The history of the Holy Roman Empire represents one of the most meaningful pages of pan-European history - not only due to the unprecedented size and “life path” of the state, which covered Central Europe and adjacent areas for more than nine centuries, but also due to the constant relevance of the processes taking place here for the entire Western civilization. The book, written by leading German historians, covers the period of formation and the first centuries of the development of the Holy Roman Empire. The publication is recommended both to specialists and to all readers interested in the history of Europe and Germany.