The Parochialkirche (literally the Reformed parochial church ) is a Reformed church in the Klosterviertel neighbourhood of the Mitte borough in Berlin . The church, now a listed building , was built between 1695 and 1703. It is the oldest church in Berlin built as a Protestant place of worship. The church is now used and owned by the congregation of St. Mary's and St. Peter's, the merger of the parishes in the historical city center concluded on 23 September 2005. The congregation forms part of the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia , a Protestant regional church body comprising Lutheran, Reformed and united Protestant congregations.
66-679: When the prince-electoral family of Brandenburg, the Berlin-based Hohenzollern , converted from Lutheranism to Calvinism (in German usually: Reformed Church; in English mostly: Presbyterian church) in 1613, all parish churches of Berlin, then under the patronage and advowson of the Lutheran city council, remained Lutheran. So only the Cölln Palace and Collegiate Church , the court church,
132-423: A brother might be born who, though younger, would assume that position. Hence, she is an heir presumptive. For example, Queen Elizabeth II was heir presumptive during the reign of her father, King George VI ; had George fathered a legitimate son, then that child would have displaced Elizabeth in the line of succession and become heir apparent. However, a granddaughter could for example be heir apparent if she were
198-414: A female heir apparent. The Revolution settlement that established William and Mary as joint monarchs in 1689 only gave the power to continue the succession through issue to Mary II, elder daughter of the previous king, James II . William, by contrast, was to reign for life only, and his (hypothetical) children by a wife other than Mary would be placed in his original place (as Mary's first cousin) in
264-646: A formality. After these lines ended in extinction, the electors began to elect kings from different families so that the throne would not once again settle within a single dynasty. All kings elected from 1438 onwards were from among the Habsburg dynasty until 1740, when Austria was inherited by a woman, Maria Theresa , sparking the War of the Austrian Succession and the short-lived rule of a Bavarian Wittelsbach emperor. In 1745, Maria Theresa's husband, Francis I of Lorraine ,
330-402: A great part in the choice. From the sixteenth century on, electors drafted a Wahlkapitulation , or electoral capitulation, which was presented to the king-elect. The capitulation may be described as a contract between the princes and the king, the latter conceding rights and powers to the electors and other princes. Once an individual swore to abide by the electoral capitulation, he assumed
396-502: A male heir apparent dies leaving no sons but at least one daughter, then the eldest daughter would replace her father as heir apparent to whatever throne or title is concerned, but only when it has become clear that the widow of the deceased is not pregnant. Then, as the representative of her father's line she would assume a place ahead of any more distant relatives. For example, had George, Prince of Wales (the future George IV) predeceased his father, King George III , between 1796 and 1817,
462-520: A secular prince-elector was known as an electoral prince ( German : Kurprinz ). Electors were rulers of reichsstände ( Imperial Estates ), enjoying precedence over the other Imperial Princes . They were, until the 18th century, exclusively entitled to be addressed with the title Durchlaucht (Serene Highness). In 1742, the electors became entitled to the superlative Durchlauchtigste (Most Serene Highness), while other princes were promoted to Durchlaucht . As rulers of Imperial Estates,
528-424: Is known as heir presumptive . Today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles (e.g. titles of nobility) or offices, especially when only inheritable by a single person. Most monarchies refer to the heir apparent of their thrones with the descriptive term of crown prince or crown princess , but they may also be accorded with a more specific substantive title : such as Prince of Orange in
594-586: Is unknown. A letter written by Pope Urban IV in 1265 suggests that by " immemorial custom ", seven princes had the right to elect the King and future Emperor. The pope wrote that the seven electors were those who had just voted in the election of 1257, which resulted in the election of two kings. The three Archbishops oversaw the most venerable and powerful sees in Germany. Since 1214, the Palatinate and Bavaria were held by
660-639: The Archbishop of Cologne became Archchancellor of Italy , and the Archbishop of Trier became Archchancellor of Burgundy . The secular electors were granted heraldic augmentations to their coats of arms reflecting their positions in the Household. These augmentations were displayed in three alternative ways: firstly, as an inescutcheon on their coat of arms (as in the case of the Arch-Steward, Treasurer, and Chamberlain); secondly: as dexter impalements (as in
