Kingdom of Germany

The medieval kingdom that developed from East Francia and became the German component of the Holy Roman Empire. Its rulers were chosen by German princes, though the institutions and electoral procedures changed over time.

Prince-elector: A high-ranking prince entitled to participate in choosing the king of the Romans. These princes formed the electoral body that selected the kingdom’s ruler.
East Francia: The eastern Frankish kingdom established after the division of the Carolingian Empire in 843. It was the political predecessor from which the Kingdom of Germany developed.
Stem duchy: A major territorial duchy formed around an early medieval German tribal region. These powerful regions were principal building blocks of the early kingdom.
Conrad I of Germany: King of East Francia from 911 to 918, elected after the end of the Carolingian line in the kingdom. His election marked a transition to non-Carolingian kingship.
Interregnum (Holy Roman Empire): The period from 1250 to 1273 when no generally recognized ruler effectively governed the Holy Roman Empire. It exposed the instability that could follow disputed or weak German kingship.
Election of the Holy Roman Emperor: The process by which eligible princes chose a king of the Romans, who could later seek imperial coronation. It formalized the kingdom’s elective succession, especially under the Golden Bull of 1356.
Treaty of Verdun: The 843 agreement dividing the Carolingian Empire among the sons of Louis the Pious. Its eastern allotment became the territorial basis of East Francia.
Duchy of Saxony: A major medieval duchy in northern Germany, ruled by the Ottonian dynasty before becoming a complex territorial title. Saxon rulers supplied several early kings and emperors.
Henry the Fowler: King of East Francia from 919 to 936 and founder of the Ottonian dynasty. His accession is commonly treated as the beginning of the German kingdom under a new dynasty.
Territorial states of the Holy Roman Empire: The duchies, principalities, ecclesiastical territories, and cities that composed the Holy Roman Empire. The kingdom’s rulers had to govern through territories whose princes held substantial independent power.

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