What was the Holy Roman Empire?

The Holy Roman Empire was a multi-ethnic complex of territories in central Europe during the Early Middle Ages that continued until its dissolution in 1806. The largest territory of the empire was the Kingdom of Germany, though it also came to include the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Burgundy, the Kingdom of Italy, and numerous other territories.

On 25 December 800, Pope Leo III crowned the Frankish king Charlemagne as Emperor, reviving the title in Western Europe after more than three centuries. The title continued in his family until 899. The title was revived in 962 when Otto I was crowned emperor, beginning a continuous existence of the empire for over 8 centuries. Some historians refer to the coronation of Charlemagne as the origin of the empire, but most scholars concur it began with the coronation of Otto I.

The term "Holy Roman Empire" was not used until the 13th century. But the fundamental concept of the emperor was the notion of supreme power inherited from the emperors of Rome.The office Emperor was traditionally elective, although frequently controlled by dynasties. The German prince-electors, the highest-ranking noblemen of the empire, elected one of their peers as "King of the Romans", and he would later be crowned by the Pope. The empire never achieved political unification, evolving instead into a decentralized, limited elective monarchy composed of hundreds of principalities, duchies, counties, Free Imperial Cities, and other domains.