List of German monarchs

This is a list of kings who ruled over the German territories of central Europe. The kings reigned from the division of the Frankish Empire in 843 until the end of the German Empire in 1918. It also includes the heads of the different German confederations after the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.

Kingdom of Germany, 843–1806
Emperors are listed in bold. Rival kings, anti-kings, and junior co-regents are listed in italics.

ImageNameHouseKingEmperorEndedNotes100pxLouis the German(Ludwig II der Deutsche)Carolingian11 August 843—23 August 876Son of Emperor Louis the Pious and grandson of Charlemagne100pxLouis the Younger(Ludwig III der Jüngere)Carolingian28 August 876—20 January 882Son of Louis the German; ruled in East Francia, Saxony, and from 880 also Bavaria100pxCarloman(Karlmann)Carolingian28 August 876—22 March 880Son of Louis the German; ruled in Bavaria; from 877 he also ruled as King of Italy100pxCharles the Fat(Karl III, der Dicke)Carolingian28 August 87612 February 88111 November 887Son of Louis the German; ruled in Alemannia, Raetia, from 882 in the entire Eastern Kingdom; from 879 also King of Italy100pxArnulf of Carinthia(Arnulf von Kärnten)Carolingian30 November 88725 April 8968 December 899Son of Carloman100pxLouis the Child(Ludwig IV das Kind)Carolingian21 January 900—20/24 September 911Son of Arnulf of Carinthia100pxConrad I(Konrad I)Conradine (Franconian)10 November 911—23 December 918 100pxHenry I the Fowler(Heinrich I der Vogler)Liudolfing23 April 919—2 July 936 100pxArnulf the Bad(Arnulf der Böse, Herzog von Bayern)Luitpolding (Bavarian)919—921Rival king to Henry I100pxOtto I the Great(Otto I der Große)Ottonian7 August 9362 February 9627 May 973Son of Henry I; first king crowned in Aachen Cathedral since Lothair I; crowned as Otto by the grace of God King;Alfred P. Smyth, Palgrave Macmillan (1998) Medieval Europeans: studies in ethnic identity and national perspectives in medieval Europe, p. 64 crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 961.100pxOtto II the Red(Otto II)Ottonian26 May 96125 December 9677 December 983Son of Otto I;Otto by the grace of God King under his father 961–973;also crowned Emperor in his father's lifetime100pxOtto III(Otto III)Ottonian25 December 98321 May 99621 January 1002Son of Otto II; Otto by the grace of God King100pxHenry II(Heinrich II der Heilige)Ottonian7 June 100226 April 101413 July 1024Great-grandson of Henry I100pxConrad II(Konrad II)Salian (Frankish)8 September 102426 March 10274 June 1039Great-great-grandson of Otto I100pxHenry III(Heinrich III)Salian14 April 102825 December 10465 October 1056Son of Conrad II;King (of the Germans?) under his father 1028–1039100pxHenry IV(Heinrich IV)Salian17 July 105421 March 108431 December 1105Son of Henry III;King of Germany under his father 1054–1056100pxRudolf of Rheinfelden(Rudolf von Rheinfelden)Rheinfeld15 March 1077—15 October 1080Rival King to Henry IV100pxHermann of Salm(Hermann von Luxemburg, Graf von Salm)Salm6 August 1081—28 September 1088Rival King to Henry IV100pxConrad(Konrad)Salian30 May 1087—27 July 1101Son of Henry IV;King of Germany under his father 1087–1098,King of Italy 1093–1098, 1095–1101 in rebellion.100pxHenry V(Heinrich V)Salian6 January 109913 April 111123 May 1125Son of Henry IV;King of Germany under his father 1099–1105, forced his father to abdicate.100pxLothair III(Lothar III)Supplinburger30 August 11254 June 11334 December 1137 100pxConrad III(Conrad III)Hohenstaufen7 March 1138—15 February 1152Grandson of Henry IV (through his mother);Previously Rival King to Lothair III 1127–1135Henry Berengar(Heinrich (VI))Hohenstaufen30 March 1147—August? 1150Son of Conrad III;King of Germany under his father 1147–1150100pxFrederick I Barbarossa(Friedrich I Barbarossa)Hohenstaufen4 March 115218 June 115510 June 1190Nephew of Conrad III100pxHenry VI(Heinrich VI)Hohenstaufen15 August 116914 April 119128 September 1197Son of Frederick I;King of Germany under his father 1169–1190100pxFrederick II(Friedrich II)Hohenstaufen1197—1197Son of Henry VI;King of Germany under his father 1196100pxPhilip of Swabia(Philipp von Schwaben)Hohenstaufen6 March 1198—21 August 1208Son of Frederick I; Rival king to Otto IV100pxOtto IV(Otto IV von Braunschweig)Welf29 March 11984 October 12095 July 1215Rival king to Philip of Swabia; later opposed by Frederick II; deposed 1215; died 19 May 1218100pxFrederick II(Friedrich II)Hohenstaufen5 December 121222 November 122026 December 1250Son of Henry VI;Rival king to Otto IV until 5 July 1215100pxHenry(Heinrich (VII))Hohenstaufen23 April 1220—15 August 1235Son of Frederick II;King of Germany under his father 1220–1235100pxConrad IV(Konrad IV)HohenstaufenMay 1237—1 May 1254Son of Frederick II;King of Germany under his father 1237–1250100pxHenry Raspe(Heinrich Raspe)Thuringia22 May 1246—16 February 1247Rival King to Frederick II100pxWilliam of Holland(Wilhelm von Holland)Holland3 October 1247—28 January 1256Rival King to