Kingdom of Germany
▶ Explore on the mapIn medieval history, the Kingdom of Germany (Latin: Regnum Teutonicum) was the original core of the Holy Roman Empire, which continued to be distinguished from other parts of the empire such as the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Burgundy. It evolved from the eastern Frankish kingdom formed by the Treaty of Verdun in 843, which split the Carolingian Empire. The Kingdom of Germany originally consisted of several identifiable regions which became the stem duchies of Saxony, Franconia, Thuringia, Bavaria, and Swabia, and in the 10th century it consolidated its hold on Lotharingia. In modern geographical terms, it eventually expanded to include modern Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, along with significant parts of Switzerland, Belgium and France. There was no single official name of this kingdom and its rulers preferred to emphasise the imperial and transnational character of their imperial office. From 962, the kings of Germany claimed the imperial title which had previously been held by the Carolingians, and with it a theoretical claim to universal jurisdiction. In practice, Germany came to dominate Italy and Burgundy in the 10th and 11th centuries respectively. This union of kingdoms under an elected emperor is what came to be known as the Holy Roman Empire. Beginning in the late 11th century, the Investiture Contest pitted the claims of the German king-emperors against those of the Pope, and as part of this the kings adopted the title rex Romanorum (king of the Romans). Reference to a country called "Germany" would not be found in any official royal titles until 1508.
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