Declaration of Rhense

As Kurverein of Rhense or Kurverein of Rhens the meeting ( Electors ) of six of the seven electors is called, which took place on 16 July 1338 and an agreement with Rhens included. Besides John, king of Bohemia, all electors were present for the Electorate of Trier Baldwin, Henry III. of Virneburg for Kurmainz, Walram of Jülich for the Electorate of Cologne, Rudolf II and Ruprecht I of the Rhine Palatinate and Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg, and Rudolf I, Duke of Saxe- Wittenberg.

Background of the meeting was the unresolved conflict between Emperor Louis IV and Pope Benedict XII. The position of the Pope, who ultimately insisted on his position and the emperor refused to recognize, led to a antikurialen mood in the Reich and in protest of the electors, who insisted that only their choice ( with the votes of the majority ) and this was significantly no further papal confirmation was needed. The electors had initially met in Upper Lahnstein, but the meeting moved shortly thereafter to Rhens.

There they joined on July 16, 1338 a permanent alliance, which reiterated its position once again: Only select the electors of the Roman Kingdom, the future Emperor; they pledged to cast so against any papal interference (see papal approbation ) in the powers of them declared and called to defend the rights of the empire, the other kingdom members to associate themselves with this declaration. This statement, which was largely driven by Baldwin of Trier and be formally recorded, but was a fundamental nature and not aimed at the conflict between Louis and the Curia - the person of the emperor was unreferenced what Ludwig, however, should do himself later ( see Licet iuris ).

For the " constitution " was the Kurverein of great importance, as it also contains the majority principle was laid down and the Electoral College firmly established as such. For Electors for the first time not come together to elect a king, but to the study of problems that had arisen during the reign of a reigning king. In addition, the Elector postulated so that they, and not the king, representing the rights of the empire. In the dispute with the Pope, however, the explanation of the Kurverein Ludwig was of little use - rather, its exposure to the Emperor by the College became clear.