Electorate of Mainz

Electorate of Mainz
Kurfürstentum Mainz  (German) Electoratus Moguntinus  (Latin)
State of the Holy Roman Empire
780–1803
Flag Coat of arms
Location of the Electorate of Mainz in 1648 (Erfurt and Eichsfeld, more to the north-east, not shown).
Capital		Mainz
Government		Elective principality
Elector of Mainz
•	1802–1803	Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Bishopric established	Ancient Roman times
•	Gained territory, elevated to archbishopric	780–782 780
•	Gained territory
•	Arch-chancellor	1251
•	Mainz made Free City	1242–1462
•	Republic of Mainz	18 March – 23 July 1793
•	Treaty of Campo Formio	17 October 1797
•	German Mediatisation	1803
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Franconia Mont-Tonnerre Principality of Aschaffenburg Grand Duchy of Hesse Duchy of Nassau Kingdom of Prussia
Today part of		Germany

The Electorate of Mainz (German: Kurfürstentum Mainz or Kurmainz, Latin: Electoratus Moguntinus), also known in English by its French name, Mayence, was the most prestigious and among the most influential states of the Holy Roman Empire from its creation to the dissolution of the HRE in the early years of the 19th century. In the Roman Catholic hierarchy, the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz was the Primate of Germany (primas Germaniae), a purely honorary dignity that was unsuccessfully claimed from time to time by other Archbishops. There were only two other ecclesiastical Prince-electors in the Empire: the Electorate of Cologne and the Electorate of Trier.

The Archbishop-Elector of Mainz was also archchancellor of Germany (one of the three component titular kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire, the other two being Italy and Burgundy) and, as such, ranked first among all ecclesiastical and secular princes of the Empire, and was second only to the Emperor. His political role, particularly as an intermediary between the Estates of the Empire and the Emperor, was considerable.

The episcopal see was established in ancient Roman times in the city of Mainz, which had been a Roman provincial capital, Moguntiacum. The first bishops before the 4th century have legendary names, beginning with Crescens. The first verifiable Bishop of Mainz was Martinus in 343. The ecclesiastical and secular importance of Mainz dates from the accession of St. Boniface to the see in 747. Boniface was previously an archbishop, but the honor did not immediately devolve upon the see itself until his successor Lullus. Another early bishop of Mainz was Aureus of Mainz. However, the office really came to prominence upon its elevation to an archdiocese in 780-782.