An Arch-Treasurer (, ) is a chief

treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

, specifically the great treasurer of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. The title of Arch-Treasurer was only ceremonially significant, as it was only used in the coronation of

Emperors The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rule ...

History

During the 30 Years' War, Frederick V, Elector Palatine, lost his electorate and title of Arch- Steward in February 1623 to

Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria Maximilian I (17 April 157327 September 1651), 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 he obtained the title of a prince- ...

. The electorate and Arch-Stewardship was given to Bavaria by the emperor Ferdinand II. After the war, a new electoral position was given to Frederick's son,

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

, and the office of Arch-Treasurer was created for him in 1652.https://www.heraldica.org/topics/national/hre.htm#Household In 1706, the Bavarian elector was banned, so the palatine elector returned to the office of Arch-Steward while the office of Arch-Treasurer was transferred to the Elector of Hanover in 1710. The Bavarian elector was reinstated in 1714, so the Bavarian, Palatine and Hanoverian electors' offices changed to Arch-Steward, Arch-Treasurer and Arch-Bannerbearer, respectively, but the

House of Hanover The House of Hanover ( ) is a European royal house with roots tracing back to the 17th century. Its members, known as Hanoverians, ruled Hanover, Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Empire at various times during the 17th to 20th centurie ...

kept using the shield of the Arch-treasurership anyway (see Royal coat of arms of Great Britain). The Hanoverian elector returned to the Arch-Treasurer office in 1777, when the Palatine branch of the

House of Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a former Bavarian dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electoral Palatinate, the Electorate of Cologne, County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, ...

inherited

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

and the Arch-Steward office. They retained their offices until the end of the empire in 1806.

References

*{{1728}

Noble titles 17th century in the Holy Roman Empire Economy of the Holy Roman Empire Titles of nobility of the Holy Roman Empire