Prince-elector

In the Holy Roman Empire, the electors or electoral princes (the German term is "Kurfürst", the plural: "Kurfürsten") had the function of electing the king of Germany preparatory to his accession as the next emperor, though until the 12th century they often merely formalized what was in fact a dynastic succession.

Composition

The original composition of the collegiate was uncertain. German Kings have since time immemorial been elected by the "leading men" of the realm; suffrage later came to be limited to the most senior and powerful princes in the realm. By 1273, the number of electors was fixed at seven, though it was unclear exactly which seven princes were to fulfill the role. The Golden Bull of 1356 fixed the composition of the collegiate; there were to be three spiritual electors—the Archbishop of Mainz, the Archbishop of Trier and the Archbishop of Cologne—and four lay ones—King of Bohemia, the Count Palatine of the Rhine, the Count Palatine and Duke of Saxony and the Margrave of Brandenburg. (The last three aforementioned are also known as the Elector Palatinate, the Elector of Saxony and the Elector of Brandenburg, respectively.) Why these individuals formed a part of the college of electors is unclear. The three spiritual electors as well as the Count Palatine of the Rhine traditionally held prominent positions, primarily because their realms were situated on formerly Frankish territory. The Kings of Bohemia, Dukes of Saxony and Margraves of Brandenburg all belonged to dynasties of earlier German Kings. They also held the ancient and important offices of Archcupbearer, Archmarshal and Archchamberlain, respectively.

The composition of the electorate remained unchanged until the seventeenth century. In 1621, the Elector Palatinate, Frederick V, came under the imperial ban after participating in the Bohemian Revolt (a part of the Thirty Years' War). The Elector Palatinate's seat was conferred on the Duke of Bavaria, the head of a junior branch of his family. When the Thirty Years' War concluded with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, a new electorate was created for the Count Palatine of the Rhine. Since the Elector of Bavaria retained his seat, the number of electors increased to eight.

In 1692, the number of electors was increased to nine, with a seat being granted to the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, who became known as the Electors of Hanover, and would succeed to the throne of Great Britain. In 1706, the Duke of Bavaria and Archbishop of Cologne were banned during the War of the Spanish Succession, but both were restored in 1714 after the Peace of Baden. In 1777, the number of electors was reduced to eight when Karl Theodor, Elector Palatinate, inherited Bavaria.

Many changes to the composition of the collegiate were necessiated by Napoleon's aggression during the early nineteenth century. The Treaty of Lunéville (1801), which ceded territory on the Rhine's left bank to France, led to the abolition of the electorates of Trier and Cologne. In 1803, electorates were created for the Duke of Württemberg, the Margrave of Baden, the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and the Duke of Salzburg. When the Austria annexed Salzburg under the Treaty of Pressburg (1805), the Duke of Salzburg moved to the Principality of Würzburg and retained his electorate. None of the new electors, however, had an opportunity to cast votes, as the Holy Roman Empire was abolished in 1806.