List of German monarchs Totally Explained

Everything about German King totally explained

This article lists the German monarchs, ruling over the territory of Germany from the creation of a separate Eastern Frankish Kingdom in 843 until the end of monarchy in 1918.

Eastern Frankish Kingdom, later the German Kingdom, 843-1806

This section covers the Eastern Frankish Kingdom, the eastern portion of the Frankish Empire after its partition by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Later it became known as the Kingdom of Germany, which was the chief (and then sole) component of the Holy Roman Empire (of the German Nation).
The German Kingdom comprised the territory of modern Germany, but also Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, the Low Countries, as well as parts of modern France and Poland.

Kings

Name	House	King	Emperor	Ended	Notes
Louis the German (Ludwig II der Deutsche)	Carolingian	11 August 843	—	23 August 876	Son of Emperor Louis the Pious
Louis the Younger (Ludwig III der Jüngere)	Carolingian	28 August 876	—	20 January 882	Son of Louis the German; ruled in East Francia, Saxony, from 880 also Bavaria
Carloman (Karlmann)	Carolingian	28 August 876	—	22 March 880	Son of Louis the German; ruled in Bavaria; from 877 also King of Italy
Charles the Fat (Karl III. der Dicke)	Carolingian	28 August 876	12 February 881	11 November 887	Son of Louis the German; ruled in Alemannia, Raetia, from 882 in the entire Eastern Kingdom
Arnulf of Carinthia (Arnulf von Kärnten)	Carolingian	30 November 887	25 April 896	8 December 899	Son of Carloman
Louis the Child (Ludwig IV das Kind)	Carolingian	21 January 900	—	20 August 911	Son of Arnulf of Carinthia
Conrad I (Konrad I)	Conradine (Franconian)	10 November 911	—	23 December 918
Henry I the Fowler (Heinrich I der Vogler)	Liudolfing (Saxon)	23 April 919	—	2 July 936
Arnulf the Bad (Arnulf der Böse, Herzog von Bayern)	Luitpolding (Bavarian)	919	—	921	Rival king to Henry I
Otto I the Great (Otto I der Große)	Liudolfing	7 August 936	2 February 962	7 May 973	Son of Henry I; first king crowned in Aachen Cathedral since Lothair I; crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 961.
Otto II the Red (Otto II)	Liudolfing	26 May 961	25 December 967	7 December 983	Son of Otto I; King of Germany under his father 961–973; also crowned Emperor in his father's lifetime
Otto III (Otto III)	Liudolfing	25 December 983	21 May 996	21 January 1002	Son of Otto II
Henry II (Heinrich II der Heilige)	Liudolfing	7 June 1002	26 April 1014	13 July 1024	Great-grandson of Henry I
Conrad II (Konrad II)	Salian (Frankish)	8 September 1024	26 March 1027	4 June 1039	Great-great-grandson of Otto I
Henry III (Heinrich III)	Salian	14 April 1028	25 December 1046	5 October 1056	Son of Conrad II; King of Germany under his father 1028–1039
Henry IV (Heinrich IV)	Salian	17 July 1054	21 March 1084	31 December 1105	Son of Henry III; King of Germany under his father 1054–1056
Rudolf von Rheinfeld (Rudolf von Rheinfelden)	Rheinfeld	15 March 1077	—	15 October 1080	Rival King to Henry IV
Hermann von Salm (Hermann von Luxemburg, Graf von Salm)	Salm	6 August 1081	—	28 September 1088	Rival King to Henry IV
Conrad (Konrad)	Salian	30 May 1087	—	27 July 1101	Son of Henry IV; King of Germany under his father 1087–1098, King of Italy 1093–1098, 1095–1101 in rebellion.
Henry V (Heinrich V)	Salian	6 January 1099	13 April 1111	23 May 1125	Son of Henry IV; King of Germany under his father 1099–1105, forced his father to abdicate.
Lothair III (Lothar III)	Supplinburger	30 August 1125	4 June 1133	4 December 1137
