John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen
Encyclopedia
John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen (born: 17 October 1638 in Bischweiler
; died: 21 February 1704 in Gelnhausen
) was a member of the Wittelsbach
family and as such held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
at Gelnhausen
, Count of Veldenz and Count of Sponheim
. He is the founder of the line of the Dukes in Bavaria.
of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler from his marriage to Magdalene Catherine ( 1606–1648), daughter of the Count Palatine John II
of Zweibrücken. Together with his older brother Christian II
, he was educated by Philip Jacob Spener and later studied at the University of Strasbourg. Thereafter, the brothers took a Grand Tour
lasting five years, which took them to, among other places, France, Holland, England, Sweden and Switzerland.
He participated as a Swedish cavalry commander on the side of his distant cousin King Charles X of Sweden in the war against Denmark and later fought against the Turks in Hungary. He then entered Dutch service. He participated in 1674 in the battle of Seneffe
and was promoted to the rank of First Army Leader. He then left the army and retired to Gelnhausen. In treaties with his brother Christian II in 1681 and 1683, John Charles was deputized with the administration of Gelnhausen
. In Gelnhausen, he obtained the ("Princely Court") with gardens and some parcels of land.
and the widow of Count Siegfried of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim. John Charles and Sophie Amalie had one daughter:
After Sophie Amalie's death, John Charles married on 28 July 1696 morganatically
Esther-Maria of Witzleben (1665–1725), the daughter of Baron George Frederick of Witzleben of Elgersburg. John Charles concluded a treaty on the succession with his brother Christian II. He then tried to raise his wife to the rank of Imperial Countess and when that succeeded to cancel the inheritance treaty again, but he died before he reached his goal. His widow brought the case before the Aulic Council
in 1708. In 1715, she won her case and she and her children were granted all the rights and privileges that came with a regular marriage. In particular, her grandson William
could found the line of Dukes in Bavaria in 1799.
John Charles and Esther-Maria had five children:
Bischwiller
Bischwiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France just west of the Moder River.The city is located southeast of Haguenau, west-northwest from the German border and the Rhine River , and lies north-northeast of Strasbourg.-Notable people:* Henri Baumer, master...
; died: 21 February 1704 in Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen is a town and the capital of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 40 kilometers east of Frankfurt am Main, between the Vogelsberg mountains and the Spessart range at the river Kinzig...
) was a member of the Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
family and as such held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around Birkenfeld in modern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld was created in 1569 in the partition of Palatinate-Zweibrücken after the death of Wolfgang for his youngest son Charles I...
at Gelnhausen
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around Gelnhausen in the south of modern Hesse, Germany.Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen was partitioned from Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler in 1654. It was a mediate state with few rights...
, Count of Veldenz and Count of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
. He is the founder of the line of the Dukes in Bavaria.
Life
John Charles was the youngest son of the Count Palatine Christian IChristian I, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler
Christian I was the Duke of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler from 1600 until 1654.- Life :Christian was born in Birkenfeld in 1598 as the youngest son of Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld. His father's lands were partitioned after his death and Christian received the territory around...
of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler from his marriage to Magdalene Catherine ( 1606–1648), daughter of the Count Palatine John II
John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
John II the Younger was the Duke of Zweibrücken from 1604 until 1635.-Life:John was born in Bergzabern in 1584 as the eldest son of John I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and his wife, Magdalene. He succeeded his father in 1604. In 1606 he acquired the County of Bischweiler in Alsace...
of Zweibrücken. Together with his older brother Christian II
Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
Christian II was the Duke of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler from 1654 until 1717, the Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld from 1671 until 1717, and the Count of Rappoltstein from 1673 until 1699.-Life:...
, he was educated by Philip Jacob Spener and later studied at the University of Strasbourg. Thereafter, the brothers took 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...
lasting five years, which took them to, among other places, France, Holland, England, Sweden and Switzerland.
He participated as a Swedish cavalry commander on the side of his distant cousin King Charles X of Sweden in the war against Denmark and later fought against the Turks in Hungary. He then entered Dutch service. He participated in 1674 in the battle of Seneffe
Seneffe
Seneffe is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Seneffe had a total population of 10,743. The total area is 62.77 km² which gives a population density of 171 inhabitants per km²....
and was promoted to the rank of First Army Leader. He then left the army and retired to Gelnhausen. In treaties with his brother Christian II in 1681 and 1683, John Charles was deputized with the administration of Gelnhausen
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around Gelnhausen in the south of modern Hesse, Germany.Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen was partitioned from Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler in 1654. It was a mediate state with few rights...
. In Gelnhausen, he obtained the ("Princely Court") with gardens and some parcels of land.
Marriages and issue
John Charles married his first wife, Sophie Amalie (1646–1695), in 1685 in Weikersheim. She was a daughter of the Count Palatine Frederick of ZweibrückenFrederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Frederick was the Duke of Zweibrücken from 1635 until 1661.-Life:Frederick was born in Zweibrücken in 1616 as the elder son of John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. He succeeded his father in 1635. During his reign, Palatinate-Zweibrücken was devastated during the Thirty Years' War...
and the widow of Count Siegfried of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim. John Charles and Sophie Amalie had one daughter:
- Juliane Magdalene (1686–1720)
- married in 1704 Duke Joachim Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (1668-1722)
After Sophie Amalie's death, John Charles married on 28 July 1696 morganatically
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
Esther-Maria of Witzleben (1665–1725), the daughter of Baron George Frederick of Witzleben of Elgersburg. John Charles concluded a treaty on the succession with his brother Christian II. He then tried to raise his wife to the rank of Imperial Countess and when that succeeded to cancel the inheritance treaty again, but he died before he reached his goal. His widow brought the case before the Aulic Council
Aulic Council
The Aulic Council was originally an executive-judicial council for the Holy Roman Empire....
in 1708. In 1715, she won her case and she and her children were granted all the rights and privileges that came with a regular marriage. In particular, her grandson William
Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria
Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria, full German name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837...
could found the line of Dukes in Bavaria in 1799.
John Charles and Esther-Maria had five children:
- Frederick Bernhard (1697–1739)
- married in 1737 princess Ernestine Louise of Waldeck (1705-1782)
- John (1698–1780)
- married Wild- and Rhinegravine Sophie Charlotte of Salm-Dhaun (1719-1770)
- William (1701–1760), field marshal in the Hungarian army and later general of the Cavalry in the Dutch army
- Charlotte Catherine (1699–1785)
- married in 1745 Prince Frederick William of Solms-Braunfels (1696-1761)
- Sophie Marie (1702–1761)
- married in 1722 Count Henry XXV Reuss of Gera (1681-1748)