List of Counts Palatine of the Rhine
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the Counts Palatine of the Rhine, rulers of the Palatinate of the Rhine in the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire
from 915 to 1803.
, which came into existence in the 10th century.
dynasty, who governed several counties on both banks of the Rhine. These territories were centered around Cologne
-Bonn
, but extended south to the Mosel
and Nahe Rivers. The southernmost point was near Alzey
.
who was the younger brother of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The territories attached to this hereditary office started from those held by the Hohenstaufen
s in Franconia
and Rhineland (other branches of the Hohenstaufens received Swabian lands, Franche-Comté
, and so forth). Much of this was from their imperial ancestors, the Franconian emperors, and a part from Conrad's maternal ancestry, the Saarbrücken
. These backgrounds explain the composition of Upper and Rhenish Palatinate in the inheritance centuries onwards.
.
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 the Bavarian "Nordgau" (Bavaria north of the Danube river) with the centre 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 in contrast to the Lower Palatinate along the Rhine.
With the Treaty of Pavia
in 1329, the emperor Louis IV
, a son of Louis II, returned the Palatinate to his nephews Rudolf
and Rupert
.
, the Palatinate was recognized as one of the secular electorates
, and 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 as prince-elector had already existed earlier (for example, two rival kings of Germany were elected in 1257: Richard of Cornwall and Alfonso of Castile
) though it is difficult to pinpoint any exact start of that office.
Due to the practice of dividing territories among different branches of the family, by the early 16th century 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.
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
from 915 to 1803.
Counts Palatine of Lotharingia, 915–1085
The Palatinate emerged from the County Palatine of LotharingiaLotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
, which came into existence in the 10th century.
- Wigeric of LotharingiaWigeric of LotharingiaWigeric or Wideric was the count of the Bidgau and held the rights of a count within the city of Trier. He received also the advocacy of the Abbey of Saint RumboldThe abbey founded by St. Rumbold in the 6th, 7th or 8th century and a 9th century St...
, count of the Bidgau (c.CircaCirca , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
915/916–922) - Godfrey, count of the Jülichgau (c. 940)
House of Ezzonen
During the 11th century, the Palatinate was dominated by the EzzonianEzzonen
The Ezzonids were a dynasty of Lotharingian stock dating back as far as the ninth century. They attained prominence only in the eleventh century, through marriage with the Ottonian dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. Named after Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia from 1015 to 1034, they dominated the...
dynasty, who governed several counties on both banks of the Rhine. These territories were centered around Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
-Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, but extended south to the Mosel
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
and Nahe Rivers. The southernmost point was near Alzey
Alzey
Alzey is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fourth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, and Bingen....
.
- Hermann I of Lotharingia, 945–994
- Ezzo of Lotharingia, 994–1034
- Otto I of LotharingiaOtto II, Duke of SwabiaOtto II was Count Palatine of Lotharingia , then Duke of Swabia , and all the while Count in Deutz and Auelgau . He was the son of Ezzo and Matilda , and a member of the Ezzonian dynasty...
, 1034–45 (Duke of SwabiaDuke of SwabiaThe following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
1045–47) - Heinrich I of Lotharingia, 1045–61
- Hermann II of Lotharingia, 1061–85 (in tutelage to Anno II, archbishop of CologneAnno II, Archbishop of CologneSaint Anno II was Archbishop of Cologne from 1056 to 1075.He was born around 1010, belonging to the Swabian family of the von Steusslingen, and was educated at Bamberg. He became confessor to the Emperor Henry III, who appointed him archbishop of Cologne in 1056...
until 1064)
Counts Palatine of the Rhine, 1085–1356
From about 1085/1086, after the death of the last Ezzonian palatine count, 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, from then on called County Palatine of the Rhine.- Heinrich II of Laach, 1085–95
- Sigfried of Ballenstadt, 1095–1113
- Gottfried of Kalw, 1113–29
- Wilhelm of Ballenstadt, 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 HohenstaufenConrad of Hohenstaufen
Conrad of Hohenstaufen was the first hereditary Count Palatine of the Rhine.His parents were Frederick II of Swabia , Duke of Swabia, and his second wife Agnes of Saarbrücken...
who was the younger brother of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The territories attached to this hereditary office started from those held by the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
s in Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
and Rhineland (other branches of the Hohenstaufens received Swabian lands, Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
, and so forth). Much of this was from their imperial ancestors, the Franconian emperors, and a part from Conrad's maternal ancestry, the Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
. These backgrounds explain the composition of Upper and Rhenish Palatinate in the inheritance centuries onwards.
- Conrad of HohenstaufenConrad of HohenstaufenConrad of Hohenstaufen was the first hereditary Count Palatine of the Rhine.His parents were Frederick II of Swabia , Duke of Swabia, and his second wife Agnes of Saarbrücken...
