The Holy Empire
The Holy Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium
Romanum Sacrum, German: Heiliges
Römisches Reich,
Italian: Sacro
Romano Impero, Czech: Svatá říše
římská, Slovene: Sveto
rimsko cesarstvo)
was a varying complex of lands that existed from 962
to 1806 in Central Europe. It grew out of East Francia, one of the primary divisions of
the Frankish Empire.
Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period,
when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes. In
its last centuries, it had become quite close to a union of territories.The empire's territory lay predominantly in Central Europe and at its peak included territories of the Kingdom of Germany, Kingdom of Bohemia, Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Burgundy. For much of its history, the Empire consisted of hundreds of smaller sub-units, principalities, duchies, counties, Free Imperial Cities and other domains.
The Western Roman Empire, that began its terminal collapse in 408, was notionally reborn nearly four centuries later through translatio imperii, the transfer of its lands, to Charlemagne, Charles the Great, King of the Franks, who had been crowned Emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day 800 by Pope Leo III. The term "Holy Empire" (in the sense of "consecrated") in reference to the medieval Roman Empire was used from 1157, under Frederick I. The form "Holy Roman Empire", in German the: Heiliges Römisches Reich, is attested from 1254 onwad.
The Carolingian imperial crown was initially disputed among the Carolingian rulers of Western Francia and Eastern Francia, with first the western king (Charles the Bald) and then the eastern (Charles the Fat) attaining the prize. However, after the death of Charles the Fat in 888, the Carolingian Empire broke asunder, never to be restored. According to Regino of Prüm, each part of the realm elected a "kinglet" from its own "bowels. After the death of Charles the Fat, those crowned Emperor by the Pope controlled only territories in Italy. The last such Emperor was Berengar I of Italy who died in 924