726-567: The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818) , however, and instead listed him with the Grand Dukes as a "Royal Highness". Believing the title of Prince-Elector to be superior in dignity to that of Grand Duke, the Elector of Hesse-Kassel chose to remain an Elector, even though there was no longer a Holy Roman Emperor to elect. Hesse-Kassel remained the only Electorate in Germany until 1866, when the country backed
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#1732855709421792-768: The Duke of Württemberg , the Margrave of Baden , the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel , and the Duke of Salzburg , bringing the total number of electors to ten. When Austria annexed Salzburg under the Treaty of Pressburg (1805) , the Duke of Salzburg moved to the Grand Duchy of Würzburg and retained his electorate. None of the new electors, however, had an opportunity to cast votes, as the Holy Roman Empire
858-569: The Holy Roman Empire . The French monarchy eventually became hereditary , but the Holy Roman Emperors remained elective. While all free men originally exercised the right to vote in such elections, suffrage eventually came to be limited to the leading men of the realm. In the election of Lothar III in 1125, a small number of eminent nobles chose the monarch and then submitted him to the remaining magnates for their approbation. Soon,
924-446: The line of succession to a title or office is secure, regardless of future births. An heir presumptive , by contrast, can always be "bumped down" in the succession by the birth of somebody more closely related in a legal sense (according to that form of primogeniture) to the current title-holder. The clearest example occurs in the case of a childless bearer of a hereditary title that can only be inherited by one person. If at any time
990-658: The Arch-Treasurer by the Hereditary Treasurer (the Count of Sinzendorf ). After 1803, the Duke of Württemberg as Arch-Bannerbearer assigned the count of Zeppelin- Aschhausen as Hereditary Bannerbearer. The German practice of electing monarchs began when ancient Germanic tribes formed ad hoc coalitions and elected the leaders thereof. Elections were irregularly held by the Franks , whose successor states include France and
1056-619: The College of Electors was disrupted when a Catholic branch of the Wittelsbach family inherited the Palatinate. A new Protestant electorate was created in 1692 for the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, who became known as the Elector of Hanover (the Imperial Diet officially confirmed the creation in 1708). The Elector of Saxony converted to Catholicism in 1697 so that he could become King of Poland, but no additional Protestant electors were created. Although
1122-521: The Council of Princes by virtue of possessing territory or holding ecclesiastical position. The assent of both bodies was required for important decisions affecting the structure of the Empire, such as the creation of new electorates or States of the Empire. Many electors ruled a number of States of the Empire or held several ecclesiastical titles, and therefore had multiple votes in the Council of Princes. In 1792,
1188-642: The Council of Princes in addition to their positions as electors. In addition to voting by colleges or councils, the Imperial Diet also voted in religious coalitions, as provided for in the Peace of Westphalia . The Archbishop of Mainz presided over the Catholic body, the corpus catholicorum , while the Elector of Saxony presided over the Protestant body, the corpus evangelicorum . The division into religious bodies
1254-549: The Elector Palatine inherited Bavaria. Many changes to the composition of the college were necessitated by Napoleon 's aggression during the early 19th century. The Treaty of Lunéville (1801), which ceded territory on the Rhine 's left bank to France , led to the abolition of the archbishoprics of Trier and Cologne, and the transfer of the remaining spiritual Elector from Mainz to Regensburg . In 1803, electorates were created for
1320-526: The Elector of Brandenburg had eight votes, the Elector of Bavaria six votes, the Elector of Hanover six votes, the King of Bohemia three votes, the Elector-Archbishop of Trier three votes, the Elector-Archbishop of Cologne two votes, and the Elector-Archbishop of Mainz one vote. Thus, of the hundred votes in the Council of Princes in 1792 , twenty-nine belonged to electors, giving them considerable influence in
1386-587: The Elector of Saxony was personally Catholic, the Electorate itself remained officially Protestant, and the Elector even remained the leader of the Protestant body in the Reichstag . In 1706, the Elector of Bavaria and Archbishop of Cologne were outlawed during the War of the Spanish Succession , but both were restored in 1714 after the Peace of Baden . In 1777, the number of electors was reduced to eight when
