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This article listscounts palatine of Lotharingia,counts palatine of the Rhine, andelectors of the Palatinate (German:Kurfürst von der Pfalz), the titles of threecounts palatine who ruled some part of theRhine region in the Kingdom of Germany and theHoly Roman Empire between 915 and 1803. From 1261 (formally 1356), the title holder was a member of the small group ofprince-electors who elected theemperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Since then, the title has also been referred to as "Elector Palatine".
The Palatinate emerged from theCounty Palatine ofLotharingia which came into existence in the 10th century.
During the 11th century, the Palatinate was dominated by theEzzonian dynasty, which governed several counties on both banks of the Rhine. These territories were centered aroundCologne-Bonn, but extended south to the riversMoselle andNahe. The southernmost point was nearAlzey.[2]
Fromc.1085, after the death of the last Ezzonian count palatine,Herman II of Lotharingia, the Palatinate lost its military importance in Lotharingia. The territorial authority of the count palatine was reduced to his counties along the Rhine, henceforth called theCounty Palatine of the Rhine.
The first hereditary count palatine of the Rhine wasConrad of Hohenstaufen, who was the younger brother of EmperorFrederick Barbarossa. The territories attached to this hereditary office began with those held by theHohenstaufens inFranconia and Rhineland. (Other branches of the Hohenstaufen dynasty received territories including lands inSwabia andFranche-Comté). Part of this land derived from their imperial ancestors, theSalian Emperors, and part from Conrad's maternal ancestors, theSaarbrücken. This explains the composition of the inheritance that comprised the Upper and Rhenish Palatinate in the following centuries.
In 1195, the Palatinate passed to theHouse of Welf through the marriage ofAgnes, heir to the Staufen count.
On the marriage of the Welf heiress Agnes in the early 13th century, the territory passed to theWittelsbachdukes of Bavaria, who were also counts palatine ofBavaria.During a later division of territory among the heirs of DukeLouis II of Upper Bavaria in 1294, the elder branch of the Wittelsbachs came into possession of both the Rhenish Palatinate and the territories in Bavaria north of the Danube river (theNordgau) centred around the town ofAmberg. As this region was politically connected to the Rhenish Palatinate, the nameUpper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) became common from the early 16th century, to contrast with theLower Palatinate along the Rhine.
TheGolden Bull of 1356, in circumvention ofinner-Wittelsbach contracts and thus bypassingBavaria, recognized the Palatinate as one of the secularelectorates. The count was given the hereditary offices of Archsteward (Erztruchseß) of the Empire andImperial Vicar (Reichsverweser) ofFranconia,Swabia, theRhine and southern Germany. From that time forth, the Count Palatine of the Rhine was usually known as the Elector Palatine (Kurfürst von der Pfalz). The position of prince-elector had existed earlier (for example, when two rivalkings of Germany were elected in 1257:Richard of Cornwall andAlfonso X of Castile), though it is difficult to determine exactly the earliest date of the office.
By the early 16th century, owing to the practice of dividing territories among different branches of the family, junior lines of the Palatine Wittelsbachs came to rule inSimmern,Kaiserslautern andZweibrücken in the Lower Palatinate, and inNeuburg andSulzbach in the Upper Palatinate. The Elector Palatine, now based inHeidelberg, adopted Lutheranism in the 1530s andCalvinism in the 1550s.
| County Palatine of the Rhine (1214–1356) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electoral Palatinate (Main line) (1356–1559) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neumarkt (1410–1448) | Simmern (1st creation) (1410–1598) Simmern-Sponheim (1559–1598) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mosbach (1410–1490) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zweibrücken (Main line) (1459–1661) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neuburg (1st creation) (1505–1557) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Veldenz (1543–1694) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part ofZweibrücken | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electoral Palatinate (Simmern Line, 1st creation) (1559–1623) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neuburg (2nd creation) (1569–1685) | Zweibrücken -Vohenstrauss -Parkstein (1569–1597) | Zweibrücken -Birkenfeld (1569–1731) | Sulzbach (1st creation) (1569–1604) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part ofNeuburg (1597–1684) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Landsberg (1604–1661) | Kleeburg (1604–1718) | Part ofNeuburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simmern (2nd creation) (1610–1674) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sulzbach (2nd creation) (1614–1742) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zweibrücken -Birkenfeld -Bischweiler (1615–1671) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part of theElectorate of Bavaria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electoral Palatinate (Simmern Line, 2nd creation) (1648–1685) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zweibrücken -Birkenfeld -Gelnhausen (1654–1799) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zweibrücken (Landsberg Line) (1661–1677) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annexed to theKingdom of France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electoral Palatinate (Neuburg Line) (1685–1742) | Part ofElectoral Palatinate (1685–1694) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zweibrücken (Swedish Kleeburg Line, 1st creation) (1693–1718) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zweibrücken (Kleeburg Line, 2nd creation) (1718–1731) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zweibrücken (Birkenfeld Line) (1731–1799) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electoral Palatinate (Sulzbach Line) (1742–1799) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electoral Palatinate (Zweibrücken Line) (1799–1803) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ruler | Born | Reign | Death | Ruling part | Consort | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Ithe Kelheimer |  | 23 December 1173 | 1214–1231 | 15 September 1231 | County Palatine of the Rhine | Ludmilla of Bohemia 1204 one child | Son ofOtto I of Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria. Louis obtained thePalatinate of the Rhine in 1214. So Louis I served also as Count Palatine of the Rhine. He was assassinated 1231. |
| Otto IIthe Illustrious |  | 7 April 1206 | 1231–1253 | 29 November 1253 | County Palatine of the Rhine | Agnes of the Palatinate 1222 Worms eleven children | Otto II served also as Count Palatine of the Rhine. On Otto II's death, Bavaria was divided between his sons. Louis received the Palatinate. |
| Louis IIthe Strict |  | 13 April 1229 | 1253–1294 | 2 February 1294 | County Palatine of the Rhine | Maria of Brabant 2 August 1254 (executed) no children Anna of Głogów 1260 two children Matilda of Austria 24 October 1273 four children | |
| During a later division of territory among his heirs in 1294, the elder branch of the Wittelsbachs came into possession of both the Rhenish Palatinate and the territories in Bavaria north of the Danube river (theNordgau) centred around the town ofAmberg. As this region was politically connected to the Rhenish Palatinate, the nameUpper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) became common from the early 16th century, to contrast with theLower Palatinate along the Rhine. | |||||||
| Rudolph Ithe Stammerer |  | 4 October 1274 | 1294–1317 | 12 August 1319 | County Palatine of the Rhine | Matilda of Nassau 1 September 1294 Nuremberg six children | Ruled jointly. In 1317 Rudolph abdicated of his rights to his brother |
| Louis IVthe Bavarian |  | 5 April 1282 | 1294–1329 | 11 October 1347 | County Palatine of the Rhine | Beatrice of Świdnica-Jawor 14 October 1308 six children | |
| In 1327,Louis IV, Duke of Bavaria occupied Palatinate, but wasn't recognized as Count Palatine, as he was defending the position of his younger nephews against the claimancy of his older nephew,Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine. Ten years later gave it to his nephews, sons of Rudolph. With theTreaty of Pavia in 1329, as Emperor, Louis made formal his donation, pushing back the claimant Count Adolf. | |||||||
| Rudolph IIthe Blind |  | 8 August 1306 | 1329–1353 | 4 October 1353 | County Palatine of the Rhine | Anna of Carinthia-Tyrol 1328 one child Margaret of Sicily 1348 no children | Son of Rudolph I. |
| TheGolden Bull of 1356 confirmed the right to participate in the election of aHoly Roman Emperor to the Count Palatine, title that evolved toElector Palatine. Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his cousin Robert, son of the pushed Count Adolf. | |||||||
| Robert Ithe Red (Ruprecht I. der Rote) |  | 9 June 1309 | 1353–1356 | 16 February 1390 | County Palatine of the Rhine | Elisabeth of Namur 1350 or 1358 no children Beatrix of Berg 1385 no children | Son of Rudolph I and brother of Rudolph II. In January 1356 was recognized as the First Elector Palatine. |
| 10 January 1356 – 16 February 1390 | Electoral Palatinate | ||||||
