electorate · Germany and Central Europe

Archchancellor's Electorate

1803 CE – 1810 CE · capital Regensburg

State created for Karl Theodor von Dalberg, the last Archbishop of Mainz, to keep the imperial archchancellor's office alive.

Origins

When the left bank of the Rhine passed to France, the Electorate of Mainz lost its capital. The Imperial Recess of 1803 kept its archbishop, Karl Theodor von Dalberg, as elector and archchancellor of the Empire, and gave him the Principality of Aschaffenburg, Regensburg and the County of Wetzlar, with the archiepiscopal seat moved to Regensburg.

Rule and society

Dalberg was an Enlightenment churchman who governed from Regensburg, seat of the Perpetual Imperial Diet. His state was scattered and Catholic, with Aschaffenburg as its richest part. He cultivated Napoleon, praising him as a new Charlemagne, and in 1806 became Prince-Primate of the Confederation of the Rhine, adding Frankfurt to his lands.

Decline and legacy

In 1810 Dalberg ceded Regensburg to the Kingdom of Bavaria and in exchange received Hanau and Fulda, creating the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt. Dalberg remained its ruler until 1813, and Regensburg has belonged to Bavaria ever since.

Lineage

Electorate of Mainz 780 CE – 1803 CEFree Imperial City of Wetzlar 1180 CE – 1803 CEFree Imperial City of Regensburg 1245 CE – 1803 CEFree Imperial City of Frankfurt 1245 CE – 1806 CEPrince-Bishopric of Regensburg 1250 CE – 1803 CEImperial Abbey of Saint Emmeram 1295 CE – 1803 CEArchchancellor's ElectorateGrand Duchy of Frankfurt 1810 CE – 1813 CE

Connections (3)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Archchancellor's Electorate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/archchancellors-electorate
MLA
“Archchancellor's Electorate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/archchancellors-electorate. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Archchancellor's Electorate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/archchancellors-electorate.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Archchancellor's Electorate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/archchancellors-electorate (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