List of German monarchs

This article lists the monarchs of Germany, a state created out of the eastern half of the Carolingian Empire by the Treaty of Verdun of 843 and which continued uninterrupted until 1806. Thereafter, the individual German states formed several confederations and were united in the German Empire of 1871. The monarchy finally ended with the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918. Over its long history, its geographic extent varied considerably, including not only most of the modern Germany, but much also of Austria, Slovenia, the Low Countries, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, eastern France, northern Italy and western Poland.

Eastern Frankish Kingdom, later called the Kingdom of Germany

This section covers the Eastern Frankish Kingdom, the eastern portion of the Frankish Empire after its partition at Verdun in 843. Mostly inhabited by German people, it became known as the Kingdom of Germany. It was the chief (and then sole) component of the Holy Roman Empire. The kingdom comprised the territory of modern Germany, but also Austria, Switzerland, parts of the Low Countries, parts of Eastern France, northern Italy and western Poland.

Kings

Name	House	King	Emperor	Ended	Notes
Louis the German	Carolingian	11 August 843	—	23 August 876	Son of Emperor Louis the Pious
Louis the Younger	Carolingian	28 August 876	—	20 January 882	Son of Louis the German; ruled in East Francia, Saxony, from 880 also Bavaria
Carloman	Carolingian	28 August 876	—	22 March 880	Son of Louis the German; ruled in Bavaria; from 877 also King of Italy
Charles the Fat	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	Carolingian	30 November 887	25 April 896	8 December 899	Son of Carloman
Louis the Child	Carolingian	21 January 900	—	20 August 911	Son of Arnulf of Carinthia
Conrad I	Conradine (Franconian)	10 November 911	—	23 December 918
Henry I the Fowler	Liudolfing (Saxon)	23 April 919	—	2 July 936
Arnulf the Bad	Luitpolding (Bavarian)	919	—	921	Rival king to Henry I
Otto I the Great	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	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	Liudolfing	25 December 983	21 May 996	21 January 1002	Son of Otto II
Henry II	Liudolfing	7 June 1002	26 April 1014	13 July 1024	Great-grandson of Henry I
Conrad II	Salian (Frankish)	8 September 1024	26 March 1027	4 June 1039	Great-great-grandson of Otto I
Henry 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	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	Rheinfeld	15 March 1077	—	15 October 1080	Rival King to Henry IV
Hermann von Salm	Salm	6 August 1081	—	28 September 1088	Rival King to Henry IV
Conrad	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	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	Supplinburger	30 August 1125	4 June 1133	4 December 1137
Conrad III	Hohenstaufen	7 March 1138	—	15 February 1152	Grandson of Henry IV; Previously Rival King to Lothair III 1127–1135
Henry Berengar	Hohenstaufen	30 March 1147	—	August? 1150	Son of Conrad III; King of Germany under his father 1147–1150
Frederick I Barbarossa	Hohenstaufen	4 March 1152	18 June 1155	10 June 1190	Nephew of Conrad III
Henry 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	Hohenstaufen	1197	—	1197	Son of Henry VI; King of Germany under his father 1196
Philip of Swabia	Hohenstaufen	6 March 1198	—	21 August 1208	Son of Frederick I; Rival king to Otto IV
Otto IV	Welf	29 March 1198	4 October 1209	5 July 1215	Grandson of Lothair II; Rival king to Philip of Swabia; later opposed by Frederick II; deposed 1215; died 19 May 1218
Frederick II	Hohenstaufen	5 December 1212	22 November1220	26 December 1250	Son of Henry VI; Rival king to Otto IV until 5 July 1215
Henry	Hohenstaufen	23 April 1220	—	15 August 1235	Son of Frederick II; King of Germany under his father 1220–1235
Conrad IV	Hohenstaufen	May 1237	—	1 May 1254	Son of Frederick II; King of Germany under his father, 1237–1250
Henry Raspe	Thuringia	22 May 1246	—	16 February 1247	Rival King to Frederick II
William of Holland	Holland	3 October 1247	—	28 January 1256	Rival King to Frederick II and Conrad IV, 1247–1254
Richard of Cornwall	Plantagenet	13 January 1257	—	2 April 1272	Brother-in-law of Frederick II; Rival king to Alfonso of Castile; visited Germany only twice and held no real authority.
