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Over its long history, the Holy Roman Empire has used many different heraldic forms, representing its numerous internal divisions.

Holy Roman Emperors[]

Starting with Albert II (reigned 1410 - 1464), each Emperor bore arms with an inescutcheon of his personal arms on the torso of a two-headed eagle. (Before 1410 the Emperors would have both a personal and an imperial coat of arms.) The arms of the High Offices of the Empire were borne as an augmentation to the office-holder's personal arms.

Personal arms Imperial arms Name/Blazon of personal arms
Hohenstaufen family arms Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head Hohenstaufen
  • 1138-1152 : Conrad III (1093 † 1152)
  • 1152-1190 : Frederick I (1123 † 1190), crowned in 1155
  • 1190-1197 : Henry VI (1165 † 1197), crowned in 1191


Or, three lions passant in pale sable.

Arms of William the Conqueror (1066-1087) Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1198-1218 : Otto IV of Brunswick (1174 † 1218), crowned in 1209

Gules, two lions passant guardant Or.

Hohenstaufen family arms Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1212-1250 : Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (1194 † 1250), crowned in 1220
  • 1250-1254 : Conrad IV of Hohenstaufen (1228 † 1254)

Or, three lions passant in pale sable.

Counts of Habsburg Arms Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1273-1291 : Rudolph I of Habsburg (1218 † 1291)

Or, a lion rampant gules, armed, langued, and crowned azure.

Nassau Arms Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1292-1298 : Adolf of Nassau (1250 † 1298)

Azure, billetty a lion rampant with a closed crown Or, armed and langued gules.

Austria coat of arms simple Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1298-1308 : Albert I of Habsburg (1248 † 1308)

Gules a fess argent.

Arms of the Counts of Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1308-1313 : Henry VII of Luxembourg (1275 † 1313), crowned in 1312

Barry of ten argent and azure, a lion rampant gules, crowned Or.

Bavaria Arms Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1314-1347 : Louis IV of Bavaria (1286 † 1347), crowned in 1328

Fusilly bendwise argent and azure.

Blason Boheme Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1348-1378 : Charles IV of Luxembourg (1316 † 1378), crowned in 1355
  • 1378-1400 : Wenceslaus of Luxembourg (1361 † 1419)

Gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or.

Arms of the Palatinate (Bavaria-Palatinate) Holy Roman Empire Arms-single head
  • 1400-1410 : Rupert of Wittelsbach (1352 † 1410)

Quarterly, I and IV fusilly bendwise argent and azure (for Bavaria); II and III sable a lion rampant Or, armed, langued, and crowned gules (for the Electorate of the Palatinate).

Austria coat of arms simple Austria COA PM3 (Background)
  • 1434-1486: George I (1464 † 1486)
  • 1458-1508: Maximilian I (1486 † 1508)
New Personal Arms Charles V PM3 New Charles V PM3
  • 1486-1562: Charles V (1508 † 1562)
  • 1508-1592: Ferdinand I (1562 † 1592)
  • 1545-Present: Wolfgang I (1582 † Present)

Prince Electors[]

High offices (Reichserzämter)[]

Arms Office and Blazon
Arch Chamberlain Arms-single Arch Chamberlain Arms Arch-Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Empire
  • Azure a sceptre Or.
  • Azure two sceptres in saltire Or.
Arch Steward Arms Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire

Gules, an orb Or.

Arch Treasurer Arms Arch-Treasurer of the Holy Roman Empire

Gules, the crown of Charlemagne proper.

Arch-Marshal Arms Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire

Per fess sable and argent, two swords in saltire gules.


Electors[]

Arms Electorate/Blazon
Blason Boheme Bohemia

Gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or.

Wappen Mark Brandenburg Brandenburg

Argent an eagle displayed gules crowned Or.

Wappen Erzbistum Köln Cologne

Argent a cross sable.

Wappen Erzbistum Mainz Mainz

Gules, a wheel with six spokes argent.

Arms of the Palatinate (Old) Arms of the Palatinate (Bavaria-Palatinate) Electorate of the Palatinate
  • Before 1214: Sable a lion rampant Or crowned gules.
  • After 1214: Quarterly, I and IV fusilly bendwise argent and azure (for Bavaria); II and III sable a lion rampant Or, armed, langued, and crowned gules.
Coat of arms of Saxony Saxony

Barry sable and Or, a crancelin vert.

Wappen Erzbistum Trier Trier

Argent a cross gules.

Other Members[]

Arms Member/Blazon
Lesser Coat of Arms of Livonia Livonia

Quarterly I. Gules, three lions passant guardant Argent; II. Argent, stag statant Gules; III. Argent, lion rampant to sinister Gules; IV. Gules, a griffin rampant to dexter with sword Argent.


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