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.- Henry VHenry V, Count Palatine of the RhineHenry was count palatine of the Rhine from 6 August 1195 to 1213.Henry was the eldest son of Duke Henry the Lion, from his marriage to Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He grew up in England and became count palatine of the Rhine through his 1193...
of Welf, 1195–1213 - Henry VIHenry VI, Count Palatine of the RhineHenry VI "the Younger" of Brunswick, of the House of Welf, was Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1212 to 1214.Henry was born around 1196, the only son of Count Palatine Henry V and Agnes, daughter of Conrad, Count Palatine of the Rhine...
of Welf, 1213–14
Wittelsbach Counts Palatine
In the early 13th century, with the marriage of the Welf heiress Agnes, the territory fell to the Wittelsbach Dukes of Bavaria, who were also dukes and counts palatine of BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
- Louis I, 1214–27
- Otto IIOtto II Wittelsbach, Duke of BavariaOtto II of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine . He was a son of Louis I and Ludmilla of Bohemia and a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty.- Biography :...
, 1227–53 - Louis IILouis II, Duke of BavariaDuke Louis II of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II and Agnes of the Palatinate...
(Duke of Upper Bavaria), 1253–94
During a later division of territory among the heirs of Duke Louis II of Upper Bavaria
Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis II of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II and Agnes of the Palatinate...
in 1294, the elder branch of the Wittelsbachs came into possession of both the Rhenish Palatinate and the territories in the Bavarian "Nordgau" (Bavaria north of the Danube river) with the centre around the town of Amberg
Amberg
Amberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. Population: 44,756 .- History :...
. As this region was politically connected to the Rhenish Palatinate, the name Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) became common from the early 16th century in contrast to the Lower Palatinate along the Rhine.
- Rudolf IRudolf I, Duke of BavariaRudolf I of Bavaria , a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine...
, 1294–1317 - AdolfAdolf, Count Palatine of the RhineAdolf of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach was formally Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1319–1327.He was the second son of Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria and his wife Mechtild of Nassau...
, 1317–27
With the Treaty of Pavia
Treaty of Pavia (1329)
The Treaty of Pavia which divided the House of Wittelsbach two branches, was signed in Pavia in 1329. Under the accord, Emperor Louis IV granted during his stay in Italy the Palatinate including the Bavarian Upper Palatinate to his brother Duke Rudolph's descendants, Rudolph II, Rupert I and...
in 1329, the emperor Louis IV
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
, a son of Louis II, returned the Palatinate to his nephews Rudolf
Rudolf II, Duke of Bavaria
Rudolf II "the blind" was Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1329 to 1353....
and Rupert
Rupert I, Elector Palatine of the Rhine
Rupert I, "the Red" , Elector Palatine was Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1353 to 1390....
.
- Rudolf IIRudolf II, Duke of BavariaRudolf II "the blind" was Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1329 to 1353....
, 1329–53 - Rupert I, 1353–56
Electors Palatine, 1356–1777
In the Golden Bull of 1356Golden Bull of 1356
The Golden Bull of 1356 was a decree issued by the Reichstag assembly in Nuremberg headed by the Luxembourg Emperor Charles IV that fixed, for a period of more than four hundred years, important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire...
, the Palatinate was recognized as one of the secular electorates
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
, and given the hereditary offices of archsteward (Erztruchseß) of the Empire and imperial vicar
Imperial vicar
An imperial vicar was a prince charged with administering all or part of the Holy Roman Empire on behalf of the Emperor. Later, an imperial vicar was invariably one of two princes charged by the Golden Bull with administering the Holy Roman Empire during an interregnum.The Holy Roman Empire had no...
(Reichsverweser) of Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
, Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
, 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 as prince-elector had already existed earlier (for example, two rival kings of Germany were elected in 1257: Richard of Cornwall and Alfonso of Castile
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
) though it is difficult to pinpoint any exact start of that office.
Due to the practice of dividing territories among different branches of the family, by the early 16th century junior lines of the Palatine Wittelsbachs came to rule in Simmern
Palatinate-Simmern
Palatinate-Simmern was one of the collateral lines of the Palatinate line of the House of Wittelsbach.The Palatinate line of the House of Wittelsbach was divided into four lines after the death of Rupert III in 1410, including the line of Palatinate-Simmern with its capital in Simmern. This line...
, Kaiserslautern
Palatinate-Lautern
Palatinate-Lautern was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around Kaiserslautern and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in the south of modern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
, and Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Palatinate-Zweibrücken is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken.-Overview:→ History before 1394 see main article County of Zweibrücken→ History before 1444 see main article County of Veldenz...
in the Lower Palatinate, and in Neuburg
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:...
and Sulzbach
Palatinate-Sulzbach
Palatinate-Sulzbach was the name of two separate states of the Holy Roman Empire located in modern Amberg-Sulzbach, Bavaria, Germany.-Palatinate-Sulzbach :...
in the Upper Palatinate. The Elector Palatine, now based 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...