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#17328557094211452-532: The Electors admitted in 1803, but the Empire was abolished before they could be created. The Duke of Württemberg, however, started to adopt the trappings of the Arch-Bannerbearer. The electors discharged the ceremonial duties associated with their offices only during coronations, where they bore the crown and regalia of the Empire. Otherwise, they were represented by holders of corresponding " Hereditary Offices of
1518-659: The Electors of Baden, Regensburg , and Würzburg became Grand Dukes . The Elector of Hesse-Kassel, however, retained the meaningless title " Elector of Hesse ", thus distinguishing himself from other Hessian princes (the Grand Duke of Hesse(-Darmstadt) and the Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg ). Napoleon soon exiled him and Kassel was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia , a new creation. The King of Great Britain remained at war with Napoleon and continued to style himself Elector of Hanover, while
1584-639: The Hanoverian government continued to operate in London. The Congress of Vienna accepted the Electors of Bavaria, Württemberg, and Saxony as Kings, along with the newly created Grand Duke of Baden. The Elector of Hanover finally joined his fellow Electors by declaring himself the King of Hanover . The restored Elector of Hesse tried to be recognized as the King of the Chatti . The European powers refused to acknowledge this title at
1650-834: The Household ". The Arch-Butler was represented by the Hereditary Butler ( Cupbearer ) (the Count of Althann ), the Arch-Seneschal by the Hereditary Steward (the Count of Waldburg , who adopted the title into their name as "Truchsess von Waldburg"), the Arch-Chamberlain by the Hereditary Chamberlain (the Count of Hohenzollern ), the Arch-Marshal by the Hereditary Marshal (the Count of Pappenheim ), and
1716-733: The Netherlands, Duke of Brabant in Belgium, Prince of Asturias in Spain (also granted to heirs presumptive), or the Prince of Wales in England and Wales; former titles include Dauphin in the Kingdom of France , and Tsesarevich in Imperial Russia . The term is also applied metaphorically to an expected successor to any position of power, e.g. a political or corporate leader. This article primarily describes
1782-481: The Netherlands, and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium; they are, respectively, the oldest children of Kings Carl XVI Gustaf , Willem-Alexander , and Philippe . Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is heir apparent to her father, who is heir apparent to the Norwegian throne, and Victoria herself has a female heir apparent in her elder child, Princess Estelle . Victoria was not heir apparent from birth (in 1977), but gained
1848-525: The Perth Agreement. The effects are not likely to be felt for many years; the first two heirs at the time of the agreement (Charles, Prince of Wales, later Charles III , and his son William, Prince of Wales ) were already eldest born children, and in 2013 William's first-born son Prince George of Wales became the next apparent successor. But even in legal systems that apply male-preference primogeniture, female heirs apparent are by no means impossible: if
1914-551: The Romans" ( German : erwählter Römischer Kaiser ; Latin : electus Romanorum imperator ) upon their coronation as kings. The dignity of elector carried great prestige and was considered to be behind only the emperor, kings, and the highest dukes. The electors held exclusive privileges that were not shared with other princes of the Empire , and they continued to hold their original titles alongside that of elector. The heir apparent to
1980-617: The Wettin family in 1547, in the aftermath of the Schmalkaldic War . In 1623, the Elector Palatine, Frederick V , came under the imperial ban after participating in the Bohemian Revolt (a part of the Thirty Years' War ). The Elector Palatine's seat was conferred on the Duke of Bavaria, the head of a junior branch of his family. Originally, the Duke held the electorate personally, but it
2046-480: The building on 20 August 1961 and for the rest of the East Berlin-era the building was used for exhibitions and concerts and then (from 1970) as a furniture warehouse. A new roof was put on in 1988. From 1991 onwards the building was gradually restored. Works on the porch and tower were postponed in 2001 and on the nave in 2004. In summer 2016, the bell tower dome with the golden sun was restored after 72 years and
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2112-691: The carillon with 52 bells has been rung since 23 October 2016 from the Parochialkirche's 65 m tower. The church's cemetery is one of the oldest surviving ones in Berlin and includes the tomb of the Reformed theologian Daniel Ernst Jablonski . 52°31′01″N 13°24′47″E / 52.51694°N 13.41306°E / 52.51694; 13.41306 Prince-elector The prince-electors ( German : Kurfürst ( listen ), pl. Kurfürsten , Czech : Kurfiřt , Latin : Princeps Elector ) were
2178-573: The case of the Arch-Marshal and Arch-Bannerbearer) and thirdly: integrated into the charge within the escutcheon (as in the case of the Arch-Cupbearer, where the Lion of Bohemia acquired a "simple crown" held in his dexter paw). When the Duke of Bavaria replaced the Elector Palatine in 1623, he assumed the latter's office of Arch-Steward. When the Count Palatine was granted a new electorate, he assumed
