The Roman-German Ruler (German: Römisch-Deutscher Herrscher) was the monarch ruling over the dominant Western/Central European realm from the Middle Ages onward. After the establishment of the Frankish Empire, the position of Roman-German Ruler has become synonymous with the title of Roman Emperor (or, after 962, Holy Roman Emperor), although several later kings of the East Frankish kingdom and anti-kings of the Holy Roman Empire were included in the future numeration of the ruler names.