All Topics  
Wittelsbach

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Wittelsbach
 
 
  Topics Wittelsbach Topic Home

The Wittelsbach family is a Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
an royal family
Royal family

A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term "imperial family" more appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress regnant, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate in reference to the relatives of a reigning duke, grand duke, or prince....
 and a German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 dynasty from Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
. Their major principal roles were as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria
List of rulers of Bavaria

The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria. Bavaria was ruled by several dukes and kings, partitioned and reunited, under several dynasty....
 (1180-1918), Counts Palatine of the Rhine (1214-1803), Margraves of Brandenburg
List of rulers of Brandenburg

This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg during the period of time that Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire....
 (1323-1373), Counts of Holland
Holland

Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of The Netherlands....
, Hainaut
County of Hainaut

The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of what is now the Belgium province of Hainaut and the southern part of the French d?partement Nord ....
 and Zeeland
Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
 (1345-1432), Elector-Archbishops of Cologne
List of bishops and archbishops of Cologne

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 (1583-1761), Dukes of Jülich
Duchy of Jülich

The Duchy of J?lich was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is situated in present day Germany and the Netherlands . It was situated on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital J?lich in the lower Rhineland....
 and Berg (1614-1794/1806), Kings of Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 (1654-1720) and Kings of Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 (1832-1862). The family also provided two Holy Roman Emperors
Holy Roman Emperor

Image:HRR 14Jh.jpgThe Roman of the Emperor's title was a reflection of the translatio imperii principle that regarded the Holy Roman Emperors as the inheritors of the title of Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, a title left unclaimed in the West after the death of Julius Nepos in 480....
.

Origin
Berthold, Margrave in Bavaria (died 980), was the ancestor of Otto I, Count of Scheyern
Scheyern Abbey

Scheyern Abbey, formerly also Scheyern Priory is a house of the Benedictine Order in Scheyern in Bavaria....
 (died 1072), whose 3rd son Otto II, Count of Dachau
Dachau

Dachau is a Town#Germany in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town?a Gro?e Kreisstadt?of the Regierungsbezirk of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich....
 acquired the castle of Wittelsbach (near Aichach
Aichach

Aichach is a town in Germany, located in the States of Germany of Bavaria and situated just northeast of Augsburg. It is the capital of the district of Aichach-Friedberg....
).






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Wittelsbach'
Start a new discussion about 'Wittelsbach'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Wittelsbach family is a Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
an royal family
Royal family

A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term "imperial family" more appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress regnant, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate in reference to the relatives of a reigning duke, grand duke, or prince....
 and a German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 dynasty from Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
. Their major principal roles were as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria
List of rulers of Bavaria

The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria. Bavaria was ruled by several dukes and kings, partitioned and reunited, under several dynasty....
 (1180-1918), Counts Palatine of the Rhine (1214-1803), Margraves of Brandenburg
List of rulers of Brandenburg

This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg during the period of time that Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire....
 (1323-1373), Counts of Holland
Holland

Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of The Netherlands....
, Hainaut
County of Hainaut

The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of what is now the Belgium province of Hainaut and the southern part of the French d?partement Nord ....
 and Zeeland
Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
 (1345-1432), Elector-Archbishops of Cologne
List of bishops and archbishops of Cologne

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 (1583-1761), Dukes of Jülich
Duchy of Jülich

The Duchy of J?lich was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is situated in present day Germany and the Netherlands . It was situated on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital J?lich in the lower Rhineland....
 and Berg (1614-1794/1806), Kings of Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 (1654-1720) and Kings of Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 (1832-1862). The family also provided two Holy Roman Emperors
Holy Roman Emperor

Image:HRR 14Jh.jpgThe Roman of the Emperor's title was a reflection of the translatio imperii principle that regarded the Holy Roman Emperors as the inheritors of the title of Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, a title left unclaimed in the West after the death of Julius Nepos in 480....
.