2244-410: The council's objection against its construction. Firebombing on 24 May 1944 completely destroyed the tower and the interior of the church. In 1946 a makeshift floor was built from the porch into the church, which could not be structurally secured until 1950–1951. Fritz Kühn made a cross from scrap iron found in the ruins, which was hung in the sanctuary in 1961. The last religious service took place in
2310-572: The disputes among the electors. Under it, the Archbishops of Mainz , Trier , and Cologne , as well as the King of Bohemia , the Count Palatine of the Rhine , the Duke of Saxony , and the Margrave of Brandenburg held the right to elect the King. The college's composition remained unchanged until the 17th century, although the Electorate of Saxony was transferred from the senior to the junior branch of
2376-509: The electors enjoyed all the privileges of princes, including the right to enter into alliances, to autonomy in relation to dynastic affairs, and to precedence over other subjects. The Golden Bull granted them the Privilegium de non appellando , which prevented their subjects from lodging an appeal to a higher Imperial court. Although this privilege, and some others, were automatically granted to Electors, they were not exclusive to them and many of
2442-492: The following changes to the Constitution of the Holy Roman Empire were attempted until the Empire's collapse. The arch-chancellor of Germany and archbishop elector of Mainz continued to be an elector, but as the prince of Regensburg, which took over Mainz's arch-episcopal status. The prince of Württemberg received the formerly defunct office of Arch-Bannerbearer, while the other new electors were not given augments or high office in
2508-594: The former's daughter, Princess Charlotte , being his only legitimate child, would have become heir apparent to the British throne. Such a situation has not to date occurred with the English or British throne; several times an heir apparent has died, but each example has either been childless or left a son or sons. However, there have been several female heirs apparent to British peerages (e.g. Frances Ward, 6th Baroness Dudley , and Henrietta Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth ). In one special case, however, England and Scotland had
2574-404: The imperial household, though new offices were planned. (Merged into Duchy of Bavaria ) Heir apparent Philosophers Works An heir apparent is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more eligible heir
2640-420: The larger Imperial Estates were also to be individually granted some or all those rights and privileges. The electors, like the other princes ruling States of the Empire, were members of the Imperial Diet , which was divided into three collegia : the Council of Electors, the Council of Princes, and the Council of Cities. In addition to being members of the Council of Electors, most electors were also members of
2706-451: The line of succession—after Mary's younger sister Anne . Thus, after Mary's death William continued to reign, but he had no power to beget direct heirs, and Anne became the heir apparent for the remainder of William's reign. She eventually succeeded him as Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The position of an heir apparent is normally unshakable: it can be assumed they will inherit. Sometimes, however, extraordinary events—such as
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2772-551: The losing side in the Austro-Prussian War and was absorbed into Prussia. Below are the State arms of each Imperial Elector. Emblems of Imperial High Offices are shown on the appropriate arms. Three Electors Spiritual (Archbishops): all three were annexed by various powers through German Mediatisation of 1803. Four Electors Secular: Electors added in the 17th century: As Napoleon waged war on Europe, between 1803 and 1806,
2838-404: The members of the electoral college that elected the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire . From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince-electors gained the privilege of electing the King of the Romans . The king would then later be crowned Emperor by the pope . Charles V (elected in 1519) was the last emperor to be crowned (1530); his successors assumed the title "Elected Emperor of
2904-410: The name of the holy empire". The Elector of Saxony was vicar in areas operating under Saxon law ( Saxony , Westphalia , Hannover , and northern Germany), while the Elector Palatine was vicar in the remainder of the Empire ( Franconia , Swabia , the Rhine , and southern Germany). The Elector of Bavaria replaced the Elector Palatine in 1623, but when the latter was granted a new electorate in 1648, there
2970-458: The office of King of the Romans. In the 10th and 11th centuries, princes often acted merely to confirm hereditary succession in the Ottonian and Salian dynasty . But with the actual formation of the prince-elector class, elections became more open, starting with the election of Lothair III in 1125. The Staufen dynasty managed to get its sons formally elected in their fathers' lifetimes almost as
