The Holy Roman Empire (Latin: Sacrum Imperium Romanum ) refers to the sphere of rule of the Roman-German emperors from the late Middle Ages until its dissolution in 1806. Its territorial extent changed considerably over the centuries, while the German principalities always formed a core element of this personal association of realms. With the election of Rudolf IV of Habsburg as Roman-German king, a member of the House of Habsburg for the first time rose to the head of this state structure. Between 1291 and 1437, candidates from the three most influential families - the Luxembourgs, the Wittelsbachs, and the Habsburgs were successful in the royal elections. From 1438 onward, beginning with Emperor Albert II (1397–1439), an almost uninterrupted succession of rulers from the House of Habsburg followed. In 1806, the last Roman-German emperor, Francis II (1768–1835), finally dissolved the Empire with the proclamation of the Imperial Recess ( Reichsdeputationshauptschluss ). The decisive factor was the Confederation of the Rhine, founded in 1806 at the instigation of Napoleon I, whose princes were required to withdraw from the Empire.

From a dynastic perspective, the House of Habsburg was closely connected through marriages with numerous German princely families. Outstanding examples include the marriage of Emperor Charles VI (1685–1740) to Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1671–1735), and that of Emperor Franz Joseph I (1830–1916) to Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria (1837–1898).