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This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (October 2022) |
This article lists counts palatine of Lotharingia, counts palatine of the Rhine, and electors of the Palatinate (German: Kurfürst von der Pfalz), the titles of three counts palatine who ruled some part of the Rhine region in the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire between 915 to 1803. From 1261 (formally 1356), the title holder was a member of the small group of prince-electors who elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Since then, the title has also referred to as "Elector Palatinate".
Counts palatine of Lotharingia, 915–1085
The Palatinate emerged from the County Palatine of Lotharingia which came into existence in the 10th century.
- Wigeric of Lotharingia, count of the Bidgau (c. 915/916–922)[1]
- Godfrey, count of the Jülichgau (c. 940)
House of Ezzonen
During the 11th century, the Palatinate was dominated by the Ezzonian dynasty, which governed several counties on both banks of the Rhine. These territories were centered around Cologne-Bonn, but extended south to the rivers Moselle and Nahe. The southernmost point was near Alzey.[2]
- Hermann I of Lotharingia 945–996
- Ezzo of Lotharingia 996–1034
- Otto I of Lotharingia 1034–1045 (Duke of Swabia 1045–1047)
- Henry I of Lotharingia 1045–1060/1061
- Hermann II of Lotharingia 1061/1064–1085 (in tutelage to Anno II, archbishop of Cologne until 1064)
Counts palatine of the Rhine, 1085–1214
From c.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 the County Palatine of the Rhine.
- Heinrich II of Laach 1085–95
- Siegfried of Ballenstedt 1095–1113
- Gottfried of Kalw 1113–29
- William of Ballenstedt 1129–39
- Henry IV Jasomirgott 1139–42
- Hermann III of Stahleck 1142–55
Hohenstaufen counts palatine
The first hereditary count palatine of the Rhine was Conrad of Hohenstaufen, who was the younger brother of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The territories attached to this hereditary office began with those held by the Hohenstaufens in Franconia and Rhineland. (Other branches of the Hohenstaufen dynasty received territories including lands in Swabia and Franche-Comté). Part of this land derived from their imperial ancestors, the Salian Emperors, and part from Conrad's maternal ancestors, the Saarbrücken. This explains the composition of the inheritance that comprised the Upper and Rhenish Palatinate in the following centuries.
- Conrad of Hohenstaufen 1156–95
Welf counts palatine
In 1195, the Palatinate passed to the House of Welf through the marriage of Agnes, heir to the Staufen count.
The Palatinate under the Wittelsbach: the Electoral dignity (1214–1803)
On the marriage of the Welf heiress Agnes in the early 13th century, the territory passed to the Wittelsbach dukes of Bavaria, who were also counts palatine of Bavaria. During a later division of territory among the heirs of Duke Louis 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 (the Nordgau) centred around the town of Amberg. As this region was politically connected to the Rhenish Palatinate, the name Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) became common from the early 16th century, to contrast with the Lower Palatinate along the Rhine.
The Golden Bull of 1356, in circumvention of inner-Wittelsbach contracts and thus bypassing Bavaria, the Palatinate was recognized as one of the secular electorates. The count was given the hereditary offices of archsteward (Erztruchseß) of the Empire and Imperial Vicar (Reichsverweser) of Franconia, Swabia, the Rhine 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 rival kings of Germany were elected in 1257: Richard of Cornwall and Alfonso 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 in Simmern, Kaiserslautern and Zweibrücken in the Lower Palatinate, and in Neuburg and Sulzbach in the Upper Palatinate. The Elector Palatine, now based in Heidelberg, adopted Lutheranism in the 1530s and Calvinism in the 1550s.
