1612 imperial election

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.

The election as depicted on a contemporary engraving

Background

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

Elected

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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.