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That’s the German Holy Roman Empire, not the classical Roman Empire.

After refusing to be conquered, the Germanic tribes took it very serious to pretend otherwise.

What have the Romans ever done for us?!

"We don't need their culture. We have culture at home. Culture at home: ..."

In the Legal Fiction they are the descendants of Charlemagne, who was crowned Emperor, and thus were the direct descendants of the Roman Empire.

Didn't they elect the Kaiser until 1806?

Yeah, but every empire worth its salt needs a good 'garage story' ;) (like the Romans claiming to be descendants of Trojan war refugees)