Conrad III (Conrad III)	Hohenstaufen	7 March 1138	—	15 February 1152	Grandson of Henry IV; Previously Rival King to Lothair III 1127–1135
Henry Berengar (Heinrich (VI))	Hohenstaufen	30 March 1147	—	August? 1150	Son of Conrad III; King of Germany under his father 1147–1150
Frederick I Barbarossa (Friedrich I Barbarossa)	Hohenstaufen	4 March 1152	18 June 1155	10 June 1190	Nephew of Conrad III
Henry VI (Heinrich VI)	Hohenstaufen	15 August 1169	14 April 1191	28 September 1197	Son of Frederick I; King of Germany under his father 1169–1190
Frederick II (Friedrich II)	Hohenstaufen	1197	—	1197	Son of Henry VI; King of Germany under his father 1196
Philip of Swabia (Philipp von Schwaben)	Hohenstaufen	6 March 1198	—	21 August 1208	Son of Frederick I; Rival king to Otto IV
Otto IV (Otto IV von Braunschweig)	Welf	29 March 1198	4 October 1209	5 July 1215	Rival king to Philip of Swabia; later opposed by Frederick II; deposed 1215; died 19 May 1218
Frederick II (Friedrich II)	Hohenstaufen	5 December 1212	22 November 1220	26 December 1250	Son of Henry VI; Rival king to Otto IV until 5 July 1215
Henry (Heinrich (VII.))	Hohenstaufen	23 April 1220	—	15 August 1235	Son of Frederick II; King of Germany under his father 1220–1235
Conrad IV (Konrad IV)	Hohenstaufen	May 1237	—	1 May 1254	Son of Frederick II; King of Germany under his father 1237–1250
Henry Raspe (Heinrich Raspe)	Thuringia	22 May 1246	—	16 February 1247	Rival King to Frederick II
William of Holland (Wilhelm von Holland)	Holland	3 October 1247	—	28 January 1256
Richard of Cornwall (Richard von Cornwall)	Plantagenet	13 January 1257	—	2 April 1272	Rival king to Alfonso of Castile; held no real authority.
Alfonso of Castile (Alfons von Kastilien)	House of Burgundy	1 April 1257	—	1275	Grandson of Philip; Rival king to Richard of Cornwall; held no authority; later opposed by Rudolf I; relinquished claims 1275, died 1284
Rudolf I (Rudolf I von Habsburg)	Habsburg	29 September 1273	—	15 July 1291
Adolf of Nassau (Adolf von Nassau)	Nassau	5 May 1292	—	23 June 1298	According to some historians, Adolf's election was preceded by the short-lived kingship of Conrad, Duke of Teck. See his article for details.
Albert I (Albrecht I von Habsburg)	Habsburg	24 June 1298	—	1 May 1308	Son of Rudolf I; Rival King to Adolf of Nassau, 1298
Henry VII (Heinrich VII, Luxemburger)	Luxembourg	27 November 1308	13 June 1311	24 August 1313
Louis IV (Ludwig IV., der Bayer, Wittelsbacher)	Wittelsbach	20 October 1314	17 January 1328	11 October 1347	Grandson of Rudolf I; Rival king to Frederick the Fair 1314–1322
Frederick the Fair (Friedrich der Schöne, Habsburger)	Habsburg	19 October 1314/ 5 September 1325	—	28 September 1322/ 13 January 1330	Son of Albert I; Rival king to Louis IV 1314–1322; associate king with Louis IV 1325–1330
Charles IV (Karl IV. von Luxemburg)	Luxembourg	11 July 1346	5 April 1355	29 November 1378	Grandson of Henry VII; Rival king to Louis IV, 1346–1347
Günther von Schwarzburg (Günther von Schwarzburg)	Schwarzburg	30 January 1349	—	24 May 1349	Rival King to Charles IV
Wenceslaus (Wenzel von Luxemburg)	Luxembourg	10 June 1376	—	20 August 1400	Son of Charles IV; King of Germany under his father 1376–1378; deposed 1400; died 1419
Frederick of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Friedrich von Braunschweig und Lüneburg, Welfe)	Brunswick-Lüneburg	1400	—	1400	Rival King to Wenceslaus
Rupert of Palatinate (Ruprecht von der Pfalz, Wittelsbacher)	Wittelsbach	21 August 1400	—	18 May 1410	Great-grandnephew of Louis IV
Sigismund (Sigismund von Luxemburg)	Luxembourg	20 September 1410/ 21 July 1411	3 May 1433	9 December 1437	Son of Charles IV
