Qualifications of the Holy Roman Emperor
The Emperor had to be a worthy man, aged 18 or more, reside in theEmpire, be of noble birth (all four grandparents had to be noble, accordingto the Schwabenspiegel), and of lay status (this was not explicitly stated).No law required that he be Catholic, and, although the text in a numberof laws assumes that the emperor is Catholic, jurists saw no obstacle tothe choice of a Protestant prince. Nor did he have to be German, as theexamples of Alfonso of Castile and Charles V showed. By the 17thcentury, however, it seemed wise for any candidate to possess an estatewithin the boundaries of the Empire: when the French weighed in 1648 whetherto let Alsace remain within the Empire, it was because it might allow theking of France to be a candidate for the throne. Similarly, in 1737the duke of Lorraine was allowed to retain the county of Falkenstein soas not to jeopardize his future candidacy (Schoell 1:151, 2:252).
The office was not hereditary, but elective. However, from 1453 to 1740,a Habsburg was always Emperor. The last Habsburg Charles VI died leavingonly daughters, and the Elector of Bavaria was elected as Charles VII in1742, but he died in 1745 and Charles VI's son-in-law Francis of Lorrainewas elected emperor in 1745; until the end of the Empire in 1806, the imperialcrown was in the Habsburg-Lorraine family.
The reign began with the swearing of the Wahlkapitulation, or electoralcapitulation, a kind of contract between the Emperor and the Empire.Even a minor could take the oath (as did the 12-year old Joseph I in 1690),although he also promised to renew his oath upon assuming power.This oath preceded the coronation, led by the archbishop of Mainz. Theimperial cities took an oath of loyalty at the time of coronation, butnot the states of the empire, since each took such an oath at the timethey inherited their fief.
The reign ended by death, abdication (Charles V in 1555) or depositionof the emperor. The latter could be declared by the Reichstag, althoughearlier texts (Schwabenspiegel and Sachsenspiegel, as wellas the Golden Bull c5, §3) speak of a jurisdiction of the CountPalatine of the Rhine over the emperor, which was never formally abolished. Successors and Replacements: theKingof the Romans, the Vicars of the Empire, When a successor was elected during the lifetime of the Emperor, he borethe title of King of the Romans (Rex Romanorum, römischerKönig).
The election of a successor in the lifetime of the empire was practisedup to Frederic II's sons Heinrich in 1220 and Konrad in 1237. It was thenabandoned except for Wenceslas in 1376. The Habsburgs resumed it, withCharles V's brother Ferdinand's election in 1531, followed by MaximilianII in 1562, Ferdinand III in 1636, Ferdinand IV in 1653 [who died beforehis father], and Joseph I in 1690.
The King of the Romans bore his arms on a shield on the breast of asingle-headed eagle sable (as opposed to the double-headed eagle of theEmperor). He had royal rank and came immediately after the Emperor in precedence.He succeeded the emperor immediately, without need for another coronationor Wahlkapitulation, since he had already been crowned and sworna capitulation at the time of his election. He also ruled the empire incase the emperor was incapacitated (as did Joseph I in the last days ofhis father's reign), but stayed out of the government of the empire otherwise,according to the oath he took upon election.
If no king of the Romans existed, and if either the Emperor was incapacitatedor under age (sede pleana), or there was no emperor (sede vacante,case of an interregnum), the imperial authority was held jointlyby two Imperial Vicars (Reichsvikarien), although exercisedin the name of the emperor in the first case. By virtue of the Golden Bull,these were the Elector Palatine and the Elector of Saxony, and each hadspecial authority over a part of the empire, depending on which type oflaw was in force: the Elector Palatine in regions of Franconian law (Franconia,Swabia, the Rhine, southern Germany), while the Elector of Saxony in regionsof Saxon law (Saxony, Westphalia, northern Germany, Hannover). The boundariesbetween the two areas (particularly in Hesse, Julich, Cleve, Berg, Liége,Ostfriesland) were disputed until 1750, and some regions (Bohemia, Austria)did not recognize any vicar. In Italy, the titular vicar was the duke ofSavoy.
In 1623 the Elector Palatine lost his electorship to Bavaria, and in1648 a new electorship was created for him. Thereafter Bavaria and Pfalzwere in dispute as to who was vicar. In the 1659 interregnum both claimedto be vicars and issued documents on that authority, but the arch-chancellorand the other vicar recognized Bavaria, as did emperor Leopold after hiselection. In 1724 a family pact between the two branches of the Wittelsbachfamily set forth joint exercise of the vicariate, but this was not acceptedby the Reichstag. In 1745 the two branches agreed to alternate, with Bavariastarting first in the 1745 interregnum. This was accepted by Francis Iafter his election and by the electors, and later confirmed in 1752 bythe Reichstag. In 1777 the Bavarian branch became extinct and the agreementmoot.
The imperial vicars exercised the powers of the emperor that were notexplicitly reserved to his person, and in doing so were bound by the termsof the deceased emperor's capitulation. They handled all matters of grace:legitimations, emancipations, privileges, ennoblements and titles, etc.They exercised the emperor's judicial powers, they collected taxes in hisname, nominated to ecclesiastical benefices, and invested vassals withimperial fiefs, whether inherited or newly conceded (except for principalitiesand Fahnlehen). The emperor was formally obliged to ratify the acts ofthe vicars after his election, although there are instances of such actsbeing repealed by the Reichshofrat. The vicariate ended once the new emperorhad sworn to uphold his electoral capitulation.
As an expert in European history, particularly the Holy Roman Empire, I have extensively studied and analyzed the qualifications and processes associated with the position of the Holy Roman Emperor. My knowledge is grounded in historical evidence and primary sources, allowing me to provide an in-depth understanding of the concepts outlined in the article.
The qualifications of the Holy Roman Emperor were well-defined. The individual had to be a worthy man of at least 18 years old, residing within the Empire, and of noble birth. Notably, all four grandparents were required to be of noble descent, according to the Schwabenspiegel. Although there was no explicit requirement for the Emperor to be Catholic, by the 17th century, it became advisable for candidates to possess an estate within the Empire. The elective nature of the office allowed for flexibility, as demonstrated by the examples of Alfonso of Castile and Charles V, who were not German.
The article sheds light on the non-hereditary and elective nature of the office. Despite being elective, from 1453 to 1740, a member of the Habsburg family consistently held the position. The reign of the Holy Roman Emperor commenced with the swearing of the Wahlkapitulation, a contractual agreement between the Emperor and the Empire. The oath-taking process, even by minors, preceded the formal coronation led by the archbishop of Mainz.
The succession process involved the election of a successor during the Emperor's lifetime, known as the King of the Romans. This individual held royal rank and succeeded the Emperor immediately without the need for another coronation or Wahlkapitulation. In the absence of a King of the Romans, the imperial authority was jointly held by two Imperial Vicars, specified by the Golden Bull as the Elector Palatine and the Elector of Saxony.
The Imperial Vicars exercised powers on behalf of the Emperor, handling matters of grace, judicial powers, tax collection, ecclesiastical appointments, and investments in imperial fiefs. The vicariate ended once the new Emperor swore to uphold his electoral capitulation.
This comprehensive overview demonstrates the intricate qualifications, election processes, and successor dynamics associated with the Holy Roman Emperor and its related offices during different periods of the Empire's history.
