Holy Roman emperors

Carolingian dynasty

Charlemagne (Charles I) 800-814

Louis I 814-840

Civil war 840-843

Lothar I 843-855

Louis II 855-875

Charles II 875-877

Interregnum 877-881

Charles III 881-887

Interregnum 887-891

House of Spoleto

Guy (Guy II) 891-894

Lambert (Lambert Of Spoleto) 894-898

Carolingian dynasty

Arnulf 896-899

Louis III 901-905

Berengar 915-924

House of Saxony (Liudolfings)

Otto I 936-973

Otto II 973-983

Otto III 983-1002

Henry II 1002-24

Salian dynasty

Conrad II 1024-39

Henry III 1039-56

Henry IV 1084-1105/06

Rival claimants

Rudolf 1077-80

Hermann 1081-93

Conrad 1093-1101

Henry V 1105/06-25

House of Supplinburg

Lothar II (Lothar II (or III)) 1125-37

House of Hohenstaufen

Conrad III 1138-52

Frederick I (Barbarossa) 1152-90

Henry VI 1190-97

Philip 1198-1208

Welf dynasty

Otto IV 1198-1214

House of Hohenstaufen

Frederick II 1215-50

Rival claimants

Henry (VII) (Henry (VII)) 1220-35

Henry Raspe (Henry Raspe) 1246-47

William of Holland (William) 1247-56

Conrad IV 1250-54

Great Interregnum

Richard 1257-72

Alfonso (Alfonso X) (Alfonso X of Castile) 1257-75

House of Habsburg

Rudolf I 1273-91

House of Nassau

Adolf 1292-98

House of Habsburg

Albert I 1298-1308

House of Luxembourg

Henry VII 1308-13

House of Habsburg

Frederick (Frederick (III)) (III) 1314-26

House of Wittelsbach

Louis IV 1314-46

House of Luxembourg

Charles IV 1346-78

Wenceslas 1378-1400

House of Wittelsbach

Rupert 1400-10

House of Luxembourg

Jobst 1410-11

Sigismund 1410-37

House of Habsburg

Albert II 1438-39

Frederick III 1440-93

Maximilian I 1493-1519

Charles V 1519-56

Ferdinand I 1556-64

Maximilian II 1564-76

Rudolf II 1576-1612

Matthias 1612-19

Ferdinand II 1619-37

Ferdinand III 1637-57

Leopold I 1658-1705

Joseph I 1705-11

Charles VI 1711-40

House of Wittelsbach

Charles VII 1742-45

House of Habsburg

Francis I 1745-65

Joseph II 1765-90

Leopold II 1790-92

Francis II 1792-1806

Succession to the imperial crown throughout the history of the Holy Roman Empire depended upon coronation by the pope and, especially later, election. As a result, most emperors took power as kings before ascending to the rank of emperor, though some also assumed the imperial crown as coemperor with their predecessor. Because of the complex and varied nature of succession, the dates of reign for the rulers in this table begin with the onset of their reign as independent rulers rather than with their assumption of the imperial dignity.