Orders of Knighthood - help/discussion request

[sword-dancer]

I'd have to Google for the exact details. My impression is that an Elector is a greater noble (duke). There are a fixed number of electors and they have their positions as a result of heredity - perhaps in some ancient time when the 6 most powerful chiefs of the kingdom decided to join together for mutual defense, they chose one of their number to be king, and the 6 original chiefs claimed for themselves and their decendants the power of "elector". It's probably a matter of custom/law, for example and that Duke of SuchandSuch is always an elector. Some of the Dukes of Germany, AFAIK also possessed titles that were household positions in the royal household. For example - one of the Dukes was the "Royal Cupbearer". I can't imagine a Duke doing a lot of cup-bearing if they're busy ruling their own lands, but I supposed the position had some sort of customary honor associated with it. I don't know of the facts of the election - if the Electors were rubber-stampers or if they had actual power, and what happened if a king were chosen from a different family.

In the Holy Roman Empire German Nation, there were 7 Electors, some Nobility some Clerical.
The Duke of Bavaria, the (Arch)bishop of Trier/Cologne ...
All where through their office, state etc at least in theory very powerful and very influential on the political theatre.

The duty of Royal "Cup-Bearer" was a ceremonial duty the duke of had to do at the coronation and maybe when the Reichstag or such the nobility etc(the powerful) gathered to gether to discuss things of importance.

btw after the end of the Ottonian dynasty(childless death of OttIII) the German nobility choose Konrad of the Salian dynasty, peaceful.