Alfonso of Castile	House of Burgundy	1 April 1257	—	1275	Grandson of Philip; Rival king to Richard of Cornwall; never visited Germany and held no authority; later opposed by Rudolf I; relinquished claims 1275, died 1284
Rudolf I	Habsburg	29 September 1273	—	15 July 1291
Adolf of 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	Habsburg	24 June 1298	—	1 May 1308	Son of Rudolf I; Rival King to Adolf of Nassau, 1298
Henry VII	Luxemburg	27 November 1308	13 June 1311	24 August 1313
Louis IV	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	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	Luxemburg	11 July 1346	5 April 1355	29 November 1378	Grandson of Henry VII; Rival king to Louis IV, 1346–1347
Günther von Schwarzburg	Schwarzburg	30 January 1349	—	24 May 1349	Rival King to Charles IV
Wenceslaus	Luxemburg	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	Brunswick-Lüneburg	1400	—	1400	Rival King to Wenceslaus
Rupert of Palatinate	Wittelsbach	21 August 1400	—	18 May 1410	Great-grandnephew of Louis IV
Sigismund	Luxemburg	20 September 1410/ 21 July 1411	3 May 1433	9 December 1437	Son of Charles IV
Jobst of Moravia	Luxemburg	1 October 1410	—	8 January 1411	Nephew of Charles IV; Rival King to Sigismund
Albert II	Habsburg	18 March 1438	—	27 October 1439	4th in descent from Albert I; Husband of Elizabeth, the daughter of Sigismund
Frederick III	Habsburg	2 February 1440	16 March 1452	19 August 1493	4th in descent from Albert I; 2nd cousin of Albert II
Maximilian I	Habsburg	16 February 1486	4 February 1508	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	Habsburg	28 June 1519	24 February 1530	21 September 1556 (did not formally abidicate as emperor until 1558)	Grandson of Maximilian I; Crowned as Emperor by the Pope (the last to be crowned by the Pope - all futures Emperors were merely Emperors-elect); abdicated 1556 (though not formally until 1558); died 21 September 1558;
Ferdinand I	Habsburg	5 January 1531	21 September 1556 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	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	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	Habsburg	13 June 1612	13 June 1612 Emperor-elect	20 March 1619	Son of Maximilian II
Ferdinand II	Habsburg	28 August 1618	20 March 1619 Emperor-elect	15 February 1637	Grandson of Ferdinand I;
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	Habsburg	31 May 1653	—	9 July 1654	Son of Ferdinand III; King of Germany under his father
Leopold I	Habsburg	18 July 1658	18 July 1658 Emperor-elect	5 May 1705	Son of Ferdinand III
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	Habsburg	27 October 1711	27 October 1711 Emperor-elect	20 October 1740	Son of Leopold I
Charles VII	Wittelsbach	14 January 1742	14 January 1742 Emperor-elect	20 January 1745	Husband of Maria Amalia, daughter of Joseph I
Francis I Stephan	Lorraine	13 September 1745	13 September 1745 Emperor-elect	18 August 1765	Husband of Maria Theresa, daughter of Charles VI
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	Habsburg-Lorraine	30 September 1790	30 September 1790 Emperor-elect	1 March 1792	Son of Francis I and Maria Theresa
Francis 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, 1437–1792

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.

Began	Ended	Count Palatine of Saxony	Count Palatine of the Rhine
9 December 1437	18 March 1438	Frederick II, Elector of Saxony	Louis IV, Elector Palatine
27 October 1439	2 February 1440
12 January 1519	17 June 1519	Frederick III, Elector of Saxony	Louis V, Elector Palatine
20 January 1612	13 June 1612	John George I, Elector of Saxony	Frederick V, Elector Palatine
20 March 1619	28 August 1619
2 April 1657	18 July 1658	John George II, Elector of Saxony	Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria
17 April 1711	12 October 1711	Frederick Augustus I, Elector of Saxony	John William, Elector Palatine
20 October 1740	14 January 1742	Frederick Augustus II, Elector of Saxony	Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria
20 January 1745	13 September 1745		Maximilian III, Elector of Bavaria
20 February 1790	30 September 1790	Frederick Augustus III, Elector of Saxony	Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
1 March 1792	5 July 1792

