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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
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{{short description|German word for "emperor", associated with rulers of the German Empire (1871–1918)}}
{{Mergeinto|Emperor|date=December 2006}}
{{other uses|Kaiser (disambiguation)}}{{distinguish|König (disambiguation){{!}}König}}
'''''Kaiser''''' is the ] title meaning "],"
{{refimprove|date=October 2012}}
and '''''Kaiserin''''' is the German title meaning "]."
] and ]]]


'''Kaiser''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|aɪ|z|əɹ}} {{respell|KAI|zer}}; {{IPA|de|ˈkaɪzɐ}}) is the title historically used by German and Austrian ]s. In German, the title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king ({{lang|de|König}}). In English, the word ''kaiser'' is mainly applied to the emperors of the unified ] (1871–1918) and the emperors of the ] (1804–1918). During the ], ] was at its zenith; the term ''kaiser''—especially as applied to ]—thus gained considerable negative connotations in English-speaking countries.
==Word history and translations==
Kaiser is derived from the ] title of ] ("Kaiser" is pronounced similarly to how "caesar" was in ]), as is the ] title of ]. It is a sovereign ]ic title of the highest rank, explicitly at par with ].


Especially in Central Europe, between northern Italy and southern Poland, between western Austria and western Ukraine and in Bavaria, Emperor ] is still associated with {{lang|de|Der Kaiser}} (the emperor) today. As a result of his long reign from 1848 to 1916 and the associated ] before the First World War, this title often has still a very high historical respect in this geographical area.<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref>
In German, the word ''Kaiser'' is also used in a generic sense equivalent to the English word ''"emperor"'' while ''Kaiserin'' is the feminine form as an ''empress''. For instance, German-speaking historians would refer to an ] as a ''Chinesischer Kaiser'' or ''Kaiser von China''. Cognate, nearly homophone titles are used in the same ways in Germanic languages or those, mainly Baltic and Slavonic languages, which derived the term from German, for example:
* ''Kejser'' in ];
* ''Keizer'' in ];
* ''Keiser'' in ];
* ''Keisari'' in ];
* ''Keisari'' in ];
* ''Keisari'' in ];
* ''Keser'' in ] (in Luxembourg).
* ''Kejsare'' in ];
* ''Kajzer'' in ] (only with respect to German Empire (1871—1918))


==Etymology and language usage==
Semitic ] also uses the same word ("Keisar", Heb. קיסר) , though in this case the term did not go through German but came directly from Latin in the Roman period itself.
{{See|Kaiserlich}}


Similarly to the Slavic title '']'', ''kaiser'' is directly derived from the ]s' title of '']'', which in turn is derived from the personal name of the ], a branch of the '']'' (clan) ], to which ], the forebear of the ], belonged. It has been suggested, on the grounds of an anecdote reported in e.g. Suetonius (''Divus Julius'' 79.2), that Caesar himself once used his cognomen by way of a title; but this is ultimately unlikely.<ref>, "‘IT’S CAESAR , NOT MR. KING.’ (MIS)UNDERSTANDING A CAESARIAN PUN (SUET. IUL. 79.2) AND ITS IRONIES," Histos 17: 43–51</ref>
In contrast, most Romance and tributary vocabularies, including English, derive their terms for emperor from the Latin ''].''


Although the British monarchs styled "]" were also called '']'' in ] and ], this word, although ultimately sharing the same Latin origin, is derived from the Persian '']'', not the German {{lang|de|Kaiser}}.<ref>Witzel, M. , p. 29, 12.1 (as Urdu ''kaisar'').</ref>
==German history and antecedents of the title==
The Roman imperial style was first revived in the Frankish realm, the hegemon of the Catholic West, thus claiming equality with the ] and the Muslim Caliphate, by ] in 800, and when his empire was divided again through inheritances it came to be linked to the eastern ("German") kingdom. The ] (]—]) (the "First German ]", becoming an ]) called themselves ''Kaiser'', while combining this imperial title with that of Roman King (assumed by the designated heir before the imperial coronation); they saw their rule as a continuation of that of the ]s and so used the name "Caesar" to reflect their supposed heritage.


