Coats of arms of the Holy Roman Empire
Over its long history, the Holy Roman Empire used many different heraldic forms, representing its numerous internal divisions.
The same design has remained in use by the Federal Republic of Germany since 1945, but under a different name, now called Bundesadler ("Union Eagle" or "Federal Eagle", from German "Bund", genitive form "Bundes" meaning 'Union' or 'Federation', and "Adler" meaning 'Eagle').
The top, larger shields, are those of the seven Prince Electors, the ecclesiastical: Trier, Cologne and Mainz as well as of the titular "Prefect of Rome" on the right wing; the secular: Bohemia, Electorate of the Palatinate, Saxony and Brandenburg on the left.
From the reign of Albert II (reigned 1438–39, was never crowned emperor), each Emperor bore the old Imperial arms (Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked and membered gules) with an inescutcheon of pretence of his personal family arms.
Gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or.
Gules a fess argent (Babenberg, adopted by Rudolph I (d.1291), King of Germany, of the House of Habsburg, having obtained the former Babenberg Duchies of Austria and Styria, in lieu of his paternal arms (Or, a lion rampant gules crowned armed and langued azure).
Quarterly, I and IV fusilly bendwise argent and azure (for Bavaria); II and III sable a lion rampant Or, armed, langued, and crowned gules (for the Electorate of the Palatinate); overall an inescutcheon gules an orb Or (for Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire).
The seven Electors named in the Golden Bull of 1356 were: the Prince-Bishops of Cologne, Mainz and Trier, the King of Bohemia, the Count Palatine of the Rhine, the Duke of Saxony and the Margrave of Brandenburg.
Saxony was held by a Protestant elector from 1525 (John), the Palatinate from 1541 (Otto Henry).
[1] Gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or.
Entries are listed by Imperial Circle (introduced 1500, 1512) even for territories that ceased to exist prior to 1500.
Argent an eagle displayed Gules, armed, beaked, and langued Or, the wings charged with a trefoil Or.
Quarterly: paley Azure and Argent; and Or, a raven collared Or pecking the eye out of a Turk's head couped at the neck Proper.
Gules, a two-towered castle portcullised Argent, with an escutcheon of Or, a double-headed eagle sable at the honour point.
Party per fess: Or, a demi-eagle displayed Sable, langued and beaked Gules; and Azure three roses Argent.
Gules, a lion passant sinister crowned Or on a mount Vert; issuant from base three stems of grass surtout Proper.
Argent a lion rampant Gules, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or.
Overall an inescutcheon Gules, a perron, supported by three lions, surmounted by a pineapple and a cross pattée, with the letters L to the dexter and G to the sinister, all Or.
Argent an eagle displayed Gules crowned with an electoral hat Proper, armed and beaked Or, langued Gules, the wings charged with a trefoil Or, in his dexter claw grasping a sceptre Or tipped Gules thereupon an eagle displayed Argent, armed, langued, beaked and crowned Or, on his chest a torteux Gules, in his dexter claw grasping a sceptre and orb Or and in his sinister claw grasping a sword Or; and in his sinister claw graping a sword Argent hilted Or; overall and on his chest an inescutcheon Azure, a sceptre finished with a fleur-de-lys Or.
Party per pale Gules and Argent, a chapiter Or thereupon a cedar cone Vert.
Azure an eagle displayed chequy Argent and Gules, armed, langued, beaked and crowned Or.
Argent, an eagle displayed sable crowned with the Royal Crown Proper, the wings charged with a trefoil Or, in his dexter claw grasping a sceptre Or tipped Gules thereupon an eagle displayed Argent, armed, langued, beaked and crowned Or, on his chest a torteux Gules, in his dexter claw grasping a sceptre Or and in his sinister claw grasping a sword Or on his chest an R Or.
