Electorate of Saxony

The Electorate of Saxony was a major state within the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1356 when Emperor Charles IV elevated the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to an Electorate, as regulated by the Golden Bull of 1356. It was ruled by the Prince-Electors of Saxony, initially from the House of Ascania until 1422, and subsequently by the House of Wettin from 1423 to 1806. The territorial scope of the Electorate varied over time, though the electoral dignity was tied to the Duchy of Saxony and its core domains of Saxe-Wittenberg. The Electorate of Saxony was dissolved on December 19, 1806.