Frederick II and Conrad IV, 1247–1254100pxRichard of Cornwall(Richard von Cornwall)Plantagenet13 January 1257—2 April 1272Rival king to Alfonso of Castile; held no real authority.100pxAlfonso of Castile(Alfons von Kastilien)House of Burgundy1 April 1257—1275Grandson of Philip; Rival king to Richard of Cornwall; held no authority; later opposed by Rudolf I; relinquished claims 1275, died 1284100pxRudolf I(Rudolf I von Habsburg)Habsburg29 September 127315 July 1291First of the Habsburgs100pxAdolf of Nassau(Adolf von Nassau)Nassau5 May 1292—23 June 1298According to some historians, Adolf's election was preceded by the short-lived kingship of Conrad, Duke of Teck. See his article for details.100pxAlbert I(Albrecht I von Habsburg)Habsburg24 June 1298—1 May 1308Son of Rudolf I; Rival King to Adolf of Nassau, 1298100pxHenry VII(Heinrich VII, Luxemburger)Luxembourg27 November 130813 June 131124 August 1313 100pxLouis IV(Ludwig IV, der Bayer, Wittelsbacher)Wittelsbach20 October 131417 January 132811 October 1347Grandson of Rudolf I; Rival king to Frederick the Fair 1314–1322100pxFrederick the Fair(Friedrich der Schöne, Habsburger)Habsburg19 October 1314/5 September 1325—28 September 1322/13 January 1330Son of Albert I;Rival king to Louis IV 1314–1322;associate king with Louis IV 1325–1330100pxCharles IV(Karl IV von Luxemburg)Luxembourg11 July 13465 April 135529 November 1378Grandson of Henry VII; Rival king to Louis IV, 1346–1347; also King of Bohemia, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor100pxGünther von Schwarzburg(Günther von Schwarzburg)Schwarzburg30 January 1349—24 May 1349Rival King to Charles IV100pxWenceslaus(Wenzel von Luxemburg)Luxembourg10 June 1376—20 August 1400Son of Charles IV; King of Germany under his father 1376–1378; deposed 1400; also by inheritance King of Bohemia; died 1419100pxRupert of Palatinate(Ruprecht von der Pfalz, Wittelsbacher)Wittelsbach21 August 1400—18 May 1410Great-grandnephew of Louis IV100pxSigismund(Sigismund von Luxemburg)Luxembourg20 September 1410/21 July 14113 May 14339 December 1437Son of Charles IV100pxJobst of Moravia(Jobst von Mähren, Luxemburger)Luxembourg1 October 1410—8 January 1411Nephew of Charles IV; Rival King to Sigismund100pxAlbert II(Albrecht II)Habsburg18 March 1438—27 October 14394th in descent from Albert I;son-in-law of Sigismund100pxFrederick III(Friedrich III)Habsburg2 February 144016 March 145219 August 14934th in descent from Albert I; 2nd cousin of Albert II100pxMaximilian I(Maximilian I)Habsburg16 February 14864 February 1508Emperor-elect12 January 1519Son of Frederick III; King of Germany under his father 1486–1493; adopted the title Emperor-elect in 1508 with the Pope's approval100pxCharles V(Karl V)Habsburg28 June 151924 February 15303 August 1556Grandson of Maximilian I; died 21 September 1558100pxFerdinand I(Ferdinand I)Habsburg5 January 153114 March 1558Emperor-elect25 July 1564Grandson of Maximilian I; brother of Charles V; King of Germany under his brother Charles V 1531–1556; last king to be crowned in Aachen Cathedral. Emperor-Elect100pxMaximilian II(Maximilian II)Habsburg22 November 156225 July 1564Emperor-elect12 October 1576Son of Ferdinand I;King of Germany under his father 1562–1564100pxRudolf II(Rudolf II)Habsburg27 October 15752 November 1576Emperor-elect20 January 1612Son of Maximilian II;King of Germany under his father, 1575–1576100pxMatthias(Matthias)Habsburg13 June 161213 June 1612Emperor-elect20 March 1619Son of Maximilian II 100pxFerdinand II(Ferdinand II)Habsburg28 August 161928 August 1619Emperor-elect15 February 1637Grandson of Ferdinand I100pxFerdinand III(Ferdinand III)Habsburg22 December 163615 February 1637Emperor-elect2 April 1657Son of Ferdinand II;King of Germany under his father 1636–1637100pxFerdinand IV(Ferdinand IV)Habsburg31 May 1653—9 July 1654Son of Ferdinand III;King of Germany under his father100pxLeopold I(Leopold I)Habsburg18 July 165818 July 1658Emperor-elect5 May 1705Son of Ferdinand III100pxJoseph I(Joseph I)Habsburg23 January 16905 May 1705Emperor-elect17 April 1711Son of Leopold I; King of Germany under his father 1690–1705100pxCharles VI(Karl VI)Habsburg27 October 171127 October 1711Emperor-elect20 October 1740Son of Leopold I100pxCharles VII(Karl VII)Wittelsbach14 January 174214 January 1742Emperor-elect20 January 1745Husband of Maria Amalia, daughter of Joseph I100pxFrancis I(Franz I)Lorraine13 September 174513 September 1745Emperor-elect18 August 1765Husband of Maria Theresa, daughter of Charles VI100pxJoseph II(Joseph II)Habsburg-Lorraine27 March 176418 August 1765Emperor-elect20 February 1790Son of Francis I and Maria Theresa; King of Germany under his father 1764–1765100pxLeopold II(Leopold II)Habsburg-Lorraine30 September 179030 September 1790Emperor-elect1 March 1792Son of Francis I and Maria Theresa100pxFrancis II(Franz II)Habsburg-Lorraine7 July 17927 July 1792Emperor-elect6 August 1806Son of Leopold II. He dissolved the Holy Roman Empire. Also Emperor of Austria 1804–1835. Died 1835.

