An imperial election, held to select the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, took place in Frankfurt on August 28 1619. It occurred against the backdrop of religious division in Europe, with Ferdinand,
Maximilian I, occasionally called the Great, a member of the House of Wittelsbach, ruled as Duke of Bavaria from 1597. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War during which his title was elevated
Portrait by Joachim von Sandrart (1643)
Portrait in armour by Nikolaus Prucker
Kaiserhof, part of Maximilian's Residenz in Munich
Maximilian I, Elector and Duke of Bavaria and his second wife, Maria Anna of Austria