List of monarchs of Germany

This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany, from the division of the Frankish Empire in 843 and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 until the collapse of the German Empire in 1918:

East Francia (843–962)

Carolingian dynasty

Seal/Portrait	Name	King	Emperor	Ended	Notes	R.
Inaccurate	Louis II the German	10 August 843	—	28 August 876	Son of Emperor Louis the Pious and grandson of Charlemagne
Non-contemporary	Carloman	28 August 876	—	22 March 880	Son of Louis the German ruled in Bavaria; from 876, also King of Italy
Non-contemporary	Louis III the Younger	22 March 880	—	20 January 882	Son of Louis the German ruled in East Francia, Saxony; from 880, also Bavaria
	Charles III the Fat	20 January 882	12 February 881	17 November 887	Son of Louis the German ruled in Alemannia, Raetia, from 882 in the entire Eastern Kingdom; from 880, also King of Italy
	Arnulf of Carinthia	27 November 887	25 April 896	8 December 899	Illegitimate son of Carloman
Non-contemporary	Louis IV the Child	8 December 899	—	24 September 911	Son of Arnulf of Carinthia

Conradine dynasty

Portrait	Name	King	Emperor	Ended	Notes	R.
Non-contemporary	Conrad I	10 November 911	—	23 December 918	Elected by the nobility

Ottonian dynasty

Seal/Portrait	Name	King	Emperor	Ended	Notes	R.
	Henry I the Fowler	14 / 24 May 919	—	2 July 936	Elected by the nobility
Non-contemporary	Arnulf the Evil	919	—	921	Rival king to Henry I, member of the Luitpoldings

Holy Roman Empire (962–1806)

The title "King of the Romans", used in the Holy Roman Empire, was, from the coronation of Henry II, considered equivalent to King of Germany. A king was chosen by the German electors and would then proceed to Rome to be crowned emperor by the pope.

Ottonian dynasty (continued)

Salian dynasty

Seal/Portrait	Name	King	Emperor	Ended	Notes
Non-contemporary	Conrad II	8 September 1024	26 March 1027	4 June 1039	Great-great-grandson of Otto I
	Henry III	14 April 1028	25 December 1046	5 October 1056	Son of Conrad II; King under his father 1028–1039
	Henry IV	17 July 1054	21 March 1084	31 December 1105	Son of Henry III; King of Germany under his father, 1054–1056
	Rudolf of Rheinfelden	15 March 1077	—	15 October 1080	Rival king to Henry IV; member of the Rheinfeld.
	Hermann of Salm	6 August 1081	—	28 September 1088	Rival king to Henry IV; member of the Salm family.
Non-contemporary	Conrad	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.
Non-contemporary	Henry V	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

Supplinburger dynasty

Hohenstaufen dynasty

Interregnum

Image	Coat of arms	Name	House	King	Emperor	Ended	Notes
		Henry Raspe	Thuringia	22 May 1246	—	16 February 1247	Rival King to Frederick II and great-great-great-grandson of Henry IV
		William of Holland	Holland	3 October 1247	—	28 January 1256	Rival King to Frederick II and Conrad IV 1247–1254; unopposed 1254-1256 Married Elisabeth of the House of Welf in January 1252 to gain support of the Guelph faction
		Richard of Cornwall	Plantagenet	13 January 1257	—	2 April 1272	Brother-in-law of Frederick II and first-cousin of Otto IV, held little real authority Supported by the Guelph faction
		Alfonso of Castile	Ivrea	1 April 1257	—	1275	Grandson of Philip of Swabia; rival king to Richard of Cornwall; he held no authority and never went to Germany Supported by the Ghibelline faction, but lost their support when he was opposed by Rudolf I in 1273 Relinquished claims in 1275

Changing dynasties

Image	Coat of arms	Name	House	King	Emperor	Ended	Notes
		Rudolf I	Habsburg	1 October 1273	—	15 July 1291	First of the Habsburgs
Non-contemporary		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.
Non-contemporary		Albert I	Habsburg	24 June 1298	—	1 May 1308	Son of Rudolf I; Rival king to Adolf of Nassau, 1298
Non-contemporary		Henry VII	Luxembourg	27 November 1308	29 June 1312	24 August 1313	Holy Roman Emperor
		Louis IV the Bavarian	Wittelsbach	20 October 1314	17 January 1328	11 October 1347	Grandson of Rudolf I; rival king to Frederick the Fair, 1314–1322
Non-contemporary		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	Luxembourg	11 July 1346	5 April 1355	29 November 1378	Grandson of Henry VII; rival king to Louis IV, 1346–1347; also King of Bohemia, King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor
Non-contemporary		Günther von Schwarzburg	Schwarzburg	30 January 1349	—	24 May 1349	Rival king to Charles IV
		Wenceslaus	Luxembourg	10 June 1376	—	20 August 1400	Son of Charles IV; king of Germany under his father 1376–1378; deposed 1400; also by inheritance King of Bohemia; died 1419
Non-contemporary		Rupert of the Palatinate	Wittelsbach	21 August 1400	—	18 May 1410	Great-grandnephew of Louis IV
		Sigismund	Luxembourg	10 September 1410 /21 July 1411	3 May 1433	9 December 1437	Son of Charles IV
Non-contemporary		Jobst of Moravia	Luxembourg	1 October 1410	—	8 January 1411	Nephew of Charles IV; rival king to Sigismund

Habsburg dynasty

Modern Germany (1806–1918)

Confederation of the Rhine (1806–1813)

German Confederation (1815–1866)

North German Confederation (1867–1871)

German Empire (1871–1918)

Note on titles

The Kingdom of Germany started out as the eastern section of the Frankish kingdom, which was split by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The rulers of the eastern area thus called themselves rex ''Francorum, rex Francorum orientalium, and later just rex. A reference to the "Germans", indicating the emergence of a German nation of some sort, did not appear until the late eleventh century, when the pope began to refer to his enemy Henry IV as rex teutonicorum, king of the Germans, 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, though after 1508 emperors-elect added "king in Germany" to their titles.
The Kingdom of Germany was never entirely hereditary; rather, ancestry was only one of the factors that determined the succession of kings. During the 10th to 13th centuries, the king was formally elected by the leading nobility 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.
In the Middle Ages, the king did not assume the title "emperor" until crowned by the pope. Moving to Italy, he was usually first crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy, after which he assumed the title of rex Italiae, king of Italy. After this, he would ride on to Rome and be crowned emperor by the pope.
Maximilian I was the first king to bear the title of emperor-elect. After his march to Rome for his Imperial coronation failed in 1508, he had himself proclaimed emperor-elect with papal consent. His successor Charles V also assumed that title after his coronation in 1520 until he was crowned emperor by the pope in 1530. From Ferdinand I onwards, all emperors did not get crowned by the Pope anymore. At the same time, chosen successors of the emperors held the title of king of the Romans, if elected by the college of electors during their predecessor's lifetime.

Emperors are listed in bold. Rival kings, anti-kings, and junior co-regents are italicized''.