{{lang|de|Kaiserwetter}} (Weather of the emperor) is a colloquial expression and means in German "Sunny weather" with a deep blue, cloudless sky. According to Duden, this proverb goes back to the mostly bright sunshine on 18 August, the birthday of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria.<ref></ref> ] (Emperor's Mess) is a lightly sweetened pancake that takes its name also from Franz Joseph I.<ref>Jürgen Herrmann "Lehrbuch für Köche." Hamburg (1999) p 317.</ref> Also with the Austrian {{lang|de|Kaisersemmel}} ("]"), {{lang|de|Kaiserfleisch}} ("Kaiser meat") or {{lang|de|Kaisersuppe}} ("Kaiser soup") the word ''kaiser'' is supposed to denote the ultimate highest increase, the best of its kind.<ref>Stefan Hebenstreit: Hitlerweck und Kaisersemmel. Wahlkampfgeschenke und politisch-propagandistische Devotionalien aus dem Backofen. In: Thomas Gimesi, Werner Hanselitsch "Geben, Nehmen, Tauschen." Münster (2010), ISBN 978-3-643-50211-7, p 74.</ref> '']'' and '']'' were special elite units of the ] (k.u.k.) ], especially expressed by the part of the name Kaiser.<ref>Anton Graf Bossi-Fedrigotti: Kaiserjäger – Ruhm und Ende. Graz 1977, pp 3.</ref>
The rulers of the ] Empire (]—]), from the Habsburg dynasty that had provided all ] (though formally still elected) since ], again used the title ''Kaiser''.


{{lang|de|Der Kaiser}} is the nickname of both ], a German footballer active in the 1960s and 1970s who captained West Germany to the ] title,<ref>Manuel Neukirchner: "Spieler Beckenbauer wird Kaiser Franz." FAZ.NET, 6 September 2015.</ref> and of the Austrian ski racer and 1976 Olympic champion ] - both in an allusion to the Austrian Kaiser ].
In ] and most other foreign usage, however, the untranslated title is mainly associated with the emperors of the unified ] (]—]) (the "Second Reich") which chancellor Bismarck had welded skilfully from two federations covering most of the many principalities (mainly petty, known as ''Kleinstaaterei'') that had constituted Germany, the core of the former ]. The term is particularly associated in English with the last Kaiser, Wilhelm II.


== German history and antecedents of the title ==
When the Empire was formed, there was much debate about how to precisely phrase the title of the monarch. ''Kaiser von Deutschland'' ("Emperor of Germany") was one of the contributions to this debate, another one being ''Kaiser der Deutschen'' ("Emperor of the Germans"). Finally, ''Deutscher Kaiser'' ("German Emperor"), the version expressing the least degree of superiority to the rulers of the other principalities, was agreed upon.
{{Main|Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor of Austria|German Emperor}}


The ] called themselves ''Kaiser'',<ref name=nie>{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Kaiser|year=1905}}</ref> combining the imperial title with that of '']'' (assumed by the designated heir before the imperial coronation); they saw their rule as a continuation of that of the ]s and used the title derived from the title '']'' to reflect their supposed heritage. From 1452 to 1806, except for the years 1742–1745, only members of the ] family were "Holy Roman Emperors".
There were three Kaisers of the German Empire. All belonged to the ] dynasty, which had already ruled much of Germany as kings of (originally "in") ], militarily the only great power among the German principalities, before ascending the brand new "German" imperial throne. These three Prussian Kaisers were:


In 1806, the ] was dissolved, but the title of ''kaiser'' was retained by the ], the head of which, beginning in 1804, bore the title of Kaiser of Austria.<ref name=nie/> After 1273, the Habsburgs provided most of Holy Roman Kings or Emperors, so they saw themselves as legitimate heirs to the title they adopted. Despite Habsburg ambitions, however, the ] could no longer claim to rule over most of Germany, although they did rule over large areas of lands inhabited by non-Germans in addition to Austria. According to the historian Friedrich Heer, the Austrian Habsburg emperor remained an "auctoritas" of a special kind. He was "the grandson of the Caesars", he remained the patron of the holy church, but without excluding other religions. In this tradition, the Austrian emperor saw himself as the protector of his peoples, minorities and all religious communities.<ref>Friedrich Heer "Der Kampf um die österreichische Identität" (1981), p 259.</ref> In this regard, minorities in the Habsburg Monarchy, but also the Jews <ref>Marta S. Halpert "Mutig hinaus für Kaiser und Vaterland", In: Wina, June 2014.</ref> on the one hand and the Muslims <ref></ref> on the other hand were particularly loyal to the emperor (German: "kaisertreu").
* ] (1871—]);
* ] (1888), who ruled for 99 days;
* ] (1888—1918), during whose reign the monarchy in Germany ended after ].


