Holy Roman Empire

The **Holy Roman Empire** (; ), occasionally but unofficially referred to as the **Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation**, was a polity in Western and Central Europe under the rule of an emperor, who was elected by the princes and the magistrates of its regions and cities.
On 25 December 800, Pope Leo III crowned Frankish King Charlemagne as Roman emperor and revived the title in Western Europe for the first time since the fall of the ancient Western Roman Empire in 476.

When Charlemagne died in 814, the Frankish Empire was given to his sons and divided into three different countries: West Francia, Lotharingia and East Francia. In 962, Otto I was crowned emperor by Pope John XII. The empire would last for over eight centuries, until it ended in 1806.

At the start of the empire, the emperor was quite powerful. As time went on, however, the empire's duchies and counties became more powerful than the emperor.

## Politics

Since Charlemagne, the polity was simply called the "Roman Empire". The name "Holy Roman Empire" was not used until the 13th century. Before then, people had called the empire by different names like _universum regnum_ ("the whole kingdom", meaning that it included all regions, not just local kingdoms) and _imperium christianum_ ("Christian empire"). The emperor's right to rule came from the idea of _translatio imperii_ ("transfer of rule"), which meant that he had the highest power, which had been passed down from the Ancient Roman emperors.

The Holy Roman Empire was not very centralised, unlike most countries today. Instead, it was divided into dozens and eventually hundreds of individual entities, which were governed by kings, dukes, counts, bishops, abbots and other rulers, who were collectively known as princes. The emperor directly ruled some areas, but he could not simply issue decrees and govern autonomously over the empire. His power was severely restricted by the various local leaders.

In the 16th century, the empire had to deal with the rebellion of the Frisians, which was led by Pier Gerlofs Donia and Wijerd Jelckama, from 1515 to 1523.

The empire was a rare state in Europe to have an elective monarchy. The emperor was chosen by a small group of prince-electors, but the previous emperor's dynastic heir was commonly elected to the throne. Until 1596 the elected emperor was crowned by the Pope to make him a real emperor. The House of Habsburg ruled most of the time between about 1280 and 1806, the end of the empire.

## Infobox (former country)

- **conventional long name**: Holy Roman Empire
- **common name**: Holy Roman Empire
- **native name**: _Sacrum Imperium Romanum_
_Heiliges Römisches Reich_
- **region**: Central Europe
- **era**: Middle Ages
Early modern period
- **status**: Empire
- **government type**: Elective monarchy
- **life span**: 800/962–1806
- **year start**: 962
- **year end**: 1806
- **date pre**: 25 December 800
- **event pre**: Charlemagne is crowned Emperor of the Romans
- **date start**: 2 February
- **event start**: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I is Coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor, crowned Emperor of the Romans
- **date event1**: 2 February 1033
- **event1**: Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, Conrad II assumes crown of Kingdom of Arles, Burgundy
- **date event2**: 25 September 1555
- **event2**: Peace of Augsburg
- **date event3**: 24 October 1648
- **event3**: Peace of Westphalia
- **date event4**: 2 December 1805
- **event4**: Battle of Austerlitz
- **date end**: 6 August
- **event end**: Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II abdicated
- **p1**: East Francia
- **flag p1**: No flag.svg
- **p2**: Kingdom of Germany
- **flag p2**: No flag.svg
- **p3**: Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)#Constituent of the Carolingian EmpireKingdom of Italy
- **flag p3**: No flag.svg
- **s1**: Dutch Republic
- **flag s1**: Statenvlag.svg
- **s2**: Old Swiss Confederacy
- **flag s2**: Early Swiss cross.svg
- **s3**: Kingdom of Prussia
- **flag s3**: Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg
- **s4**: Austrian Empire
- **flag s4**: Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg
- **s5**: Confederation of the Rhine
- **image flag**: Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor with haloes (1400-1806).svg
- **flag**: Flags of the Holy Roman Empire
- **flag type**: Imperial Banner

- **image coat**: Coat of Arms of Leopold II and Francis II, Holy Roman Emperors-Or shield variant.svg
- **symbol type article**: Coats of arms of the Holy Roman Empire
- **symbol type**: Coat of arms of
Francis II
- **image map**: Holy Roman Empire at its territorial apex (per consensus).svg
- **image map caption**: <div style="text-align: left><small></small></div>
- **capital**: _No official capital, various imperial seats_
- **common languages**: German language, German, Latin <small>(administrative/liturgical/ceremonial)</small>
_Various_
- **religion**: <small>Roman Catholicism (800–1806)
Lutheranism (1555–1806)
Calvinism (1648–1806)</small>

_Holy Roman Empire#Religion, see details_
- **legislature**: Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire), Imperial Diet
- **stat pop1**: 5000000
- **stat year1**: 1200
- **stat pop2**: 16000000
- **stat year2**: 1500
- **stat pop3**: 21000000
- **stat year3**: 1618
- **stat pop4**: 16000000
- **stat year4**: 1648
- **stat pop5**: 26265000
- **stat year5**: 1786
- **leader1**: Charlemagne
- **leader2**: Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I <small>(first)</small>
- **leader3**: Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II <small>(last)</small>
- **year leader1**: 800–814
- **year leader2**: 962–973
- **year leader3**: 1792–1806
- **title leader**: Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor