1612 imperial election

The election as depicted on a contemporary engraving

The imperial election of 1612 was an imperial election held to select the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. It took place in Frankfurt on 13 June.

Background

The previous Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, died on 20 January. The prince-electors convened to replace him were:

• Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg, elector of Mainz
• Lothar von Metternich, elector of Trier
• Ferdinand of Bavaria, elector of Cologne
• Matthias, king of Bohemia
• Frederick V, elector of the Electoral Palatinate
• John George I, elector of Saxony
• John Sigismund, elector of Brandenburg

Elected

Ferdinand promoted the election of his brother-in-law Maximilian I, duke of Bavaria as emperor; however, Maximilian refused to accept the throne. Instead, Rudolf's next surviving brother, Matthias, who had already taken power in Bohemia and Hungary, was elected. He was crowned on 26 June in Frankfurt.