Origin


Berthold, Margrave in Bavaria (died 980), was the ancestor of Otto I, Count of Scheyern
Scheyern Abbey

Scheyern Abbey, formerly also Scheyern Priory is a house of the Benedictine Order in Scheyern in Bavaria....
 (died 1072), whose 3rd son Otto II, Count of Dachau
Dachau

Dachau is a Town#Germany in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town?a Gro?e Kreisstadt?of the Regierungsbezirk of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich....
 acquired the castle of Wittelsbach (near Aichach
Aichach

Aichach is a town in Germany, located in the States of Germany of Bavaria and situated just northeast of Augsburg. It is the capital of the district of Aichach-Friedberg....
). The Counts of Scheyern left Burg Scheyern ("Scheyern Castle", constructed in about 940), in 1119 for Burg Wittelsbach ("Wittelsbach Castle").

Count Otto II was the ancestor of the Count palatine
Count palatine

Count palatine is a noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well....
 of Bavaria Otto IV
Otto IV, Count of Wittelsbach

Otto IV, Count of Wittelsbach was a descendant of Count Otto II of Scheyern and Richgard of Weimar-Istrien. Otto entitled himself after Wittelsbach Castle near Aichach from 1116 onwards, served Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor and was Count palatine of Bavaria since 1120....
 (died 1156), whose son Otto
Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria

Duke Otto I of Bavaria BiographyDuke Otto I was a son of Otto IV, Count of Wittelsbach and a brother of Conrad of Wittelsbach, Archbishop of Mainz who was as Conrad III also Archbishop of Salzburg ....
 was invested with the Duchy of Bavaria in 1180 after the fall of Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion

Henry the Lion was a member of the Guelph dynasty and Rulers of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and List of rulers of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
. Duke Otto's son Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
Louis I, Duke of Bavaria

Duke Louis I of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria in 1183 and Electoral Palatinate in 1214. He was a son of Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and his wife Agnes of Loon....
 acquired also the Palatinate in 1214.

The Wittelsbach Castle itself was destroyed in 1209 after Count Otto of Wittelsbach, a nephew of Duke Otto, had murdered king Philip of Swabia
Philip of Swabia

Philip of Swabia was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor....
. It has never been reconstructed.

Reign in the Holy Roman Empire

The Wittelsbach family was the ruling dynasty of the German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 territories of Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
 from 1180 to 1918 and of the Electoral Palatinate from 1214 until 1805; in 1815 the latter territory was partly incorporated as Rhine Palatinate into Bavaria, which was elevated to a kingdom by Napoleon in 1806.

On Duke Otto II
Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria

Otto II of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine . He was a son of Louis I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and Ludmila of Bohemia and a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty....
's death in 1253, the Wittelsbach possessions were divided between his sons: Henry
Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria

Henry XIII of Bavaria, member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was duke of Lower Bavaria. As duke of Lower Bavaria he is also called Henry I....
 became Duke of Lower Bavaria, and Louis II
Louis II, Duke of Bavaria

Duke Louis II of Bavaria ; 13 April 1229 – 2 February 1294, was Duke of Bavaria and Electoral Palatinate from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and Agnes of Palatinate....
 Duke of Upper Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine. When Henry's branch died out in 1340 the duchy was reunited under Emperor Louis IV, a son of Duke Louis II.

The family provided two Holy Roman Emperors
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
: Louis IV
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the Duke of Bavaria from 1294/1301 together with his brother Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria, Electoral Palatinate until 1329, King of Germany from 1314, and Holy Roman Empire from 1328....
 (1314-1347) and Charles VII
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor

Emperor Charles VII Albert , a member of the Wittelsbach family, was Prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from January 24, 1742 until his death in 1745....
 (1742-1745), both members of the Bavarian branch of the family, and one German King with Rupert of the Palatinate
Rupert of Germany

Rupert of Germany of the house of Wittelsbach , he was the son of Rupert II, Elector Palatine of the Rhine and Beatrix of Sicily. Rupert was a great-grandnephew of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor....
 (1400-1410), a member of the Palatinate branch.