, adopted Lutheranism in the 1530s and Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
in the 1550s.
First Electorate, 1356–1648
| Wittelsbach dynasty | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rupert I Ruprecht I |
10 January 1356 | 16 February 1390 | As Rupert I above | |
| Rupert II Ruprecht II |
16 February 1390 | 6 January 1398 | Nephew of Rupert I, son of Adolf Adolf, Count Palatine of the Rhine Adolf of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach was formally Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1319–1327.He was the second son of Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria and his wife Mechtild of Nassau... |
|
.jpg) |
Rupert III Rupert of Germany Rupert of Germany from the House of Wittelsbach was Elector Palatine from 1398 and German King from 1400 until his death... Ruprecht III |
6 January 1398 | 18 May 1410 | Son of Rupert II, elected King of Germany in 1400 |
| Louis III Louis III, Elector Palatine Louis III, Count Palatine of the Rhine , was an Elector Palatine of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach in 1410–1436.... Ludwig III |
18 May 1410 | 30 December 1436 | Son of Rupert III | |
| Louis IV Ludwig IV |
30 December 1436 | 13 August 1449 | Son of Louis III | |
 |
Frederick I Frederick I, Elector Palatine Frederick I, the Victorious was a Count Palatine of the Rhine and Elector Palatine from the House of Wittelsbach in 1451 - 1476.... Friedrich I |
13 August 1449 | 12 December 1476 | Brother of Louis IV |
 |
Philip Philip, Elector Palatine Philip the Upright, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was an Elector Palatine of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach from 1476 to 1508.... Philipp |
12 December 1476 | 28 February 1508 | Son of Louis IV |
| Louis V Louis V, Elector Palatine Louis V, Count Palatine of the Rhine ; a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was prince elector of the Palatinate.... Ludwig V |
28 February 1508 | 16 March 1544 | Son of Philip | |
 |
Frederick II Frederick II, Elector Palatine Frederick II, Count Palatine of the Rhine , a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Prince-elector of the Palatinate from 1544 to 1556.- Biography :... Friedrich II |
16 March 1544 | 26 February 1556 | Brother of Louis V |
 |
Otto Henry Otto Henry, Elector Palatine Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine, a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Count Palatine of Palatinate-Neuburg from 1505 to 1559 and prince elector of the Palatinate from 1556 to 1559... Otto Heinrich |
26 February 1556 | 12 February 1559 | Nephew of Frederick II, son of Rupert of Freising |
| Line of Simmern | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
 |
Frederick III Frederick III, Elector Palatine Frederick III of Simmern, the Pious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach, branch Palatinate-Simmern-Sponheim. He was a son of John II of Simmern and inherited the Palatinate from the childless Elector Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine in 1559... Friedrich III |
12 February 1559 | 26 October 1576 | When the senior branch of the family died out in 1559, the Electorate passed to Frederick III Frederick III, Elector Palatine Frederick III of Simmern, the Pious, Elector Palatine of the Rhine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach, branch Palatinate-Simmern-Sponheim. He was a son of John II of Simmern and inherited the Palatinate from the childless Elector Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine in 1559... of Simmern Palatinate-Simmern Palatinate-Simmern was one of the collateral lines of the Palatinate line of the House of Wittelsbach.The Palatinate line of the House of Wittelsbach was divided into four lines after the death of Rupert III in 1410, including the line of Palatinate-Simmern with its capital in Simmern. This line... , a staunch Calvinist, and the Palatinate became one of the major centers of Calvinism in Europe, supporting Calvinist rebellions in both the Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... and France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... . |
| Louis VI Louis VI, Elector Palatine In the history of the Holy Roman Empire, Louis VI, Elector Palatine was an Elector from the Palatinate-Simmern branch of the house of Wittelsbach. He was the first-born son of Frederick III, Elector Palatine and Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach... Ludwig VI |
26 October 1576 | 22 October 1583 | Son of Frederick III | |
 |
Frederick IV Frederick IV, Elector Palatine Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine , only surviving son of Louis VI, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Hesse, called "Frederick the Righteous" .-Life:Born in Amberg, his father died in October 1583 and... Friedrich IV |
22 October 1583 | 19 September 1610 | Son of Louis VI. With his adviser Christian of Anhalt Christian of Anhalt Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, also known as Christian of Anhalt, was a German prince of the House of Ascania. He was ruling prince of Anhalt and, from 1603, ruling prince of the revived principality of Anhalt-Bernburg... , founded the Evangelical Union Protestant Union The Protestant Union or Evangelical Union was a coalition of Protestant German states that was formed in 1608 to defend the rights, lands and person of each member.... of Protestant states in 1608. |
 |
Frederick V Frederick V, Elector Palatine Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia .... Friedrich V |