| Robert IIthe Hard (Ruprecht II. der Harte) |  | 12 May 1325 | 16 January 1390 – 6 January 1398 | 6 January 1398 | Electoral Palatinate | Beatrice of Sicily 1345 seven children | Son of the claimant count Adolf. |
| Robert IIIthe Righteous (Ruprecht III. der Gerechte) |  | 5 May 1352 | 6 January 1398 – 18 May 1410 | 18 May 1410 | Electoral Palatinate | Elisabeth of Nuremberg 27 June 1374 Amberg seven children | AlsoKing of Germany (1400–1410). |
| Louis IIIthe Bearded (Ludwig III. der Bärtige) | .jpg) | 23 January 1378 | 18 May 1410 – 30 December 1436 | 30 December 1436 | Electoral Palatinate | Blanche of England 6 July 1402 Cologne no children Matilda of Savoy 30 November 1417 five children | Children of Robert III, divided the land. Louis kept the Electorate; Stephen received Simmern, John inherited Neumarkt and Otto received Mosbach. Stephen brought by marriage theCounty of Veldenz to his possessions, and, after his death, Zweibrücken split off from Simmern. |
| Stephen I |  | 23 June 1385 | 1410–1459 | 14 February 1459 | Palatinate-Simmern | Anna of Veldenz 10 June 1410 Heidelberg eight children | |
| John I |  | 1383 | 1410–1443 | 14 March 1443 | Palatinate-Neumarkt | Catherine of Pomerania-Stolp 15 August 1407 Ribe seven children | |
| Otto I |  | 24 August 1390 | 1410–1461 | 5 July 1461 | Palatinate-Mosbach | Joanna of Bavaria-Landshut January 1430 Burghausen eight children | |
| Regency ofOtto I, Count Palatine of Mosbach (1436–1442) | |||||||
| Louis IVthe Meek (Ludwig IV. der Sanftmütige) | 1 January 1424 | 30 December 1436 – 13 August 1449 | 13 August 1449 | Electoral Palatinate | Margaret of Savoy 18 October 1445 Heidelberg one child | ||
| Christopher I |  | 26 February 1416 | 1443–1448 | 5/6 January 1448 | Palatinate-Neumarkt | Dorothea of Brandenburg 12 September 1445 Copenhagen no children | AlsoKing of theKalmar Union (1440–1448), inDenmark,Sweden andNorway. Left no descendants. Neumarkt reverted to Palatinate-Mosbach. |
| Neumarkt definitely annexed toPalatinate-Mosbach | |||||||
| Frederick Ithe Victorious (Friedrich I. der Siegreiche) |  | 1 August 1425 | 13 August 1449 – 12 December 1476 | 12 December 1476 | Electoral Palatinate | Clara Tott 1471/2 (morganatic) two children | Brother of his predecessor. Left no legitimate heirs to the Electorate. He was succeeded by his nephew. |
| Frederick Ithe Pious | 19 November 1417 | 1459–1480 | 29 November 1480 | Palatinate-Simmern | Margaret of Guelders 6 August 1454 Lobith ten children | Children of Stephen, divided the land. | |
| Louis Ithe Black | .jpg) | 1424 | 1459–1489 | 19 July 1489 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Johanna de Croÿ 20 March 1454 Luxembourg twelve children | |
| Otto IIthe Mathematician |  | 26 June 1435 | 1461–1490 | 8 April 1499 | Palatinate-Mosbach | Unmarried | Had a strong interest in astronomy and mathematics. Abdicated in 1490 to spend the remainder of his life in scientific pursuits. Mosbach reverted to the Electorate. |
| Mosbach definitely annexed to theElectoral Palatinate | |||||||
| Philip Ithe Upright (Philipp I. der Aufrichtige) | _as_donor%2c_from_St._Cacilien_in_Neckarsteinach%2c_Middle_Rhine_-_Pfalz%2c_1483_AD%2c_stained_and_painted_glass_-_Hessisches_Landesmuseum_Darmstadt_-_Darmstadt%2c_Germany_-_DSC00614.jpg) | 14 July 1448 | 12 December 1476 – 28 February 1508 | 28 February 1508 | Electoral Palatinate | Margaret of Bavaria 1474 Amberg fourteen children | |
| John I |  | 15 May 1459 | 1480–1509 | 27 January 1509 | Palatinate-Simmern | Joanna of Nassau-Saarbrücken 29 September 1481 three children | |
| Alexander Ithe Lame | 26 November 1462 | 1489–1514 | 21 October 1514 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Margaret of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein 1499 Zweibrücken six children | Sons of Louis the Black, ruled jointly. | |
| Kaspar | 11 July 1459 | 1489–1490 | 1527 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Amalie of Brandenburg 19 April 1478 Zweibrücken no children | ||
| Louis Vthe Pacific (Ludwig V. der Friedfertige) |  | 2 July 1478 | 28 February 1508 – 16 March 1544 | 16 March 1544 | Electoral Palatinate | Sibylle of Bavaria 23 February 1511 Heidelberg no children | Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his brother. |
| John II |  | 21 March 1492 | 1509–1557 | 18 May 1557 | Palatinate-Simmern | Beatrix of Baden 22 May 1508 twelve children | He introduced the Reformation into Simmern which led to increased tensions with his neighbours, the Archbishoprics of Trier and Mainz. |
| Louis IIthe Younger | .jpg) | 14 September 1502 | 1514–1532 | 3 December 1532 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Elisabeth of Hesse 10 September 1525 Kassel two children | |
| Robert I |  | 1506 | 1532–1544 | 28 July 1544 | Palatinate-Veldenz | Ursula of Salm-Kyrburg 23 June 1537 three children | Divided the land. Robert was a younger brother of Louis II, and Wolfgang was Louis' son. Technically, Robert held both lands during Wolfgang's minority. |