3036-450: The only daughter of the deceased eldest son of the sovereign (e.g. Queen Elizabeth II would have been heir apparent to George V if her oldest uncle and father both had died before their father). In a system of absolute primogeniture that disregards gender, female heirs apparent occur. As succession to titles, positions, or offices in the past most often favoured males, females considered to be an heir apparent were rare. Absolute primogeniture
3102-400: The position of Arch-Treasurer of the Empire. When the Duke of Bavaria was banned in 1706, the Elector Palatine returned to the office of Arch-Steward, and in 1710, the Elector of Hanover was promoted to the post of Arch-Treasurer. Matters were complicated by the Duke of Bavaria's restoration in 1714; the Elector of Bavaria resumed the office of Arch-Steward, while the Elector Palatine returned to
3168-529: The post of Arch-Treasurer, and the Elector of Hanover was given the new office of Archbannerbearer. The Electors of Hanover, however, continued to be styled Arch-Treasurers, though the Elector Palatine was the one who actually exercised the office until 1777, when he inherited Bavaria and the Arch-Stewardship. After 1777, no further changes were made to the Imperial Household; new offices were planned for
3234-430: The right to choose the monarch was settled on an exclusive group of princes, and the procedure of seeking the approval of the remaining nobles was abandoned. The college of electors was mentioned in 1152 and again in 1198. The composition of electors at that time is unclear, but appears to have included bishops and the dukes of the stem duchies . The electoral college is known to have existed by 1152, but its composition
3300-516: The same individual, but in 1253, they were divided between two members of the House of Wittelsbach . The other electors refused to allow two princes from the same dynasty to have electoral rights, so a heated rivalry arose between the Count Palatine and the Duke of Bavaria over who should hold the Wittelsbach seat. Meanwhile, the King of Bohemia, who held the ancient imperial office of Arch-Cupbearer, asserted his right to participate in elections. Sometimes he
3366-562: The status in 1980 following a change in the Swedish Act of Succession . Her younger brother Carl Philip (born 1979) was thus heir apparent for a few months (and is a rare example of an heir apparent losing this status without a death occurring). In 2015, pursuant to the 2011 Perth Agreement , the Commonwealth realms changed the rules of succession to the 16 thrones of Elizabeth II to absolute primogeniture, except for male heirs born before
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#17328557094213432-422: The term heir apparent in a hereditary system regulated by laws of primogeniture —it may be less applicable to cases where a monarch has a say in naming the heir (performed either while alive, e.g. crowning the heir as a rex iunior , or through the monarch's will ). In a hereditary system governed by some form of primogeniture , an heir apparent is easily identifiable as the person whose position as first in
3498-412: The title bearer were to produce children, those children would rank ahead of any person who had formerly been heir presumptive. Many legal systems assume childbirth is always possible regardless of age or health. In such circumstances a person may be, in a practical sense, the heir apparent but still, legally speaking, heir presumptive. Indeed, when Queen Victoria succeeded her uncle King William IV ,
3564-660: The two agreed to alternate as vicars, with Bavaria starting first. This arrangement was upheld by the Imperial Diet in 1752. In 1777, the question was settled when the Elector Palatine inherited Bavaria. On many occasions, however, there was no interregnum, as a new king had been elected during the lifetime of the previous Emperor. Frankfurt regularly served as the site of the election from the fourteenth century on, but elections were also held at Cologne (1531), Regensburg (1575 and 1636), and Augsburg (1653 and 1690). An elector could appear in person or could appoint another elector as his proxy. More often, an electoral suite or embassy
3630-491: The undifferentiated name. As a Reformed church building Parochialkirche is not dedicated or even consecrated to any patron saint . The church was erected in Klosterstraße at the corner with Freier Fahrweg (renamed Parochialstraße in 1862), because the sites along Klosterstraße then formed a prince-electoral immunity district (kurfürstliche Freiheit), not under the legislation of the Lutheran city council, in order to circumvent
3696-419: The wording of the proclamation even gave as a caveat : ...saving the rights of any issue of his late Majesty King William IV, which may be born of his late Majesty's consort. This provided for the possibility that William's wife, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen , was pregnant at the moment of his death, since such a posthumous child, regardless of its sex, would have displaced Victoria from the throne. Adelaide