19 September 1610 | 23 February 1623 | Son of Frederick IV and married to Elizabeth Elizabeth of Bohemia Elizabeth of Bohemia was the eldest daughter of King James VI and I, King of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Anne of Denmark. As the wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, she was Electress Palatine and briefly Queen of Bohemia... , daughter of James I of England James I of England James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603... . In 1619, he accepted the throne of Bohemia Bohemia Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague... from the Bohemian estates. He was soon defeated by the forces of Emperor Ferdinand II at the Battle of White Mountain Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain, 8 November 1620 was an early battle in the Thirty Years' War in which an army of 30,000 Bohemians and mercenaries under Christian of Anhalt were routed by 27,000 men of the combined armies of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor under Charles Bonaventure de Longueval,... in 1620, and Spanish and Bavarian troops soon occupied the Palatinate itself. Called "the Winter King", because his reign in Bohemia only lasted one winter. In 1623, Frederick was put under the ban of the Empire. |
| House of Bavaria, 1623–48 | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
 |
Maximilian I of Bavaria Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria Maximilian I, Duke/Elector of Bavaria , called "the Great", was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War .... |
23 February 1623 | 24 October 1648 | 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; see further Electors of Bavaria. |
Second Electorate, 1648–1777
| Restored Simmern Line | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Charles I Louis Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine Charles Louis, , Elector Palatine KG was the second son of Frederick V of the Palatinate, the "Winter King" of Bohemia, and his wife, Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James I of England .... Karl I Ludwig |
24 October 1648 | 28 August 1680 | Son of Frederick V. By the Peace of Westphalia Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the... in 1648, Charles Louis was restored to the Lower Palatinate, and given a new electoral title, also called "Elector Palatine", but lower in precedence than the other electorates. |
| Charles II Charles II, Elector Palatine Charles II was Elector Palatine from 1680 to 1685. He was the son of Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine and Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel.Charles was a strict Calvinist. In 1671, his aunt Electress Sophia of Hanover arranged his marriage to Princess Wilhelmina Ernestina, daughter of King Frederick III... Karl II |
28 August 1680 | 26 May 1685 | Son of Charles I Louis. Last of the Simmern line. | |
| Neuburg Line | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
 |
Philip William Philipp 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... Philipp Wilhelm |
26 May 1685 | 2 September 1690 | In 1685, the Simmern line died out, and the Palatinate was inherited by Philip William, Count Palatine of Neuburg 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:... (also 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), a Catholic. |
 |
John William Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine was Elector Palatine , Duke Palatine of Neuburg/Danube , Duke of Jülich and Berg , and Duke of Upper Palatinate and Cham... Johann Wilhelm |
2 September 1690 | 8 June 1716 | Son of Philip William |
 |
Charles III Philip Karl III Philip, Elector Palatine Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine was a ruler from the house of Wittelsbach. He was Elector Palatine, Count of Palatinate-Neuburg, and Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1716 to 1742... Karl III Philipp |
8 June 1716 | 31 December 1742 | Brother of John William II. Last of the Neuburg line. Moved the capital of the Palatinate from 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... to Mannheim Mannheim Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart.... in 1720. |
| Sulzbach Line | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
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Charles IV Theodore Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death... Karl IV Theodor |
31 December 1742 | 16 February 1799 | The Palatinate was inherited by Duke Charles Theodore Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death... of Sulzbach. Charles Theodore also inherited the Electorate of Bavaria Bavaria Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany... when its ruling line became extinct in 1777. |
Electors of Bavaria and Counts Palatine of the Rhine, 1777–1803
| Sulzbach Line | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
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Charles IV Theodore Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death... Karl IV Theodor |
30 December 1777 | 16 February 1799 | The title and authority of Elector Palatine were subsumed into the Electorate of Bavaria, Charles Theodore and his heirs retaining only the single vote and precedence of the Bavarian elector. They continued to use the title "Count Palatine of the Rhine" . |
| Zweibrücken Line | ||||
| Image | Name | Began | Ended | Notes |
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Maximilian II Joseph | 16 February 1799 | 27 April 1803 | Charles Theodore's heir, Maximilian Joseph, Duke of Zweibrücken Palatinate-Zweibrücken Palatinate-Zweibrücken is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken.-Overview:→ History before 1394 see main article County of Zweibrücken→ History before 1444 see main article County of Veldenz... (on the French border), brought all the Wittelsbach territories under a single rule in 1799. The Palatinate was dissolved in the Wars 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 of Baden Baden Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany.... . The Rhenish Palatinate, as a distinct territory, disappeared. In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes... was abolished, and all the rights and responsibilities of the electors with it. |