The House of Wittelsbach split into these two branches in 1329: Under the Treaty of Pavia
Treaty of Pavia (1329)

The Treaty of Pavia which divided the House of Wittelsbach two branches, was signed in Pavia in 1329. Under the accord, Emperor Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor granted during his stay in Italy the Electoral Palatinate including the Bavarian Upper Palatinate to his brother Duke Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria descendants, Rudolf II, Duke of Bavaria, R...
, Emperor Louis IV granted the Palatinate including the Bavarian Upper Palatinate to his brother Duke Rudolf's
Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria

Rudolf I of Bavaria , a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Duke of Bavaria and Electoral Palatinate . Rudolf was the son of Louis II, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Upper Bavaria, and Mechthild , a daughter of King Rudolph I of Germany....
 descendants, Rudolf II, Rupert I and Rupert II
Rupert II, Elector Palatine of the Rhine

Rupert II of the Rhine . He was the Elector Palatine of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach in 1390?1398.He was the elder son of Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine and Countess Irmengard von ?ttingen....
. Rudolf I this way became the ancestor of the older (Palatinate) line of the Wittelsbach dynasty, which returned to power also in Bavaria in 1777 after the extinction of the younger (Bavarian) line, the descendants of Louis IV.

Bavarian branch

The Bavarian branch kept the duchy of Bavaria until its extinction in 1777. In 1623 the dukes were invested with the electoral
Prince-elector

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
 dignity.

For half a century, from 1323 until 1373, the younger branch of the dynasty also ruled Brandenburg
Brandenburg

Brandenburg is one of the sixteen states of Germany of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany....
 in the north-east of Germany. In the south Tyrol
German Tyrol

German Tyrol is a historical region in the Alps now divided between Austria and Italy. It includes largely ethnic German areas of historical County of Tyrol: the States of Austria of Tyrol and the Regions of Italy known as the Alto Adige/S?dtirol but not the largely Italian language-speaking Autonomous Province of Trento ....
 was kept between 1342 and 1363. Between 1345 and 1432, they governed also in Holland
Holland

Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of The Netherlands....
, Zeeland
Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
 and Hainaut
County of Hainaut

The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of what is now the Belgium province of Hainaut and the southern part of the French d?partement Nord ....
 in the north-west of the former German Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
.

From 1349 onwards Bavaria was split among the descendants of Emperor Louis IV, who created the branches Bavaria-Landshut, Bavaria-Straubing, Bavaria-Ingolstadt and Bavaria-Munich. With the Landshut War of Succession
Landshut War of Succession

The Landshut war of succession resulted from an agreement between the duchies of Bavaria-Munich and Bavaria-Landshut , both being lines of the House of Wittelsbach about succession when one of the lines should have no male heir....
 Bavaria was reunited in 1505 against the claim of the Palatinate branch under the Bavarian branch Bavaria-Munich.

From 1583 to 1761, the Bavarian branch of the dynasty provided the Prince-elector
Prince-elector

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
s and Archbishops of Cologne and many other Bishops of the Holy Roman Empire. Wittelsbach princes served for example as Bishops of Regensburg, Freising
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Munich and Freising

File:Freisinger dom organ.jpgFile:Mun flags frauenkirche.jpgFile:PB050005.JPGThe Archdiocese of Munich and Freising — known in the German language as Erzbistum M?nchen und Freising and in Latin as Archidioecesis Monacensis et Frisingensis — is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Bav...
, Liege, Münster
Bishopric of Münster

The Bishopric of M?nster was an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Lower Saxony....
, Hildesheim
Bishopric of Hildesheim

The Diocese of Hildesheim is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany. Founded in 815 as a missionary diocese by King Louis the Pious, his son Louis the German appointed the famous former archbishop of Rheims, Ebbo, as bishop....
, Paderborn
Bishopric of Paderborn

The Archdiocese of Paderborn is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn. It was a diocese from its foundation in 799 until 1802, and again from 1821 until 1930....
 and Osnabrück
Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück

The Prince-Bishopric of Osnabr?ck was a prince-bishopric centered on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabr?ck. The diocese was erected in 772 and is the oldest see founded by Charlemagne, in order to Christianize the conquered stem-duchy of Duchy of Saxony....
, and as Grand Masters
Grand Master (order)

Grand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including military orders, various religious orders, and some Sectarianism orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Institution....
 of the Teutonic Order.

Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria

Maximilian II , also known as Max Emanuel or Maximilian Emanuel, was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and an elector of the Holy Roman Empire....
 served also as Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands
Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands

The Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands ruled the Habsburg Netherlands, as a representative of the Duke of Burgundy , the King of Spain or the Archduke of Austria , all from the house of Habsburg....
 (1692-1706) and as Duke of Luxemburg (1712-1714). His son Emperor Charles VII
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor

Emperor Charles VII Albert , a member of the Wittelsbach family, was Prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from January 24, 1742 until his death in 1745....
 was also king of Bohemia
Bohemia

History...
 (1741-1743).

Palatinate branch

The Palatinate branch kept the Palatinate until 1918 and succeeded also in Bavaria in 1777. With the Golden Bull of 1356
Golden Bull of 1356

The Golden Bull of 1356 was a decree issued by a Reichstag in Nuremberg headed by Emperor Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor that fixed, for a period of more than four hundred years, important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire....
 the Counts Palatine were invested with the electoral
Prince-elector

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
 dignity.

After the death of king Rupert of Germany
Rupert of Germany

Rupert of Germany of the house of Wittelsbach , he was the son of Rupert II, Elector Palatine of the Rhine and Beatrix of Sicily. Rupert was a great-grandnephew of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor....
 in 1410 began the split of Palatinate lands under numerous branches such as Neumarkt, Simmern, Zweibrücken
House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken

The House of Palatinate-Zweibr?cken, a branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was the Royal House of Sweden from 1654 to 1720.By this point it had splintered into several different houses....
, Birkenfeld
House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld

Palatinate-Birkenfeld , later Palatinate-Zweibr?cken-Birkenfeld, was the name of a collateral line of the Electoral Palatinate House of Wittelsbach....
, Neuburg and Sulzbach.

In 1619, the Protestant Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V, Elector Palatine

Frederick V was Electoral Palatinate , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia . He was the son and heir of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine and of Louise Juliana of Nassau, the daughter of William I of Orange and Charlotte of Bourbon....
 was King of Bohemia
Bohemia

History...
 but was defeated by the Catholic Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria

Maximilian I, Duke/Elector of Bavaria , called "the Great", was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War ....
, a member of the Bavarian branch. As a result the Upper Palatinate
Upper Palatinate

The Upper Palatinate is one of the seven Regierungsbezirks of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria. It is subdivided into two regions - Oberpfalz-Nord and Regensburg....
 had to be ceded to the Bavarian branch in 1623.

The one of cadet branches of the Palatinate branch kept also the Duchy of Jülich
Duchy of Jülich

The Duchy of J?lich was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is situated in present day Germany and the Netherlands . It was situated on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital J?lich in the lower Rhineland....
 and Berg from 1614 onwards. Princes of the Palatinate branch served as Bishops of the Empire, also as Elector-Archbishops of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz

The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780?82 and 1802....
 and Elector-Archbishops of Trier
Archbishopric of Trier

The Archbishopric of Trier was a Roman Catholic diocese in Germany, that existed from Carolingians times until the end of the Holy Roman Empire....
.

After the extinction of the Bavarian branch, a succession dispute and the brief War of the Bavarian Succession the Palatinate branch succeeded in Bavaria in 1777. With the death of Elector Charles Theodore
Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria

Karl Theodor, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count Electoral Palatinate from 1742, as Duchy of J?lich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death....
 in 1799 all Wittelsbach land in Bavaria and the Palatinate was reunited under Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, a member of the branch Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld

Palatinate-Birkenfeld , later Palatinate-Zweibr?cken-Birkenfeld, was the name of a collateral line of the Electoral Palatinate House of Wittelsbach....
. At the time there were two surviving branches of the Wittelsbach family: Zweibrücken (headed by Maximilian I Joseph) and Birkenfeld (headed by Count Palatine William). Maximilian Joseph inherited Charles Thedore's title of Elector of Bavaria, while William was compensated with the title of Duke in Bavaria. The form Duke in Bavaria
Duke in Bavaria

The title Duke in Bavaria was accorded in 1799 for Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Zweibr?cken-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen and his descendants, who formed a cadet branch of the House of Wittelsbach, which had been the ruling house of Bavaria since 1180....
 was selected because in 1506 primogeniture
Primogeniture

Primogeniture is the common law right of the firstborn son to inherit the entire Estate , to the exclusion of younger siblings. It is the tradition brought by the Normans to England in 1066....
 had been established in the House of Wittelsbach resulting in there being only one Reigning Duke of Bavaria at any given time. The style of king Maximilian Joseph assumed on January 1, 1806.