3762-523: Was 44 at the time, so pregnancy was possible even if unlikely. Daughters (and their lines) may inherit titles that descend according to male-preference primogeniture, but only in default of sons (and their heirs). That is, both female and male offspring have the right to a place somewhere in the order of succession, but when it comes to what that place is, a female will rank behind her brothers regardless of their ages or her age. Thus, normally, even an only daughter will not be heir apparent, since at any time
3828-486: Was a dispute between the two as to which was vicar. In 1659, both purported to act as vicar, but ultimately, the other vicar recognized the Elector of Bavaria. Later, the two electors made a pact to act as joint vicars, but the Imperial Diet rejected the agreement. In 1711, while the Elector of Bavaria was under the ban of the Empire , the Elector Palatine again acted as vicar, but his cousin was restored to his position upon his restoration three years later. Finally, in 1745,
3894-718: Was abolished in 1806, and the new electorates were never confirmed by the Emperor. In 1788, the ruling family of Savoy pushed to receive an electoral title. Their ambition was backed by Brandenburg-Prussia. Nonetheless, the French Revolution and subsequent Coalition Wars soon rendered this a moot point. After the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in August 1806, the Electors continued to reign over their territories, many of them taking higher or alternative titles. The Electors of Bavaria, Württemberg, and Saxony styled themselves Kings, while
3960-419: Was challenged on the grounds that his kingdom was not German, though usually he was recognized, instead of Bavaria, which, after all, was just a younger line of Wittelsbachs. The Declaration of Rhense issued in 1338 had the effect that election by the majority of the electors automatically conferred the royal title and rule over the empire, without papal confirmation. The Golden Bull of 1356 finally resolved
4026-422: Was dedicated as a Reformed place of worship. However, mainly by immigration the number of ordinary German-speaking Berliners of Reformed denomination, not employed at or belonging to the court, grew and a separate parochial church for them, as opposed to the Palace Reformed Church, was needed. Parochialkirche was the first and then only Reformed church for prevailingly ordinary Reformed congregants in Berlin, thus
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#17328557094214092-441: Was elected emperor. All of his successors were also from the Habsburg-Lorraine family. Each elector held a "High Office of the Empire" ( Reichserzämter ) analogous to a modern cabinet office position and was a member of the ceremonial Imperial Household . The three spiritual electors became Archchancellors ( German : Erzkanzler , Latin : Archicancellarius ): the Archbishop of Mainz became Archchancellor of Germany ,
4158-426: Was later made hereditary along with the duchy. When the Thirty Years' War concluded with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, a new electorate was created for the Count Palatine of the Rhine. Since the Elector of Bavaria retained his seat, the number of electors increased to eight; the two Wittelsbach lines were now sufficiently estranged so as not to pose a combined potential threat. In 1685, the religious composition of
4224-429: Was not practised by any modern monarchy for succession to their thrones until the late twentieth century, with Sweden being the first to adopt absolute primogeniture in 1980 and other Western European monarchies following suit. Since the adoption of absolute primogeniture by most of the Western European monarchies, examples of female heirs apparent include Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Catharina-Amalia of
4290-561: Was on the basis of the official religion of the state. The electors were originally summoned by the Archbishop of Mainz within one month of an Emperor's death, and met within three months of being summoned. During the interregnum , imperial power was exercised by two imperial vicars . Each vicar, in the words of the Golden Bull, was "the administrator of the empire itself, with the power of passing judgments, of presenting to ecclesiastical benefices, of collecting returns and revenues and investing with fiefs, of receiving oaths of fealty for and in
4356-540: Was sent to cast the vote; the credentials of such representatives were verified by the Archbishop of Mainz, who presided over the ceremony. The deliberations were held at the city hall, but voting occurred in the cathedral. In Frankfurt, a special electoral chapel, or Wahlkapelle , was used for elections. Under the Golden Bull, a majority of electors sufficed to elect a king, and each elector could cast only one vote. Electors were free to vote for whomsoever they pleased (including themselves), but dynastic considerations played
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