German confederations, 1806–1871

Confederation of the Rhine, 1806–1813

NamePortraitTitleHouseBeganEndedNapoleon I,Emperor of the French(Napoléon I, Kaiser der Franzosen)100pxProtector of theConfederation of the RhineBonaparte25 July 180619 October 1813

German Confederation, 1815–1866

NamePortraitTitleHouseBeganEndedFrancis I,Emperor of Austria(Franz I, Kaiser von Österreich)100pxPresident of theGerman ConfederationHabsburg-Lorraine20 June 18152 March 1835Ferdinand I,Emperor of Austria(Ferdinand I, Kaiser von Österreich)100pxPresident of theGerman ConfederationHabsburg-Lorraine2 March 183512 July 1848Archduke John of Austria(Erzherzog Johann von Österreich)100pxImperial VicarElected by the Frankfurt National Assembly as Imperial Vicar of a new German Reich. The German Confederation was considered dissolved.Habsburg-Lorraine12 July 184820 December 1849Frederick William IV, King of Prussia(Friedrich Wilhelm IV, König von Preußen)100pxEmperor of the Germans electHohenzollernElected Emperor of the Germans by the Frankfurt National Assembly on 28 March 1849, but refused the crown on 3 April 1849President of theErfurt Union26 May 184929 November 1850Francis Joseph I,Emperor of Austria(Franz Joseph I, Kaiser von Österreich)100pxPresident of theGerman ConfederationHabsburg-Lorraine1 May 185024 August 1866

North German Confederation, 1867–1871

NamePortraitTitleHouseBeganEndedWilhelm I,King of Prussia(Wilhelm I, König von Preußen) 100px|centerPresident of theNorth German ConfederationHohenzollern1 July 186718 January 1871

German Empire, 1871–1918

 Image Name Date of birth Monarch From Monarch Until Date of death 100px|center Wilhelm I(William I)(Hohenzollern) 22 March 1797 18 January 1871 9 March 1888 100px|center Friedrich III(Frederick III)(Hohenzollern) 18 October 1831 9 March 1888 15 June 1888 100px|center Wilhelm II(William II)(Hohenzollern) 27 January 1859 15 June 1888 9/28 November 1918His abdication was announced by the Chancellor on 9 November. The king went into exile in the Netherlands. He did not officially abdicate until 28 November.(abdicated) 4 June 1941

Related pages
 List of rulers of Saxony

Footnotes

Germany
Germany
Category:History of Germany
Category:Holy Roman Empire
 List Of German Monarchs