House of Wittelsbach
Partitions of Palatinate under Wittelsbach rule
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) |
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Veldenz (1543-1694) |
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Part of Zweibrücken | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 of Neuburg (1597-1684) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Landsberg (1604-1661) |
Kleeburg (1604-1718) |
Part of Neuburg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Simmern (2nd creation) (1610-1674) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sulzbach (2nd creation) (1614-1742) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zweibrücken -Birkenfeld -Bischweiler (1615-1671) |
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Part of the Electorate of Bavaria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electoral Palatinate (Simmern Line, 2nd creation) (1648-1685) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zweibrücken -Birkenfeld -Gelnhausen (1654-1799) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zweibrücken (Landsberg Line) (1661-1677) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annexed to the Kingdom of France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electoral Palatinate (Neuburg Line) (1685-1742) |
Part of Electoral 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) |
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Electoral Palatinate (Zweibrücken Line) (1799-1803) |
Table of rulers
Ruler | Born | Reign | Death | Ruling part | Consort | Notes | |
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Louis I the Kelheimer | 23 December 1173 | 1214–1231 | 15 September 1231 | County Palatine of the Rhine | Ludmilla of Bohemia 1204 one child |
Son of Otto I of Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria. Louis obtained the Palatinate of the Rhine in 1214. So Louis I served also as Count Palatine of the Rhine. He was assassinated 1231. | |
Otto II the 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 II the 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 |
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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 (the Nordgau) centred around the town of Amberg. As this region was politically connected to the Rhenish Palatinate, the name Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) became common from the early 16th century, to contrast with the Lower Palatinate along the Rhine. | |||||||
Rudolph I the Stammerer | 4 October 1274 | 1296–1317 | 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 son | |
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 the Treaty of Pavia in 1329, as Emperor, Louis made formal his donation, pushing back the claimant Count Adolf. | |||||||
Rudolph II the Blind | 8 August 1306 | 1327–1353 | 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. | |
The Golden Bull of 1356 confirmed the right to participate in the election of a Holy Roman Emperor to the Count Palatine, title that evolved to Elector Palatine. Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his cousin Robert, son of the pushed Count Adolf. | |||||||
Robert I the 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 II the 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. | |
Rupert III the 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 |
Also King of Germany (1400–1410). | |
Louis III the Bearded (Ludwig III. der Bärtige) |
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 the County 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 of Otto I, Count Palatine of Mosbach (1436-1442) | |||||||
Louis IV the 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 |
Also King of the Kalmar Union (1440–1448), in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Left no descendants. Neumarkt reverted to Palatinate-Mosbach. | |
Neumarkt definitely annexed to Palatinate-Mosbach | |||||||
Frederick I the 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 I the 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 I the Black | 1424 | 1459–1489 | 19 July 1489 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Johanna de Croÿ 20 March 1454 Luxembourg twelve children | ||
Otto II the 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 the Electoral Palatinate | |||||||
Philip I the Upright (Philipp I. der Aufrichtige) |
14 July 1448 | 12 December 1476 – 28 February 1508 | 28 February 1508 | Electoral Palatinate | Margaret of Bavaria 1474 Amberg fourteen children |
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John I | 15 May 1459 | 1480–1509 | 27 January 1509 | Palatinate-Simmern | Joanna of Nassau-Saarbrücken 29 September 1481 three children |
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Alexander I the 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 V the 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 II the Younger | 14 September 1502 | 1514–1532 | 3 December 1532 | Palatinate-Zweibrücken | Elisabeth of Hesse 10 September 1525 Kassel two children |
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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 of Robert, 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 II the 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 of Ursula of Salm-Kyrburg (1544-1546) and Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (1544-1560) | |||||||
George John I the Astute | 11 April 1543 | 1560–1592 | 18 April 1592 | Palatinate-Veldenz | Anna of Sweden 20 December 1562 eleven children |
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Regencies of Philip, Elector Palatine (1505-1508) and Frederick II, Elector Palatine (1508-1516) | Children of Robert 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 the Landshut 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 Henry the 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 I the Warlike | 12 November 1503 | 1505–1541 | 4 July 1548 | Palatinate-Neuburg | Unmarried | ||
Neuburg annexed to Zweibrücken | |||||||
Frederick III the 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 to Frederick III of Simmern, son of John II and a staunch Calvinist. The Palatinate became one of the major centers of Calvinism in Europe, supporting Calvinist rebellions in both the Netherlands and France. | |
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 the Electoral Palatinate (1598–1610) | |||||||
Regency of Anna of Hesse, William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Louis VI, Elector Palatine (1569-1574) | Children of Wolfgang, divided the land:
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John I the Lame | 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 | 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 VI the 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 at Lautern. The latter didn't have descendants, and his portion returned to the Electorate. | |
John Casimir | 7 March 1543 | 1576-1592 | 16 January 1592 | Palatinate-Simmern (at Lautern) |
Elisabeth of Saxony 4 June 1570 Heidelberg no children | ||
Lautern reabsorbed in the Electorate | |||||||
Regency of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Lautern (1583-1592) | With his adviser Christian of Anhalt, he founded the Evangelical Union of Protestant states in 1608. | ||||||
Frederick IV the 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 of Anna 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 (at Lützelstein) |
Anne Elizabeth of the Palatinate 1599 no children | ||
Louis Philip I | 24 November 1577 | 1598–1601 | 24 October 1601 | Palatinate-Veldenz (at Gutenberg) |
Unmarried | ||
George John II | 24 June 1586 | 1598–1654 | 29 September 1654 | Palatinate-Veldenz (at Gutenberg) |
Susanna of Palatinate-Sulzbach 20 December 1562 eleven children | ||
Regency of Philip Louis, Count Palatine of Neuburg (1600-1612) and John 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 II the 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 | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=List_of_rulers_of_the_Electoral_Palatinate |