During the so-called Interregnum following on the death of the last Hohenstaufen Emperor there was a double election (1257), both Richard of Cornwall and Alfonso X. of Castile being made Emperor. one receiving four votes and other three. Their election may be taken to illustrate the theory held by some at the time, that a man of any nationality might be chosen to the Em pire; but their total failure to obtain anything but the mere Imperial title proved that as a matter of fact the sovereignty of the holy Ro man Empire could be held only by a Germanic prince. After 143S all the emperors but two be longed to the House of Hapsburg.
Charles the Great and his immediate succes sors followed the old German custom of calling together, at frequent intervals, the nobles and freemen for consultation about the public wel fare. As feudalism developed these assemblies ceased, and the Emperor called together only such of his vassals as lie chose. Their meet ings were called Imperial Diets (lerichstage). In the thirteenth century the cities became very influential, and consequently their representatives were summoned to the Diets. As the power of the emperors declined, the Diets took a more prominent part in the administration of the Em pire. Their functions were judicial as well as administrative. In the fourteenth century it came to be fixed that the Diet consisted of the three classes: electors, princes, and representa tives of the cities. The lesser nobility had no voice in the Diet. But the power of the Diet was slight, because it was concerned only with Im perial matters, and the Empire had ceased to he of real importance as a factor in European poli ties. This was clearly shown in 1496, when Maxi milian I. attempted to unite the imperial estates against the French invasion of Italy. The Diet which he summoned did nothing to check the French, but with the Emperor's consent created the Imperial Chamber (q.v.) a supreme tribunal
for the preservation of peace within the Empire. It consisted of a president and sixteen members, who could not he removed from office. It held its sessions at Frankfort, Speyer. and other cities until 169S, when it was established permanently at Wetzlar. Gradually the Imperial Chamber became an important factor in the maintenance of peace within the Empire. The Emperor was jealous of it, as he bad no control over it. Con sequently he attempted to transfer some of its authority to the Aulie Council (q.v.), a some what similar body for Austria, which was under his control. During the first half of the six teenth century the Aulie Council interfered in the affairs of Italy, the Netherlands. and other por tions of the Empire. After that time, however, it was again restricted to Austrian interests alone.
The Empire came to an end in 1S(16, when Francis II. resigned the Imperial crown after having assumed (1SO4) the title of Emperor of Austria. After the time of the Hohenstaufen, whose dynasty came to an end in 1254, the Em Dire rapidly sank in importance, and owed any teal authority which it possessed to the strength of the ruler who was Emperor. Still the pos session of the title gave sonic additional pres tige. By the Peace of Westphalia (1048) the bonds .Allich held the Empire together ere greatly loosened, the right being accorded to the iudiyidu al States to enter into foreign alliances. In the eighteenth Voltaire said of the Holy Roman Empire that it was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire. During its earlier ktence, however, it was a very important fac tor in the history of Europe. Consult: Bryce, The Holy Roman Empire 1804 ) ; Fish er, The 11 cdnural Empire (2 vols., London, 1S95). See GERMANY; ITALY. and the articles on the individual emperors, with the books cited.