Electorate of Cologne

The Electorate of Cologne (German: Kurfürstentum Köln or Kurköln) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne (German: Erzbistum Köln). It was ruled by the Archbishop in his capacity as prince-elector. The capital of the electorate was Cologne until the Elector moved to Bonn (after 1288) to avoid jurisdiction conflicts with the authorities of the Free City of Cologne, who largely escaped his authority. The Electorate was secularised in 1803 during the German Mediatisation.

The territory of the Electorate of Cologne was smaller than the Archdiocese of Cologne, which included suffragant bishoprics such as Liège and Munster (see map below).