In 1867 the Austrian Empire was divided into the state of Austria-Hungary (the so-called Danube Monarchy), with ], like his successor ], being Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. As a result of this centuries-long uninterrupted tradition, today family members of the Habsburgs are often referred to as Imperial Highnesses (German: Kaiserliche Hoheit) and, for example, the members of the ] as Imperial Knights. There were four kaisers of the Austrian Empire who all belonged to the ] dynasty. They had an official list of crowns, titles, and dignities (]).
==See also==
* ]


The kaisers of the Austrian Empire (1804–1918) were:
]
* ] (1804–1835);
]
* ] (1835–1848);
]
* ] (1848–1916);
]
* ] (1916–1918).
]
]
]
]


] is currently the head of the House of Habsburg.
]

]
With the ] (aside from Austria) in 1871, there was some debate about the exact title for the monarch of those German territories (such as free imperial cities, principalities, duchies, and kingdoms) that agreed to unify under the leadership of ], thereby forming the new German Empire. The first kaiser himself preferred either {{lang|de|Kaiser von Deutschland}} ("Emperor of Germany"). In the end, his chancellor ]'s choice {{lang|de|Deutscher Kaiser}} ("German Emperor") was adopted as it simply connoted that the new emperor, hearkening from Prussia, was a German, but did not imply that this new emperor had dominion over all German territories, especially since the Austrian kaiser would have been offended as Austria, inhabited by Germans, was still considered part of the German lands.<ref name="huber">Ernst Rudolf Huber: ''Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte seit 1789. Band III: Bismarck und das Reich.'' 3rd edition, ], Stuttgart 1988, p. 750-753.</ref> There were only three kaisers of the (second) German Empire. All of them belonged to the ] dynasty, which, as kings of Prussia, and had been ''de facto'' leaders of lesser Germany (Germany excluding Austria).
]

]
The kaisers of the German Empire (1871–1918) were:
]
* ] (1871–1888);
]
* ] (9 March – 15 June 1888), who ruled for 99 days;
]
* ] (1888–1918), during whose reign the monarchy in Germany ended near the end of ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/kaiser-wilhelm-ii|title=Kaiser Wilhelm II - World War I - HISTORY.com|website=HISTORY.com|access-date=17 January 2018}}</ref>
]

]
], Prince of Prussia, is currently head of the House of Hohenzollern, which was the former ruling dynasty of the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia.
]

]
== See also ==
]
* ]
]
* ]
]
* ]
]
* ''Kaiserlich und Königlich'', a German term which translates to ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links==
{{wiktionary|kaiser}}
* {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Kaiser |short=x}}

{{Authority control}}
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 20:01, 9 January 2025

German word for "emperor", associated with rulers of the German Empire (1871–1918) For other uses, see Kaiser (disambiguation).Not to be confused with König.
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Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth

Kaiser (/ˈkaɪzər/ KAI-zer; German pronunciation: [ˈkaɪzɐ]) is the title historically used by German and Austrian emperors. In German, the title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (König). In English, the word kaiser is mainly applied to the emperors of the unified German Empire (1871–1918) and the emperors of the Austrian Empire (1804–1918). During the First World War, anti-German sentiment was at its zenith; the term kaiser—especially as applied to Wilhelm II, German Emperor—thus gained considerable negative connotations in English-speaking countries.

Especially in Central Europe, between northern Italy and southern Poland, between western Austria and western Ukraine and in Bavaria, Emperor Franz Joseph I is still associated with Der Kaiser (the emperor) today. As a result of his long reign from 1848 to 1916 and the associated Golden Age before the First World War, this title often has still a very high historical respect in this geographical area.

Etymology and language usage

Further information: Kaiserlich

Similarly to the Slavic title tsar, kaiser is directly derived from the Roman emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of the Julii Caesares, a branch of the gens (clan) Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar, the forebear of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, belonged. It has been suggested, on the grounds of an anecdote reported in e.g. Suetonius (Divus Julius 79.2), that Caesar himself once used his cognomen by way of a title; but this is ultimately unlikely.

Although the British monarchs styled "Emperor of India" were also called Kaisar-i-Hind in Hindi and Urdu, this word, although ultimately sharing the same Latin origin, is derived from the Persian Kaysar, not the German Kaiser.

Kaiserwetter (Weather of the emperor) is a colloquial expression and means in German "Sunny weather" with a deep blue, cloudless sky. According to Duden, this proverb goes back to the mostly bright sunshine on 18 August, the birthday of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Kaiserschmarrn (Emperor's Mess) is a lightly sweetened pancake that takes its name also from Franz Joseph I. Also with the Austrian Kaisersemmel ("Kaiser roll"), Kaiserfleisch ("Kaiser meat") or Kaisersuppe ("Kaiser soup") the word kaiser is supposed to denote the ultimate highest increase, the best of its kind. Kaiserjäger and Kaiserschützen were special elite units of the Imperial and Royal (k.u.k.) Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces, especially expressed by the part of the name Kaiser.

Der Kaiser is the nickname of both Franz Beckenbauer, a German footballer active in the 1960s and 1970s who captained West Germany to the 1974 World Cup title, and of the Austrian ski racer and 1976 Olympic champion Franz Klammer - both in an allusion to the Austrian Kaiser Franz I.

German history and antecedents of the title

Main articles: Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of Austria, and German Emperor

The Holy Roman Emperors called themselves Kaiser, combining the imperial title with that of King of the Romans (assumed by the designated heir before the imperial coronation); they saw their rule as a continuation of that of the Roman Emperors and used the title derived from the title Caesar to reflect their supposed heritage. From 1452 to 1806, except for the years 1742–1745, only members of the Habsburg family were "Holy Roman Emperors".