Notes

The relationship between the title of "king" and "emperor" in the area that is today called Germany is just as complicated as the history and the structure of the Holy Roman Empire itself. The following remarks may or may not clarify things a little (for details, refer to the Holy Roman Empire article):

1. The Holy Roman Empire (although only titled as such much later) started when Charlemagne, King of the Franks and the Lombards was crowned Emperor of the Romans in 800. The Kingdom of Germany started out as the eastern section of the Frankish kingdom, which was split by the Treaty of Verdun in 843 (while the western section eventually became France). The rulers of the eastern area thus called themselves rex Francorum, king of the Franks, and later just rex. A reference to the "Germans", indicating the emergence of a German nation of some sort, did not appear until the eleventh century, when the pope referred to his enemy Henry IV as rex teutonicorum, King of the Teutons, in order to brand him as a foreigner. The kings reacted by consistently using the title rex Romanorum, King of the Romans, to emphasize their universal rule even before becoming Emperor. This title remained until the end of the Empire in 1806 (but in this and related entries, the kings are called kings of Germany, for clarity's sake.)
2. The kingdom was never entirely hereditary; instead, ancestry was only one of the factors that determined the succession of kings. The king was formally elected by the leading nobilty in the realm, continuing the Frankish tradition. Gradually the election became the privilege of a group of princes called Electors and the Golden Bull of 1356 formally defined election proceedings.
3. In the Middle Ages, the King did not assume the title "Emperor" (since 982 the full title was Imperator Augustus Romanorum, August Emperor of the Romans) until crowned by the Pope. He also had to be crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy, after which he assumed the title of rex Italicum, King of Italy. After this he would ride on to Rome and be crowned Emperor by the Pope.
4. In 1508 Maximilian I was the first king who announced that henceforth he would use the title of "Emperor-Elect", after his attempt to march to Rome and be crowned by the Pope had failed. His successor, Charles V, was the last emperor to be crowned by the Pope. From Ferdinand I onwards, all Emperors were merely "Emperors-Elect", although they were normally referred to as "the Emperor." At the same time, chosen successors of the Habsburg emperors were called "King of the Romans", if elected during their father's lifetime.

Confederation of the Rhine 1806-1813

Name	Title	House	Began	Ended
Napoleon I	Emperor of the French, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine	Bonaparte	25 July 1806	19 October 1813

German Confederation 1815-1866

Name	Title	House	Began	Ended
Francis I	Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation	Habsburg-Lorraine	20 June 1815	2 March 1835
Ferdinand I	Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation	Habsburg-Lorraine	2 March 1835	12 July 1848
Archduke Johann of Austria	Imperial Vicar	Habsburg-Lorraine	12 July 1848	20 December 1849
Frederick William IV	King of Prussia	Hohenzollern	offered title of Emperor of the Germans by the Frankfurt Assembly in 1849, but refused it.
Francis Joseph I	Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation	Habsburg-Lorraine	1 May 1850	24 August 1866

North German Confederation 1867-1871

Name	Title	House	Began	Ended
Wilhelm I	King of Prussia, President of the North German Confederation	Hohenzollern	1 July 1867	18 January 1871

He became German Emperor in 1871.

German Empire (1871-1918)

Name	Title	House	Began	Ended
Wilhelm I	German Emperor, King of Prussia	Hohenzollern	18 January 1871	9 March 1888
Friedrich III	German Emperor, King of Prussia	Hohenzollern	9 March 1888	15 June 1888
Wilhelm II	German Emperor, King of Prussia	Hohenzollern	15 June 1888	9 November 1918

Pretenders to the German Empire

Monarchists still referred to Wilhelm II as emperor and head of the house of Hohenzollern and when he died, they recognised his descendents as Hohenzollern heads and the rightful emperors.

Name	Title In Pretense	House	Began	Ended
Wilhelm III	German Emperor, King of Prussia	Hohenzollern	1941	1951
Louis Ferdinand I	German Emperor, King of Prussia	Hohenzollern	1951	1994
Georg Friedrich I	German Emperor, King of Prussia, also styled by his supporters as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg	Hohenzollern	1994	Incumbent