Declaration at Rhense

The Declaration of Rhens or Treaty of Rhens (German: Kurverein) was a decree or Kurverein of the Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire issued in 1338 and initiated by Baldwin of Luxembourg, the Archbishop of Trier and brother of the later Emperor Henry VII.

In 1314 Louis of Wittelsbach had been elected Rex Romanorum against Frederick of Habsburg at Frankfurt, however with the decisive fourth vote cast by the Elector John II of Saxe-Lauenburg. The election was denied not only by the rivaling duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg but also by the Archbishop of Cologne, who traditionally held the privilege to crown the elected king at Aachen. Moreover, Henry of Carinthia had acted as the Bohemian elector, voting for Frederick, although he had already been deposed as king by John of Luxembourg in 1310. Louis was crowned by Peter von Aspelt, the Archbishop of Mainz, while Frederick of Habsburg received consecration by the Cologne archbishop, though not at Aachen but in Bonn. The legal uncertainty of the double election resulted in a long-standing conflict, finally settled by the 1322 Battle of Mühldorf in favour of Louis.