Reign outside the Holy Roman Empire


With Duke Otto III
Otto III, Duke of Bavaria

Otto III of Bavaria, , member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was duke of Lower Bavaria from 1290 to 1312 and as B?la V also king of Hungary between 1305 and 1307....
, who was elected anti-king of Hungary
Hungary

Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....
 as Bela 1305-1308 the Wittelsbach dynasty came to power outside the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
 for the first time.

Palatinate branch


Christopher III of the Palatinate branch was king of Denmark
Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
, Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 and Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
 1440/1442-1448, but he left no descendants. The House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken

The House of Palatinate-Zweibr?cken, a branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was the Royal House of Sweden from 1654 to 1720.By this point it had splintered into several different houses....
 contributed to the monarchy of Sweden again 1654-1720 under Charles X, Charles XI
Charles XI of Sweden

Charles XI was Monarch of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in an unruly period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire .Charles was the only son of King Charles X of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp....
, Charles XII
Charles XII of Sweden

Charles XII was the Monarch of Sweden from 1697 to 1718.Charles was the only surviving son of King Charles XI of Sweden and Ulrike Eleonora of Denmark, and he assumed the crown at the age of fifteen, at the death of his father....
 and Ulrika Eleonora
Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden

Ulrika Eleonora , also known as Ulrika Eleonora the Younger, was Queen regnant of Sweden from 30 November 1718 to 29 February 1720, and then Queen consort until her death....
.

The Wittelsbach princess Sophia of Hanover
Sophia of Hanover

Sophia of Hanover was the youngest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, of the House of Wittelsbach, the "Winter King" of Bohemia, and Elizabeth of Bohemia....
 (1630-1714) was the mother of George I of Great Britain
George I of Great Britain

George I was List of British Monarchs#House of Hanover and King of Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of Electorate of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
; she died as Heiress Presumptive of Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
 a few weeks before the case of succession. The line of Jacobite
Jacobitism

Jacobitism was the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the House of Stuart kings to the thrones of Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland....
 succession is currently within the House of Wittelsbach. Franz, Hereditary Prince of Bavaria
Franz, Duke of Bavaria

'Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern' , styled as Duke of Bavaria, is head of the Wittelsbach family, the former ruling family of the King of Bavaria....
 is recognised by the Jacobites as "Francis II".

Finally the Wittelsbach prince Otto
Otto of Greece

Otto of Bavaria was made the first modern king of First Kingdom of Greece in 1832 under the London Conference of 1832, whereby Greece became a new independent monarchy under the protection of the Great Powers ....
 of Bavaria was elected king of newly independent Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
 in 1832 and was forced to abdicate in 1862.

Bavarian branch


Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria, Prince of Asturias
Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria, Prince of Asturias

Duke Joseph Ferdinand Leopold of Bavaria, also known as Infante Jose Fernando de Baviera y Austria, Prince of Asturias was the son of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and his first wife, Maria Antonia of Austria, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, maternal granddaughter of King Philip IV of Spain....
 was the favored choice of England and the Netherlands to succeed as the ruler of Spain, young Charles II of Spain chose him as his heir. Due to the unexpected death of Joseph Ferdinand in 1699 the Wittelsbach did not come to power in Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
.

Major members of the family


Patrilineal descent


Franz's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal house
Royal House

A royal house or royal dynasty is a familial designation, or family name of sorts, used by Royal family. It generally represents the members of a family in various senior and junior or cadet branches, who are loosely related but not necessarily of the same immediate kin....
s, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that Franz’s royal house, the House of Wittelsbach, ultimately originates from the Luitpolding dynasty
Luitpolding

The Luitpolding was a medieval dynasty which ruled Duchy of Bavaria from some time in the late ninth century off and on until 985. The founder of the family was Luitpold, Margrave of Bavaria, a Bavarian margrave who died in 907....
.