| Regency ofRobert, Count Palatine of Veldenz (1532–1543) | |||||||
| Wolfgang |  | 26 September 1526 | 1532–1569 | 11 June 1569 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Anna of Hesse 24 February 1544 thirteen children | |
| Frederick IIthe Wise (Friedrich II. der Weise) |  | 9 December 1482 | 16 March 1544 – 26 December 1556 | 26 December 1556 | Electoral Palatinate | Dorothea of Denmark 18 May 1535 Heidelberg no children | Left no descendants. He was succeeded by a cousin. |
| Regencies ofUrsula of Salm-Kyrburg (1544–1546) andWolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (1544–1560) | |||||||
| George John Ithe Astute |  | 11 April 1543 | 1560–1592 | 18 April 1592 | Palatinate-Veldenz | Anna of Sweden 20 December 1562 eleven children | |
| Regencies ofPhilip, Elector Palatine (1505–1508) andFrederick II, Elector Palatine (1508–1516) | Children ofRobert of Palatinate, bishop of Freising (and grandsons of Philip I). Their father married the heiress of Bavaria-Landshut, Elisabeth, was adopted by his father-in-law, and eventually became heir of Bavaria-Landshut. This new declaration led to theLandshut War. In the aftermath of the conflict, a part of Landshut joined Palatinate with the name of Palatinate-Neuburg. In 1557 Otto Henry abdicated of Neuburg to become Elector. Neuburg fell to Wolfgang I. Otto Henry left no descendants: the main line became extinct with his death. Simmern line succeeded in the Electorate. | ||||||
| Otto Henrythe Magnanimous (Ottheinrich. der Großmütige) |  | 10 April 1502 | 1505–1557 | 12 February 1559 | Palatinate-Neuburg | Susanna of Bavaria 16 October 1529 Neuburg an der Donau no children | |
| 26 December 1556 – 12 February 1559 | Electoral Palatinate | ||||||
| Philip Ithe Warlike |  | 12 November 1503 | 1505–1541 | 4 July 1548 | Palatinate-Neuburg | Unmarried | |
| Neuburg annexed to Zweibrücken | |||||||
| Frederick IIIthe Pious (Friedrich III. der Fromme) |  | 14 February 1515 | 1557–1559 | 26 October 1576 | Palatinate-Simmern | Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 21 October 1537 Kreuznach eleven children Amalia of Neuenahr 25 April 1569 Heidelberg no children | When the senior branch of the family died out in 1559, the electorate passed toFrederick III ofSimmern, son of John II and a staunchCalvinist. The Palatinate became one of the major centers of Calvinism in Europe, supporting Calvinist rebellions in both theNetherlands andFrance. |
| 12 February 1559 – 26 October 1576 | Electoral Palatinate | ||||||
| George | 20 February 1518 | 1559–1569 | 17 May 1569 | Palatinate-Simmern | Elisabeth of Hesse 9 January 1541 one child | Son of John II. Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his brother. | |
| Richard |  | 25 July 1521 | 1569–1598 | 13 January 1598 | Palatinate-Simmern | Julianna of Wied 30 January 1569 four children Emilie of Württemberg 26 March 1578 no children Anne Margaret of Palatinate-Veldenz 14 December 1589 no children | Son of John II. Left no descendants. Simmern returned to the Electorate. |
| Simmern briefly annexed to theElectoral Palatinate (1598–1610) | |||||||
| Regency ofAnna of Hesse,William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel andLouis VI, Elector Palatine (1569–1574) | Children of Wolfgang, divided the land:
| ||||||
| John Ithe Lame | %2c_Pfalzgraf_bei_Rhein%2c_Herzog_von_Zweibr%25C3%25BCcken_-_4489_-_Bavarian_State_Painting_Collections.jpg) | 8 May 1550 | 1569–1604 | 12 August 1604 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Magdalene of Jülich-Cleves-Berg 1579 Bad Bergzabern nine children | |
| Philip Louis |  | 2 October 1547 | 1569–1614 | 22 August 1614 | Palatinate-Neuburg | Anna of Cleves 27 September 1574 Neuburg an der Donau eight children | |
| Frederick I |  | 11 April 1557 | 1569–1597 | 17 December 1597 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Vohenstrauss-Parkstein | Katharina Sophie of Legnica 26 February 1587 three children | |
| Otto Henry | .jpg) | 22 July 1567 | 1569–1604 | 29 August 1604 | Palatinate-Sulzbach | Dorothea Maria of Württemberg 25 November 1582 thirteen children | |
| Charles I |  | 4 September 1560 | 1569–1600 | 16 December 1600 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld | Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg 23 November 1590 four children | |
| Vohenstrauss-Parkstein annexed to Neuburg | |||||||
| Sulzbach annexed to Neuburg | |||||||
| Louis VIthe Careless (Ludwig VI. der Leichtsinnige) |  | 4 July 1539 | 26 October 1576 – 22 October 1583 | 22 October 1583 | Electoral Palatinate | Elisabeth of Hesse 8 July 1560 Marburg twelve children Anne of Ostfriesland 12 July 1583 Heidelberg no children | Children of Frederick III, divided the land: Louis received the Electorate, and John Casimir was given a portion atLautern. The latter didn't have descendants, and his portion returned to the Electorate. |
