In the Late Middle Ages, when the (seven) German prince electors ("Kurfürsten") met to elect their king and emperor, their discussions sometimes led to the conclusion of a treaty, which was later called the Kurverein. Such a treaty or alliance therefore contained the rights of the electors and their joint responsibilities in the Holy Roman Empire.
Important "Kurvereine" were the:
Another "Kurverein" was agreed out by the Rhenish electors. Their main concerns were agreements for a common set of regulations for navigation on the Rhine and for the Rhine tolls. The first such "Kurverein" took place with the participation of the three archbishops of Cologne, Mainz and Trier in 1354. At other such meetings, which were more frequent in the fifteenth century and subsequently, they were joined by the Elector of the Palatinate.