  1. Luitpold, Margrave of Bavaria
    Luitpold, Margrave of Bavaria

    Luitpold or Liutpold , perhaps of the Huosi family or related to the Carolingians, was the father of the great Luitpolding dynasty which dominated Bavaria and Duchy of Carinthia until the mid-tenth century....
    , d. 907
  2. Arnulf, Duke of Bavaria
    Arnulf, Duke of Bavaria

    Arnulf , called the Bad or the Evil , was the duke of Bavaria from 907 until his death. He was a member of the Luitpolding dynasty....
    , d. 937
  3. Berthold of Bavaria, 915 - 980
  4. Henry I of Schweinfurt, 960 - 1017
  5. Henry II of Schweinfurt, 1017 - 1043
  6. Otto I, Count of Scheyern, 1044 - 1072
  7. Otto II, Count of Scheyern, d. 1108
  8. Otto IV, Count of Wittelsbach
    Otto IV, Count of Wittelsbach

    Otto IV, Count of Wittelsbach was a descendant of Count Otto II of Scheyern and Richgard of Weimar-Istrien. Otto entitled himself after Wittelsbach Castle near Aichach from 1116 onwards, served Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor and was Count palatine of Bavaria since 1120....
    , 1083 - 1156
  9. Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria
    Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria

    Duke Otto I of Bavaria BiographyDuke Otto I was a son of Otto IV, Count of Wittelsbach and a brother of Conrad of Wittelsbach, Archbishop of Mainz who was as Conrad III also Archbishop of Salzburg ....
    , 1117 - 1183
  10. Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
    Louis I, Duke of Bavaria

    Duke Louis I of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria in 1183 and Electoral Palatinate in 1214. He was a son of Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and his wife Agnes of Loon....
    , 1173 - 1231
  11. Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria
    Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria

    Otto II of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine . He was a son of Louis I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and Ludmila of Bohemia and a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty....
    , 1206 - 1253
  12. Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
    Louis II, Duke of Bavaria

    Duke Louis II of Bavaria ; 13 April 1229 – 2 February 1294, was Duke of Bavaria and Electoral Palatinate from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and Agnes of Palatinate....
    , 1229 - 1294
  13. Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria
    Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria

    Rudolf I of Bavaria , a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Duke of Bavaria and Electoral Palatinate . Rudolf was the son of Louis II, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Upper Bavaria, and Mechthild , a daughter of King Rudolph I of Germany....
    , 1274 - 1319
  14. Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine
    Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine

    Adolf of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach was formally Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1319?1327.He was the second son of Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria and his wife Mechtild of Nassau....
    , 1300 - 1327
  15. Rupert II, Elector Palatine, 1325 - 1398
  16. Rupert of Germany
    Rupert of Germany

    Rupert of Germany of the house of Wittelsbach , he was the son of Rupert II, Elector Palatine of the Rhine and Beatrix of Sicily. Rupert was a great-grandnephew of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor....
    , 1352 - 1410
  17. Stefan, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken
    Stefan, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken

    Stefan of Simmern-Zweibr?cken was Count palatine of Simmern and Zweibr?cken from 1410, and Count of County of Veldenz and County of Sponheim from 1444....
    , 1385 - 1459
  18. Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
    Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

    Louis I of Zweibr?cken , was Count palatine and Duke of Zweibr?cken and of Veldenz in 1444-1489.He was the son of Stefan, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibr?cken and his wife Anna of Veldenz....
    , 1424 - 1489
  19. Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
    Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

    Alexander of Zweibr?cken , was Count palatine and Duke of Zweibr?cken and of Veldenz in 1489-1514.He was the son of Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibr?cken and his wife Johanna of Cro?....
    , 1462 - 1514
  20. Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
    Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

    Louis II of Zweibr?cken , was Count palatine and Duke of Zweibr?cken in 1514-1532.He was the son of Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibr?cken and his wife Margarete of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein....
    , 1502 - 1532
  21. Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
    Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

    Wolfgang of Zweibr?cken , was member of the House of Wittelsbach family of the Count palatine and Duke of Zweibr?cken in 1532-1559....
    , 1526 - 1569
  22. Karl I, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld, 1560 - 1600
  23. Christian I, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld, 1598 - 1654
  24. Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, 1637 - 1717
  25. Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
    Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

    Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibr?cken-Birkenfeld was Palatinate-Zweibr?cken from 1731-1735. He was the son of Christian II of Zweibr?cken-Birkenfeld and Katharina Agathe, Countess of Rappoltstein....
    , 1674 - 1735
  26. Count Palatine Frederick Michael of Zweibrücken
    Count Palatine Frederick Michael of Zweibrücken

    Count Palatine Frederick Michael of Zweibr?cken-Birkenfeld was a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty. He was the father of Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria....
    , 1724 - 1767
  27. Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, 1756 - 1825
  28. Ludwig I of Bavaria
    Ludwig I of Bavaria

    Ludwig I was king of Bavaria from 1825 until the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states....
    , 1786 - 1868
  29. Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
    Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria

    Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria , was the regent and de facto ruler of Bavaria from 1886 to 1912, due to the incapacity of his nephews, Ludwig II of Bavaria and Otto I of Bavaria....
    , 1821 - 1912
  30. Ludwig III of Bavaria
    Ludwig III of Bavaria

    Ludwig III , was the last King of Kingdom of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918....
    , 1845 - 1921
  31. Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria
    Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria

    Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria or Crown Prince Rupert of Bavaria was the last Bavarian Crown Prince.His full title was His Royal Highness Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine....
    , 1869 - 1955
  32. Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria
    Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria

    Albrecht Luitpold Ferdinand Michael, Duke of Bavaria, of Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine , was the son of Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria and his first wife, Duchess Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria....
    , 1905 - 1996
  33. Franz, Duke of Bavaria
    Franz, Duke of Bavaria

    'Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern' , styled as Duke of Bavaria, is head of the Wittelsbach family, the former ruling family of the King of Bavaria....
    , 1933 -

Bavarian branch

  • Louis V, Margrave of Brandenburg, Duke of Bavaria and Count of Tyrol
    Louis V, Duke of Bavaria

    Louis V, Duke of Bavaria, called the Brandenburger was List of rulers of Bavaria and as Louis I also Margrave of Brandenburg and Tyrol....
     (1323 - 1361)
  • Albert I, Duke of Bavaria, Count of Holland and Hainaut
    Albert I, Duke of Bavaria

    Duke Albert I or Albrecht was a feudal ruler of the counties of Holland, County of Hainaut, and Zeeland in the Low Countries. Additionally, he held a portion of the Bavarian province of Straubing, his Bavarian ducal line's appanage and seat....
     (1347-1404)
  • Isabeau de Bavière (1371 - 1435), queen-consort of France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
  • Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut and Holland
    Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut

    Jacqueline of Wittelsbach was Duchess of Bavaria-Straubing, Count of Hainaut and Count of Holland from 1417 to 1432.She was the only daughter of William VI, Count of Holland from his marriage with Margaret of Burgundy, daughter of Margaret III of Flanders and Philip the Bold....
     (1417 - 1432)
  • Albert IV, duke of Bavaria
    Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria

    Duke Albert IV of Bavaria-Munich , , from 1467 Duke of Bavaria-Munich, from 1503 Duke of the reunited Bavaria....
     (1465-1508)
  • Albert V, duke of Bavaria
    Albert V, Duke of Bavaria

    Albert V, Duke of Bavaria , , was Duke of Bavaria from 1550 until his death. He was born in Munich to William IV, Duke of Bavaria and Marie of Baden-Sponheim....
     (1550-1579)
  • Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
    Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria

    Maximilian I, Duke/Elector of Bavaria , called "the Great", was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War ....
     (1597 - 1651)
  • Maria Anna, Dauphine of France (1660 - 1690)
  • Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria
    Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria

    Maximilian II , also known as Max Emanuel or Maximilian Emanuel, was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and an elector of the Holy Roman Empire....
     (1662 - 1726)
  • Violante of Bavaria
    Violante of Bavaria

    Violante Beatrix of Bavaria , was Grand Duke of Tuscany and Siena, till her death in 1731....
     (1673-1731), Hereditary Princess of Tuscany and Governess of Sienna
    Siena

    Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site....
    ,
  • Clemens August of Bavaria (1700 - 1761)
  • Maria Antonia Walpurgis of Bavaria
    Maria Antonia Walpurgis of Bavaria

    Maria Antonia Walpurgis Symphorosa, princess of House of Wittelsbach , Electress of Electorate of Saxony, was a German composer, singer, harpsichordist and patron, known particularly for her operas Il trionfo della fedelt? and Talestri, regina delle amazzoni ....
     (1724 - 1780)


Palatinate branch

  • Frederick I, Elector Palatine
    Frederick I, Elector Palatine

    Frederick I , Count Palatine of the Rhine was an Elector Palatine from the House of Wittelsbach in 1451 - 1476.He was a son of Louis III, Elector Palatine and his second wife Matilda of Savoy....
     (1451-1476)
  • Frederick III, Elector Palatine
    Frederick III, Elector Palatine

    Frederick III the Pious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach, branch Palatinate-Simmern-County of Sponheim....
     (1559-1576)
  • Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine
    Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine

    Charles Louis, , Elector Palatine was the second son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, the Winter King, and his wife, Elizabeth of Bohemia, daughter of James I of England....
     (1648-1680)
  • Prince Rupert of the Rhine
    Prince Rupert of the Rhine

    Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, , soldier, inventor and amateur artist in mezzotint, was a younger son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth of Bohemia, and the nephew of King Charles I of England, who created him Duke of Cumberland and Earl of Holderness....
     (1619-1682)
  • Sophia of the Palatine (1630-1714), Heiress of Great Britain
    Great Britain

    Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
  • Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine (1652-1722)
  • Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine
    Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine

    Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine, also known as Johann Wilhelm von Pfalz-Neuburg , was Elector Palatine , Duke Palatine of Palatinate-Neuburg , Duchy of J?lich and Berg , and Duke of Upper Palatinate and Cham ....
     (1690-1718)
  • King Ludwig I of Bavaria
    Ludwig I of Bavaria

    Ludwig I was king of Bavaria from 1825 until the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states....
     (1825 - 1848)
  • Elisabeth in Bavaria (1837 - 1898) ("Sissi"), Empress of Austria
    Austria

    Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
  • Ludwig II of Bavaria
    Ludwig II of Bavaria

    Ludwig II was king of Kingdom of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes referred to as the Swan King in English language and der M?rchenk?nig in German language....
     (1864 - 1886)
  • Marie Sophie (1841- 1925), last queen of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
  • Elizabeth of Bavaria (1876 - 1965), queen-consort of Albert I of Belgium
    Albert I of Belgium

    Albert I was the third King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934....
  • Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein
    Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein

    Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein , is the daughter of Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria, and Swedish Countess Elisabeth Douglas.She was styled HRH Princess Sophie of Bavaria; in 1973, her father inherited the family name and style Duke in Bavaria from a distant cousin who had adopted him as heir in 1965....
    , born 1967


Several other women in the family are known as Elisabeth von Wittelsbach.

Family tree


See also

  • Kings of Germany family tree. The Wittelsbachs were the 11th dynasty to rule Germany and were related by marriage to all the others.


  • List of rulers of Bavaria
    List of rulers of Bavaria

    The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria. Bavaria was ruled by several dukes and kings, partitioned and reunited, under several dynasty....
  • List of rulers of the Palatinate
  • Asteroid
    Asteroid

    Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets or planetoids, are small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun, smaller than planets but larger than meteoroids....
     90712 Wittelsbach
    90712 Wittelsbach

    90712 Wittelsbach is a Main-belt Asteroid discovered on October 12, 1990 by F. Borngen and L. D. Schmadel at Tautenburg....
    , named in the castle and dynasty's honour
    Meanings of asteroid names

    This is a list of named minor planets , with links to the Wikipedia articles on the people, places, characters and concepts that they are named for....
  • Wittelsbach Diamond
    Wittelsbach Diamond

    The Wittelsbach Diamond also known as Der Blaue'Wittelsbacher is a blue diamond with VS2 clarity that has been prized by European royals for centuries....


External links