.
↑ Enumerated as successor of Frederick II who was King of Prussia 1740–1786 but not Emperor.

External links

Monarchs of Germany

Eastern Francia (843–918)	Louis II • Carloman • Louis III • Charles III • Arnulf • Louis the Child • Conrad I

Saxon Kingdom (919–62)	Henry I • Otto I

Kingdom of Germany in the Holy Roman Empire (962–1806)	Otto I • Otto II • Otto III • Henry II • Conrad II • Henry III • Henry IV • Henry V • Lothair III • Conrad III • Frederick I • Henry VI • Philip • Otto IV • Frederick II • Conrad IV • Rudolf I • Adolf • Albert I • Henry VII • Louis IV • Charles IV • Wenceslaus • Rupert • Sigismund • Albert II • Frederick III • Maximilian I • Charles V • Ferdinand I • Maximilian II • Rudolph II • Matthias • Ferdinand II • Ferdinand III • Leopold I • Joseph I • Charles VI • Charles VII • Francis I • Joseph II • Leopold II • Francis II

Confederation of the Rhine (1806–1813)	Napoleon I

German Confederation (1815–1848)	Francis II • Ferdinand I

German Empire (1849)	Frederick William IV (emperor-elect)

German Confederation (1850–1866)	Franz Joseph I

North German Confederation (1867–1871)	Wilhelm I

German Empire (1871–1918)	Wilhelm I • Frederick III • Wilhelm II