| John Casimir | .jpg) | 7 March 1543 | 1576–1592 | 16 January 1592 | Palatinate-Simmern (atLautern) | Elisabeth of Saxony 4 June 1570 Heidelberg no children | |
| Lautern reabsorbed in the Electorate | |||||||
| Regency ofJohn Casimir, Count Palatine of Lautern (1583–1592) | With his adviserChristian of Anhalt, he founded theEvangelical Union ofProtestant states in 1608. | ||||||
| Frederick IVthe Righteous (Friedrich IV. der Aufrichtige) |  | 5 March 1574 | 22 October 1583 – 19 September 1610 | 19 September 1610 | Electoral Palatinate | Louise Juliana of Orange-Nassau 23 June 1593 Dillenburg eight children | |
| Regency ofAnna of Sweden (1592–1598) | Children of George John I, ruled jointly. In 1598 divided the land: George Gustavus kept Veldenz; John Augustus received Lützelstein; and Louis Philip and George John received jointly received Gutenberg. In 1601 George John ruled alone Gutenberg. In 1611, after the death of John Augustus with no descendants, Lützelstein was annexed to Guttenberg. In 1654, after the death of George John without descendants, Guttenberg reverted to Veldens, united under Leopold Louis, George Gustavus' son. | ||||||
| George Gustavus |  | 6 February 1564 | 1598–1634 | 3 June 1634 | Palatinate-Veldenz | Elisabeth of Württemberg 30 October 1586 no children Maria Elizabeth of Palatinate-Zweibrücken 17 May 1601 eleven children | |
| John Augustus |  | 26 November 1575 | 1598–1611 | 18 September 1611 | Palatinate-Veldenz (atLützelstein) | Anne Elizabeth of the Palatinate 1599 no children | |
| Louis Philip I | 24 November 1577 | 1598–1601 | 24 October 1601 | Palatinate-Veldenz (atGutenberg) | Unmarried | ||
| George John II | 24 June 1586 | 1598–1654 | 29 September 1654 | Palatinate-Veldenz (atGutenberg) | Susanna of Palatinate-Sulzbach 20 December 1562 eleven children | ||
| Regency ofPhilip Louis, Count Palatine of Neuburg (1600–1612) andJohn I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (1600–1604) | Children of Charles I, divided the land. | ||||||
| George William |  | 6 August 1591 | 1608–1669 | 25 December 1669 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld | Dorothea of Solms-Sonnenwalde 30 November 1616 six children Juliana of Salm-Grumbach 30 November 1641 no children Anne Elizabeth of Öttingen-Öttingen 8 March 1649 no children | |
| Christian I |  | 3 November 1598 | 1615–1654 | 6 September 1654 | Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler | Magdalene Catherine of Palatinate-Zweibrücken 14 November 1630 nine children Maria Joanna of Helffenstein 28 October 1648 one child | |
| John IIthe Younger |  | 26 March 1584 | 1604–1635 | 9 August 1635 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Catherine de Rohan 26 August 1604 one child Louise Juliana of the Palatinate 13 May 1612 seven children | Children of John I, divided the land: John Kept Zweibrücken, Frederick Casimir received Landsberg and John Casimir inherited Kleeburg. |
| Frederick Casimir | 10 June 1585 | 1604–1645 | 30 September 1645 | Palatinate-Landsberg | Emilia Antwerpiana of Orange-Nassau 4 July 1616 Landsberg [de] three children | ||
| John Casimir |  | 20 April 1589 | 1604–1652 | 18 June 1652 | Palatinate-Kleeburg | Catherine of Sweden 11 June 1615 Stockholm eight children | |
| Frederick Vthe Winter King (Friedrich V. der Winterkönig) |  | 26 August 1596 | 19 September 1610 – 23 February 1623 | 29 November 1632 | Electoral Palatinate | Elizabeth of Great Britain 14 February 1613 London thirteen children | In 1619, he accepted the throne ofBohemia from the Bohemian estates. He was defeated by theEmperor Ferdinand II at theBattle of White Mountain in 1620, and Spanish and Bavarian troops soon occupied the Palatinate itself. He was known as "the Winter King" because his reign in Bohemia only lasted one winter. In 1623, Frederick was put under the ban of the Empire. |
| Frederick V's territories and his position as elector were transferred to the Duke of Bavaria, Maximilian I, of a distantly related branch of the House of Wittelsbach. Although technically Elector Palatine, he was known as the Elector of Bavaria. From 1648 he ruled in Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate alone, but retained all his electoral dignities and the seniority of the Palatinate Electorate. Electoral Palatinate briefly annexed to theElectorate of Bavaria (1623–1648) | |||||||
| Louis Philip |  | 23 November 1602 | 1610–1655 | 6 January 1655 | Palatinate-Simmern | Marie Eleonore von Brandenburg 4 December 1631 seven children | Son of Elector Frederick, restored Simmern. |
