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Charles V's Abdication and Ferdinand I's Accession as Emperor (1556–1558)

Type Event Region Holy Roman Empire Time 1556–1558

In 1556 Charles V ceded Spain and other territories to his son Philip, and in the same year ceded the imperial throne to his brother Ferdinand I.…

Timeline

  1. 1556Brussels · NetherlandsOn January 16, 1556, Charles V ceded Spain and its overseas territories to his son Philip at Brussels. The cession of the imperial throne took place in the summer and autumn of the same year (abdication around August 27, letter in September), with the electors' confirmation not coming until March 1558.
  2. 1558Frankfurt · Holy Roman EmpireIn February–March 1558 the electors gathered at Frankfurt, and on March 14 signed the electoral capitulation, confirming Charles V's abdication and Ferdinand I's accession as emperor. No imperial coronation was held. Ferdinand continued to uphold the imperial religious order established by the Peace of Augsburg of 1555.

Sources