Jobst of Moravia (Jobst von Mähren, Luxemburger)	Luxembourg	1 October 1410	—	8 January 1411	Nephew of Charles IV; Rival King to Sigismund
Albert II (Albrecht II)	Habsburg	18 March 1438	—	27 October 1439	4th in descent from Albert I; son-in-law of Sigismund
Frederick III (Friedrich III)	Habsburg	2 February 1440	16 March 1452	19 August 1493	4th in descent from Albert I; 2nd cousin of Albert II
Maximilian I (Maximilian I)	Habsburg	16 February 1486	4 February 1508 Emperor-elect	12 January 1519	Son of Frederick III; King of Germany under his father 1486–1493; adopted the title Emperor-elect in 1508 with the Pope's approval
Charles V (Karl V)	Habsburg	28 June 1519	24 February 1530 Emperor-elect since 1520	21 September 1556	Grandson of Maximilian I; Emperor-elect 1519 crowned as Emperor by the Pope; abdicated 1556; died 21 September 1558;
Ferdinand I (Ferdinand I)	Habsburg	5 January 1531	14 March 1558 Emperor-elect	25 July 1564	Grand-son 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.
Maximilian II (Maximilian II)	Habsburg	22 November 1562	25 July 1564 Emperor-elect	12 October 1576	Son of Ferdinand I; King of Germany under his father 1562–1564
Rudolf II (Rudolf II)	Habsburg	27 October 1575	2 November 1576 Emperor-elect	20 January 1612	Son of Maximilian II; King of Germany under his father, 1575–1576
Matthias (Matthias)	Habsburg	13 June 1612	13 June 1612 Emperor-elect	20 March 1619	Son of Maximilian II
Ferdinand II (Ferdinand II)	Habsburg	28 August 1618	20 March 1619 Emperor-elect	15 February 1637	Grandson of Ferdinand I;
Ferdinand III (Ferdinand III)	Habsburg	22 December 1636	15 February 1637 Emperor-elect	2 April 1657	Son of Ferdinand II; King of Germany under his father 1636–1637
Ferdinand IV (Ferdinand IV)	Habsburg	31 May 1653	—	9 July 1654	Son of Ferdinand III; King of Germany under his father
Leopold I (Leopold I)	Habsburg	18 July 1658	18 July 1658 Emperor-elect	5 May 1705	Son of Ferdinand III
Joseph I (Joseph I)	Habsburg	23 January 1690	5 May 1705 Emperor-elect	17 April 1711	Son of Leopold I; King of Germany under his father 1690–1705
Charles VI (Karl VI)	Habsburg	27 October 1711	27 October 1711 Emperor-elect	20 October 1740	Son of Leopold I
Charles VII (Karl VII)	Wittelsbach	14 January 1742	14 January 1742 Emperor-elect	20 January 1745	Husband of Maria Amalia, daughter of Joseph I
Francis I Stephan (Franz I)	Lorraine	13 September 1745	13 September 1745 Emperor-elect	18 August 1765	Husband of Maria Theresa, daughter of Charles VI
Joseph II (Joseph II)	Habsburg-Lorraine	27 March 1764	18 August 1765 Emperor-elect	20 February 1790	Son of Francis I and Maria Theresa; King of Germany under his father 1764–1765
Leopold II (Leopold II)	Habsburg-Lorraine	30 September 1790	30 September 1790 Emperor-elect	1 March 1792	Son of Francis I and Maria Theresa
Francis II (Franz II)	Habsburg-Lorraine	7 July 1792	7 July 1792 Emperor-elect	6 August 1806	Son of Leopold II; Dissolved the Holy Roman Empire; also Emperor of Austria 1804–1835; died 1835

Imperial vicars

During interregna, imperial authority was exercised by two imperial vicars — the Elector of Saxony, in his role as Count Palatine of Saxony exercised this office in northern Germany, and the Elector Palatine, as Count Palatine of the Rhine, exercised it in southern Germany. The confusion over the Palatine electorate during the Thirty Years War and after led to some confusion about who the rightful vicar was in the later years of the Empire. ==

Further Information

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