| Wolfgang William |  | 4 November 1578 | 1614–1653 | 14 September 1653 | Palatinate-Neuburg | Magdalene of Bavaria 11 November 1613 Munich one child Catharina Charlotte of Palatinate-Zweibrücken 11 November 1631 Blieskastel two children Maria Franziska of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg 3 June 1651 no children | Son of Philip Louis, inherited Neuburg. |
| Augustus |  | 2 October 1582 | 1614–1632 | 14 August 1632 | Palatinate-Sulzbach | Hedwig of Holstein-Gottorp 17 July 1620 seven children | Sons of Philip Louis, inherited Sulzbach. John Frederick created Palatinate-Sulzbach-Hilpoltstein, but at his death with no surviving children, Sulzbach became reunited under Augustus' son, Christian August. |
| John Frederick | 23 August 1587 | 1614–1644 | 19 October 1644 | Palatinate-Sulzbach (atHilpoltstein) | Sophie Agnes of Hesse-Darmstadt 7/17 November 1624 eight children | ||
| Regency ofJohn Frederick, Count Palatine of Sulzbach-Hilpoltstein (1632–1636) | Reunited Sulzbach after John Frederick's death in 1644. | ||||||
| Christian Augustus |  | 26 July 1622 | 1632–1708 | 23 July 1708 | Palatinate-Sulzbach | Amalie of Nassau-Siegen 27 March 1649 five children | |
| Regency ofGeorge John II, Count Palatine of Lützelstein-Guttenberg (1634–1639) | Reunited Palatinate-Veldenz in 1654. However, left no surviving male descendants. Veldenz went to the Electorate. | ||||||
| Leopold Louis |  | 1 February 1625 | 1634–1694 | 29 September 1694 | Palatinate-Veldenz | Agatha Christine of Hanau-Lichtenberg 4 July 1648 Bischweiler twelve children | |
| Veldenz definitely annexed to theElectoral Palatinate | |||||||
| Frederick I | 5 April 1619 | 1635–1661 | 9 July 1661 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Anna Juliane of Nassau-Saarbrücken 6 April 1640 ten children | Left no male surviving descendants. Zweibrucken was inherited by Landsberg line. | |
| Frederick Louis |  | 27 October 1619 | 1645–1661 | 11 April 1681 | Palatinate-Landsberg | Juliana Magdalena of Palatinate-Zweibrücken 14 November 1645 Düsseldorf thirteen children Anna Marie Elisabeth Hepp 21 August 1672 (morganatic) five children | Inherited Zweibrücken from his cousin Frederick in 1661, and annexed Landsberg to it. In 1677 theKingdom of France occupied his duchies. He left no surviving descendants. |
| 1661–1677 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | ||||||
| Palatinate-Landsberg was definitely reannexed to thePalatinate-Zweibrücken | |||||||
| Palatinate-Zweibrücken (with Landsberg) was briefly annexed to theKingdom of France (1677–1693) | |||||||
| Charles Louis (Karl I. Ludwig) |  | 22 December 1617 | 24 October 1648- 28 August 1680 | 28 August 1680 | Electoral Palatinate (Simmern line restored) | Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel 22 February 1650 Kassel (unilateral divorce in 1658) three children Marie Luise von Degenfeld 6 January 1658 Schwetzingen (morganatic and bigamous) thirteen children Elisabeth Hollander von Bernau 11 December 1679 Vohenstrauß (morganatic) one child | Son of Frederick V. By thePeace of Westphalia in 1648, Charles Louis was restored to the Lower Palatinate and was given anew electoral title, also that of "Elector Palatine" but lower in precedence than the other electorates. |
| Charles Gustavus |  | 8 November 1622 | 1652–1654 | 13 February 1660 | Palatinate-Kleeburg | Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp 24 October 1654 Stockholm one child | Abdicated from Kleeburg in 1654, to becomeKing of Sweden (asCharles X), right hat he inherited from his mother. |
| John Charles |  | 17 October 1638 | 1654–1704 | 21 February 1704 | Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen | Sophie Amalie of Palatinate-Zweibrücken 1685 Weikersheim one child Esther Maria von Witzleben 28 July 1696 five children | Son of Christian I, received Gelnhausen. |
| Adolph John I | _-_Nationalmuseum_-_39785.jpg) | 21 October 1629 | 1654–1689 | 24 October 1689 | Palatinate-Kleeburg | Elsa Beata Brahe 19 June 1649 Stockholm one child Elsa Elisabeth Brahe 1661 Stockholm nine children | Brother of Charles Gustavus, received Kleeburg after the abdication of his brother. |
| Louis Henry | 11 October 1640 | 1655–1674 | 3 January 1674 | Palatinate-Simmern | Maria of Orange-Nassau 23 September 1666 Kleve no children | Left no descendants. Simmern returned to the Electorate. | |
| Simmern definitely annexed to theElectoral Palatinate | |||||||
| Charles Otto | 5 September 1625 | 1669–1671 | 30 March 1671 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld | Margaret Hedwig of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein 26 September 1658 three children | Left no surviving descendants. Birkenfeld passed to Bischweiler line. | |
| Christian II | .jpeg) | 22 June 1637 | 1654–1671 | 26 April 1717 | Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler | Catherine Agatha of Rappoltstein 5 September 1667 seven children | Son of Christian I, kept Bischweiler, while his brother John Charles gained Gelnhausen.Inherited Birkenfeld from his cousin Charles Otto, and annexed Bischweiler to it. |
| 1671–1717 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld | ||||||
| Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler definitely reannexed to thePalatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld | |||||||
| Charles II (Karl II) |  | 10 April 1651 | 28 August 1680 – 26 May 1685 | 26 May 1685 | Electoral Palatinate | Wilhelmine Ernestine of Denmark 20 September 1671 Heidelberg no children | Last of Simmern line. |
| Philip William (Philipp Wilhelm) |  | 24 November 1615 | 1653–1685 | 2 September 1690 | Palatinate-Neuburg | Anna Catherine of Poland 8 June 1642 Warsaw no children Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt 3 September 1653 Bad Schwalbach seventeen children | When the Simmern branch of the family died out in 1685, the electorate passed toPhilip William ofNeuburg (also Duke ofJülich andBerg), son of Wolfgang William. He was a Catholic and a maternal nephew ofMaximilian I of Bavaria. |
| 26 May 1685 – 2 September 1690 | Electoral Palatinate | ||||||
| Adolph John II | 21 August 1666 | 1689–1701 | 27 April 1701 | Palatinate-Kleeburg | Unmarried | Left no descendants. His lands went to his brother, Gustavus. | |
| John William (Johann Wilhelm) |  | 19 April 1658 | 2 September 1690 – 8 June 1716 | 8 June 1716 | Electoral Palatinate | Maria Anna Josepha of Austria 25 October 1678 Wiener Neustadt two children Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici 6 May 1691 Innsbruck no children | Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his brother. |
| Charles III | .jpg) | 24 November 1655 | 1693–1697 | 5 April 1697 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark 6 May 1680 Skottorp seven children | Son of Charles Gustavus (Charles X of Sweden), assumed the restored Palatinate-Zweibrücken. AlsoKing of Sweden, asCharles XI. |
| Charles IV | _XII_of_Sweden.png) | 17 June 1682 | 1697–1718 | 30 November 1718 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Unmarried | Son of Charles II. AlsoKing of Sweden, asCharles XII. After his death with no descendants, Zweibrücken was inherited by Kleeburg line. |
| Gustavus |  | 12 April 1670 | 1701–1718 | 17 September 1731 | Palatinate-Kleeburg | Dorothea of Palatinate-Veldenz 10 July 1707 no children Louise Dorothea von Hoffmann 13 May 1723 (morganatic) no children | Inherited Zweibrücken from his cousin Charles III, and annexed Kleeburg to it. Left no descendants. His lands went to Birkenfeld line. |
| 1718–1731 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | ||||||
| Palatinate-Kleeburg was definitely reannexed to thePalatinate-Zweibrücken | |||||||
| Regency (1704–1711) | Left no male descendants. He was succeeded by his brother John. | ||||||
| Frederick Bernard | 28 May 1697 | 1704–1739 | 5 August 1739 | Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen | Ernestine Louise of Waldeck-Pyrmont 30 May 1737 Arolsen two children | ||
| Theodore Eustace |  | 14 February 1659 | 1708–1732 | 11 July 1732 | Palatinate-Sulzbach | Maria Eleonore of Hesse-Rotenburg 6 June 1692 Lobositz nine children | |
| Charles Philip (Karl III. Philipp) | .jpg) | 4 November 1661 | 8 June 1716 – 31 December 1742 | 31 December 1742 | Electoral Palatinate | Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł 10 August 1688 Berlin four children Teresa Lubomirska 15 December 1701 Kraków two children Violante Theresia of Thurn and Taxis 1728 (morganatic) no children | Left no descendants. The Electorate went to Sulzbach line. |
| Christian III |  | 7 November 1674 | 1717–1731 | 3 February 1735 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld | Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken 21 September 1719 Lorentzen four children | Inherited Zweibrücken from his cousin Gustavus, and annexed Birkenfeld to it. |
| 1731–1735 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | ||||||
| Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld definitely reannexed toPalatinate-Zweibrücken | |||||||
| John Christian | .jpg) | 23 January 1700 | 1732–1733 | 20 July 1733 | Palatinate-Sulzbach | Maria Henriette de La Tour d'Auvergne 15 February 1722 two children Eleonore of Hesse-Rotenburg 21 January 1731 Mannheim no children | |
| Regency ofCaroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken (1735–1740) | His children from his morganatic marriage were barred from succession. He was succeeded by his nephew. | ||||||
| Christian IV |  | 6 September 1722 | 1735–1775 | 5 November 1775 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Maria Johanna Camasse 1751 (morganatic) six children | |
| John |  | 24 May 1698 | 1739–1780 | 10 February 1780 | Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen | Sophie Charlotte of Salm-Dhaun 1743 Dhaun eight children | |
