Electoral Palatinate

The County Palatine of the Rhine (German:Pfalzgrafschaft bei Rhein), later the Electorate of the Palatinate (German:Kurfürstentum Pfalz) or simply Electoral Palatinate (German:Kurpfalz), was a historical territory of the Holy Roman Empire, originally a palatinate administered by a count palatine. Its rulers served as prince-electors (Kurfürsten) from "time immemorial", were noted as such in a papal letter of 1261, and were confirmed as electors by the Golden Bull of 1356.