Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine
Encyclopedia
Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine ("Jan Wellem" in Low German
, English: "John William"; 19 April 1658 – 8 June 1716) was Elector Palatine (1690–1716), Duke Palatine of Neuburg/Danube
(1690–1716), Duke of Jülich
and Berg (1679–1716), and Duke of Upper Palatinate
and Cham (1707–1714). From 1697 onwards Johann Wilhelm was also Count of Megen
.
and Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt and was born in Düsseldorf
, where he resided, rather than in Heidelberg
, which had been largely destroyed. He was educated by the Jesuits and in 1674 he made a grand tour
to Italy.
He married in 1678 to Maria Anna Josepha, Archduchess of Austria. She was a daughter of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
and his third wife Eleanor of Mantua. After her death, he married Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici
, the daughter of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
. His brother was Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg
, his sisters were married to Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
, Peter II of Portugal and Charles II of Spain
.
His father ceded the duchies of Jülich and Berg to him already in 1679 before he finally succeeded him also as Elector of the Palatinate in 1690. In the Peace of Rijswijk (1697), he was restored to many of the possessions which had been taken by the French, with the provision that the Palatinate not revert to Protestantism. This provision did not make him popular in the Palatinate and with Protestants.
Influenced by his mistress Dorothea von Velen
, Johann Wilhelm proclaimed religious toleration in 1705.
During the war of the Spanish succession
Johann Wilhelm received also the Bavarian Upper Palatinate which was returned to Bavaria in 1714. He died in Düsseldorf and was buried in the St. Andreas Church. Having no son, Johann Wilhelm was succeeded by his brother Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine.
, Adriaen van der Werff
, Rachel Ruysch
and Jan Weenix
. His enormous collection of paintings by Rubens
can still be seen in the Alte Pinakothek
in Munich
.
Today in Düsseldorf, the Jan-Wellem Platz is named after him.
Low German
Low German or Low Saxon is an Ingvaeonic West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands...
, English: "John William"; 19 April 1658 – 8 June 1716) was Elector Palatine (1690–1716), Duke Palatine of Neuburg/Danube
Palatinate-Neuburg
Palatinate-Neuburg is a former territory of the Holy Roman Empire, founded in 1505. Its capital was Neuburg an der Donau. Its area was about 2,750 km², with a population of some 100,000.-History:...
(1690–1716), Duke of Jülich
Duchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
and Berg (1679–1716), and Duke of Upper Palatinate
Upper Palatinate
The Upper Palatinate is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria.- History :The region took its name first in the early 16th century, because it was by the Treaty of Pavia one of the main portions of the territory of the Wittelsbach Elector...
and Cham (1707–1714). From 1697 onwards Johann Wilhelm was also Count of Megen
Megen
Megen or Meghem is a small city in the southern part of the Netherlands, in the province North Brabant, close to the river Maas. It is part of the Oss municipality. The number of inhabitants is approximately 1700....
.
Biography
He was the son of Philip William of Palatinate-NeuburgPhilipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine
Philip William of Neuburg, Elector Palatine was Count Palatine of Neuburg from 1653 to 1690, Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1653 to 1679 and Elector of the Palatinate from 1685 to 1690...
and Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt and was born in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, where he resided, rather than in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, which had been largely destroyed. He was educated by the Jesuits and in 1674 he made a grand tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
to Italy.
He married in 1678 to Maria Anna Josepha, Archduchess of Austria. She was a daughter of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...
and his third wife Eleanor of Mantua. After her death, he married Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici
Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici
Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici was the last scion of the House of Medici. A patron of the arts, she bequeathed the Medici's large art collection, including the contents of the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and the Medicean villas, which she inherited upon her brother Gian Gastone's death in 1737, and her...
, the daughter of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Cosimo III de' Medici was the penultimate Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinando II. Cosimo's 53-year long reign, the longest in Tuscan history, was marked by a series of ultra-reactionary laws which regulated prostitution and...
. His brother was Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg
Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg
Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg was bishop and archbishop of several dioceses, prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, and Hochmeister of the Teutonic Order....
, his sisters were married to Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
, Peter II of Portugal and Charles II of Spain
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
.
His father ceded the duchies of Jülich and Berg to him already in 1679 before he finally succeeded him also as Elector of the Palatinate in 1690. In the Peace of Rijswijk (1697), he was restored to many of the possessions which had been taken by the French, with the provision that the Palatinate not revert to Protestantism. This provision did not make him popular in the Palatinate and with Protestants.
Influenced by his mistress Dorothea von Velen
Dorothea von Velen
Dorothea von Velen was the mistress of Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine. Born into an impoverished family of Berg nobility, she came to Johann Wilhelm's attention as a lady-in-waiting to his second wife, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici...
, Johann Wilhelm proclaimed religious toleration in 1705.
During the war of the Spanish succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
Johann Wilhelm received also the Bavarian Upper Palatinate which was returned to Bavaria in 1714. He died in Düsseldorf and was buried in the St. Andreas Church. Having no son, Johann Wilhelm was succeeded by his brother Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine.
Art collection
He was more popular in Jülich-Berg, where he erected impressive buildings such as the Castle of Bensberg and led a lavish court which gave work to many artists and artisans, like Eglon van der NeerEglon van der Neer
Eglon van der Neer , was a Dutch painter of historical scenes, portraits and elegant, fashionable people, and later of landscapes.-Life:...
, Adriaen van der Werff
Adriaen van der Werff
Adriaen van der Werff was an accomplished Dutch painter of portraits and erotic, devotional and mythological scenes. His brother, Pieter van der Werff , was his principal pupil and assistant.-Life:...
, Rachel Ruysch
Rachel Ruysch
Rachel Ruysch was a Dutch artist who specialized in still-life paintings of flowers, one of only three significant women artists in Dutch Golden Age painting, of whom Maria van Oosterwijk was also a flower painter, and Judith Leyster mainly not .She was born in The...
and Jan Weenix
Jan Weenix
Jan Weenix or Joannis Wenix was a Dutch painter. He was trained by his father, Jan Baptist Weenix, together with his cousin Melchior d'Hondecoeter. Like his father, he devoted himself to a variety of subjects, but his fame is chiefly due to his paintings of dead game and of hunting scenes...
. His enormous collection of paintings by Rubens
Rubens
Rubens is often used to refer to Peter Paul Rubens , the Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:- People :Family name* Paul Rubens Rubens is often used to refer to Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), the Flemish artist.Rubens may also refer to:- People :Family name* Paul Rubens (composer) Rubens is...
can still be seen in the Alte Pinakothek
Alte Pinakothek
The Alte Pinakothek is an art museum situated in the Kunstareal in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses one of the most famous collections of Old Master paintings...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
Today in Düsseldorf, the Jan-Wellem Platz is named after him.
Titles and styles
- 19 April 1658 - 26 May 1685 His Serene Highness Count Palatine Johann Wilhelm of Neuburg
- 26 May 1685 – 2 September 1690 His Serene Highness The Electoral Prince of the Palatinate
- 2 September 1690 – 8 June 1716 His Serene Highness The Elector Palatine