Election of Albert II as King of the Romans (1438)

Timeline

1. 1437–1438Holy Roman Empire · GermanyAfter Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund died, the imperial throne fell vacant. Electors and the estates began preparing a new royal election, while the succession questions of Bohemia and Hungary and imperial constitutional reform issues emerged simultaneously, forming the core background of the election politics.
2. 1438Frankfurt · GermanySeven electors in Frankfurt elected Habsburg Archduke Albert II as King of the Romans. As Sigismund's son-in-law, Albert was simultaneously Duke of Austria and king consort of Hungary; his election reflected the electors' practical considerations of preserving imperial unity and resisting the Ottoman threat.
3. 1438Aachen · GermanyAfter his election, Albert never received his coronation at Aachen; he threw himself into the defense of Hungary and the war against the Ottomans, dying of illness in October 1439. During his life he attempted to advance imperial reforms, but none were realized. The Habsburgs thereby regained the title of King of the Romans after the House of Luxembourg, though this was not the first time the family had held imperial royal power.