| Regency ofCharles Philip, Elector Palatine (1733–1738) | The title and authority of Elector Palatine were subsumed into the Electorate of Bavaria in 1777. Charles Theodore and his heirs retaining only the single vote and precedence of the Bavarian elector, though they continued to use the title "Count Palatine of the Rhine" (German:Pfalzgraf bei Rhein,Latin:Comes Palatinus Rheni). Left no descendants, and the Electorates passed to Zweibrücken line. | ||||||
| Charles Theodore (Karl IV Theodor) |  | 11 December 1724 | 1733–1742 | 16 February 1799 | Palatinate-Sulzbach | Elisabeth Auguste of Palatinate-Sulzbach 17 January 1742 Mannheim one child Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este 15 February 1795 Innsbruck no children | |
| 31 December 1742 – 30 December 1777 | Electoral Palatinate | ||||||
| 30 December 1777 – 16 February 1799 | Electoral Palatinate andElectorate of Bavaria | ||||||
| Charles August |  | 29 October 1746 | 1775–1795 | 1 April 1795 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Maria Amalia of Saxony 12 February 1774 Dresden no children | Son ofFrederick Michael, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, brother of Christian IV. Succeeded his uncle, but left no descendants. He was succeeded by his brother. |
| Charles John | 13/18 September 1745 | 1780–1789 | 31 March 1789 | Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen | Unmarried | Left no male descendants. He was succeeded by his brother William. | |
| William |  | 10 November 1752 | 1789–1799 | 8 January 1837 | Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen | Maria Anna of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld 30 January 1780 Mannheim three children | In 1799 his lands were annexed to Bavaria. |
| Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen definitely annexed to theElectorate of Bavaria | |||||||
| Maximilian Joseph (Maximilian I. Joseph) |  | 27 May 1756 | 1795–1799 | 13 October 1825 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt 30 September 1785 Darmstadt five children Caroline of Baden 9 March 1797 Karlsruhe eight children | Charles Theodore's heir, Maximilian Joseph, Duke ofZweibrücken (on the French border), brought all the Wittelsbach territories under a single rule in 1799. The Palatinate was dissolved in theWars of the French Revolution. First, its left bank territories were occupied (and then annexed) by France starting in 1795; then, in 1803, its right bank territories were taken by the Margrave ofBaden. The Rhenish Palatinate, as a distinct territory, disappeared. In 1806, theHoly Roman Empire was abolished, and all the rights and responsibilities of the electors with it. |
| 16 February 1799 – 27 April 1803 | Electoral Palatinate andElectorate of Bavaria | ||||||
| 27 April 1803 – 1 January 1806 | Electorate of Bavaria | ||||||
| Palatinate-Zweibrücken was definitely annexed to theElectorate of Bavaria | |||||||
| Electoral Palatinate was definitely annexed to theElectorate of Bavaria | |||||||
| Zweibrücken Line | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Maximilian I Joseph | 16 February 1799 | 27 April 1803 | Charles Theodore's heir, Maximilian Joseph, Duke ofZweibrücken (on the French border), brought all the Wittelsbach territories under a single rule in 1799. The Palatinate was dissolved in theWars of the French Revolution. First, its left bank territories were occupied (and then annexed) by France starting in 1795; then, in 1803, its right bank territories were taken by the Margrave ofBaden. The Rhenish Palatinate, as a distinct territory, disappeared. In 1806, theHoly Roman Empire was abolished, and all the rights and responsibilities of the electors with it. |
Following the great restorations of 1815, the Lower Palatinate (albeit without anyprince-elector role) was restored as one of eight Bavarian Districts. AfterWorld War II the American Military Government of Germany took the Lower Palatinate from Bavaria and merged it with neighbouring territories to form a new state calledRhineland-Palatinate (German:Rheinland-Pfalz) with Mainz as the state capital. The people had felt neglected by the governments in Munich for generations and later approved the merger in a plebiscite.
The present head of the House ofWittelsbach,Franz, Duke of Bavaria (born 1933), is still traditionally styled asHis Royal Highness theDuke of Bavaria, Duke ofFranconia and inSwabia, Count Palatine of the Rhine. One task that still tied him to the former Palatinate area was the chairmanship of the board of trustees of theEuropean Foundation for theImperial Cathedral of Speyer[3] in the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. However, due to his age, he handed this task over to his brotherMax Emanuel Herzog in Bayern.
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