In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, but the title of kaiser was retained by the House of Habsburg, the head of which, beginning in 1804, bore the title of Kaiser of Austria. After 1273, the Habsburgs provided most of Holy Roman Kings or Emperors, so they saw themselves as legitimate heirs to the title they adopted. Despite Habsburg ambitions, however, the Austrian Empire could no longer claim to rule over most of Germany, although they did rule over large areas of lands inhabited by non-Germans in addition to Austria. According to the historian Friedrich Heer, the Austrian Habsburg emperor remained an "auctoritas" of a special kind. He was "the grandson of the Caesars", he remained the patron of the holy church, but without excluding other religions. In this tradition, the Austrian emperor saw himself as the protector of his peoples, minorities and all religious communities. In this regard, minorities in the Habsburg Monarchy, but also the Jews on the one hand and the Muslims on the other hand were particularly loyal to the emperor (German: "kaisertreu").

In 1867 the Austrian Empire was divided into the state of Austria-Hungary (the so-called Danube Monarchy), with Franz Joseph I, like his successor Karl I, being Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. As a result of this centuries-long uninterrupted tradition, today family members of the Habsburgs are often referred to as Imperial Highnesses (German: Kaiserliche Hoheit) and, for example, the members of the Imperial and Royal Order of Saint George as Imperial Knights. There were four kaisers of the Austrian Empire who all belonged to the Habsburg dynasty. They had an official list of crowns, titles, and dignities (Grand title of the emperor of Austria).

The kaisers of the Austrian Empire (1804–1918) were:

Karl von Habsburg is currently the head of the House of Habsburg.

With the unification of Germany (aside from Austria) in 1871, there was some debate about the exact title for the monarch of those German territories (such as free imperial cities, principalities, duchies, and kingdoms) that agreed to unify under the leadership of Prussia, thereby forming the new German Empire. The first kaiser himself preferred either Kaiser von Deutschland ("Emperor of Germany"). In the end, his chancellor Bismarck's choice Deutscher Kaiser ("German Emperor") was adopted as it simply connoted that the new emperor, hearkening from Prussia, was a German, but did not imply that this new emperor had dominion over all German territories, especially since the Austrian kaiser would have been offended as Austria, inhabited by Germans, was still considered part of the German lands. There were only three kaisers of the (second) German Empire. All of them belonged to the Hohenzollern dynasty, which, as kings of Prussia, and had been de facto leaders of lesser Germany (Germany excluding Austria).

The kaisers of the German Empire (1871–1918) were:

Georg Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia, is currently head of the House of Hohenzollern, which was the former ruling dynasty of the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia.

See also

References

  1. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Der ewige Kaiser
  2. Der verklärte Kaiser Franz Joseph I. als Symbol einer Epoche
  3. This is how dutifully Emperor Franz Joseph I died.
  4. Krebs, C.B. (2023), "‘IT’S CAESAR , NOT MR. KING.’ (MIS)UNDERSTANDING A CAESARIAN PUN (SUET. IUL. 79.2) AND ITS IRONIES," Histos 17: 43–51
  5. Witzel, M. "Autochthonous Aryans? The Evidence from Old Indian and Persian Texts", p. 29, 12.1 (as Urdu kaisar).
  6. Duden: Kaiserwetter
  7. Jürgen Herrmann "Lehrbuch für Köche." Hamburg (1999) p 317.
  8. Stefan Hebenstreit: Hitlerweck und Kaisersemmel. Wahlkampfgeschenke und politisch-propagandistische Devotionalien aus dem Backofen. In: Thomas Gimesi, Werner Hanselitsch "Geben, Nehmen, Tauschen." Münster (2010), ISBN 978-3-643-50211-7, p 74.
  9. Anton Graf Bossi-Fedrigotti: Kaiserjäger – Ruhm und Ende. Graz 1977, pp 3.
  10. Manuel Neukirchner: "Spieler Beckenbauer wird Kaiser Franz." FAZ.NET, 6 September 2015.
  11. ^ Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Kaiser" . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  12. Friedrich Heer "Der Kampf um die österreichische Identität" (1981), p 259.
  13. Marta S. Halpert "Mutig hinaus für Kaiser und Vaterland", In: Wina, June 2014.
  14. Mit dem Fes auf dem Kopf für Österreich-Ungarn
  15. Ernst Rudolf Huber: Deutsche Verfassungsgeschichte seit 1789. Band III: Bismarck und das Reich. 3rd edition, Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, p. 750-753.
  16. "Kaiser Wilhelm II - World War I - HISTORY.com". HISTORY.com. Retrieved 17 January 2018.

External links

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