electorate · Germany and Central Europe
Electorate of Württemberg
Origins
Duke Frederick II of Württemberg lost his lands at Montbéliard to France but gained secularised church lands and imperial cities in the Imperial Recess of 1803. As part of the same settlement he was made an elector of the Holy Roman Empire.
Rule and society
Frederick used his new rank to centralise power, overriding the traditional estates, which had long limited the dukes. He added former imperial cities such as Heilbronn and Reutlingen and Catholic lands like Ellwangen, which made the Protestant state more mixed in religion. He allied with Napoleon in 1805 and sent troops to the Austerlitz campaign.
Decline and legacy
The Peace of Pressburg rewarded Frederick with further territory and recognition as a sovereign king. On 1 January 1806 he proclaimed himself King of Württemberg, and the electorate gave way to the Kingdom of Württemberg.
Lineage
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- Electorate of Württemberg was part of Holy Roman Empire1803 CE – 1806 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Electorate of Württemberg. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/electorate-of-wurttemberg
- MLA
- “Electorate of Württemberg.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/electorate-of-wurttemberg. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Electorate of Württemberg.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/electorate-of-wurttemberg.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Electorate of Württemberg’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/electorate-of-wurttemberg (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