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Wittelsbach

Wittelsbach: Encyclopedia - Wittelsbach

The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria. Wittelsbach - Reign in Germany. The Wittelsbach family was the ruling dynasty of the German duchy of Bavaria from 1180 to 1918 and of the Rhine Palatinate from 1214 until 1805; in 1815 the latter territory was partly incorporated into Bavaria, which had been elevated to a kingdom by Napoleon in 1806. The family provided two Holy Roman Emperors: Louis IV (1314-1347) and Charle ...

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Wittelsbach - Reign in Germany

Wittelsbach - Reign outside Germany

Wittelsbach - Other major members of the family

Wittelsbach - External link

Wittelsbach, Wittelsbach - External link, Wittelsbach - Other major members of the family, Wittelsbach - Reign in Germany, Wittelsbach - Reign outside Germany, List of rulers of Bavaria

Wittelsbach: Encyclopedia - Wittelsbach

Wittelsbach

The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.

Wittelsbach - Reign in Germany

The Wittelsbach family was the ruling dynasty of the German duchy of Bavaria from 1180 to 1918 and of the Rhine Palatinate from 1214 until 1805; in 1815 the latter territory was partly incorporated into Bavaria, which had been elevated to a kingdom by Napoleon in 1806.

The family provided two Holy Roman Emperors: Louis IV (1314-1347) and Charles VII (1742-1745) and one German King with Ruprecht of Palatinate (1400-1410).

The House of Wittelsbach was split into two branches in 1329. Under the Treaty of Pavia, Emperor Louis IV granted the Palatinate to his brother, Rudolf's descendants, Rudolf II and Rupert I and Rupert II. 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.

For half a century, from 1323 until 1373, the younger branch of the dynasty also ruled Brandenburg in north-east Germany. Between 1342 and 1432, they ruled also in Holland and Hainaut in the north-west of the former German Empire.

In 1619, the Protestant Frederick V of the older branch of the family was King of Bohemia but was defeated by the Catholic Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, a member of the younger branch.

From 1583 to 1761, the Bavarian branch of the dynasty provided the Electors and Archbishops of Cologne and many other Bishops.

The Palatinate branch kept also the Duchy of Jülich and Berg.

List of rulers of Bavaria

Wittelsbach - Reign outside Germany

With Duke Otto III, who was elected King of Hungary as Bela V 1305-1308 the Wittelsbach dynasty came to power outside the Holy Roman Empire for the first time.

Christopher III of the Palatinate branch was king of Denmark, Sweden and Norway 1440/1442-1448. The Palatinate House of Pfalz-Zweibrücken contributed to the monarchy of Sweden again 1654-1720 under Charles X, Charles XI, Charles XII and Ulrika Eleonora.

Finally the Bavarian prince Otto was king of Greece 1832-1862.

The line of Jacobite succession is currently within the House of Wittelsbach. Franz, Hereditary Prince of Bavaria is recognised by the Jacobites as Francis II.