Palatinate-Lützelstein
Encyclopedia
Palatinate-Lützelstein was an ephemeral state of the Holy Roman Empire
based around La Petite-Pierre
, located in the Vosges Mountains
, in the present-day Bas-Rhin
département of the Alsace
region in northeastern France
.
Lützelstein Castle, erected by the Counts of Blieskastel
at a mountain pass to Lorraine, and the surrounding territory originally were a fief of the Bishopric of Strasbourg. Held by the elder House of Leiningen, who had accepted the suzerainty of the Electoral Palatinate, the lands were seized as a reverted fief by the mighty Wittelsbach Elector Palatine Frederick I
upon the extinction of the Leiningen counts in 1462.
In the course of a 1553 re-arrangement of the Palatinate territories, Lützelstein was allotted to Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken
, who ceded the estates to his uncle Count Palatine Rupert of Veldenz
. His son Count Palatine George John I of Veldenz
founded the town of Phalsbourg
(Pfalzburg), which he nevertheless was forced to pledge to Duke Charles III of Lorraine
shortly afterwards.
Upon the death of Count Palatine George John I in 1592, Palatinate-Veldenz was administrated by his widow Princess Anna Maria of Sweden, until in 1598 her sons divided their heritage. Palatinate-Lützelstein was created for Count Palatine John Augustus
, who had received the Alsacien
territories around Lützelstein.
John Augustus himself died without issue in 1611 and was succeeded by his younger brother Count Palatine George John II of Guttenberg
, who renamed the united state Palatinate-Lützelstein-Guttenberg
. As he himself left no surviving children upon his death in 1654, his territory fell back to Palatinate-Veldenz.
With the Alsace region, the Lützelstein territory was annexed by France
according to the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick
following the Nine Years' War of the Palatinate Succession, and finally incorporated into the Bas-Rhin département in 1801.
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...
based around La Petite-Pierre
La Petite-Pierre
La Petite-Pierre is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, located in the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
, in the present-day Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
département of the Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
region in northeastern 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...
.
Lützelstein Castle, erected by the Counts of Blieskastel
Blieskastel
Blieskastel is a municipality in the Saarpfalz district, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the river Blies, approximately 8 km west of Zweibrücken, and 20 km east of Saarbrücken.-International relations:...
at a mountain pass to Lorraine, and the surrounding territory originally were a fief of the Bishopric of Strasbourg. Held by the elder House of Leiningen, who had accepted the suzerainty of the Electoral Palatinate, the lands were seized as a reverted fief by the mighty Wittelsbach Elector Palatine 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....
upon the extinction of the Leiningen counts in 1462.
In the course of a 1553 re-arrangement of the Palatinate territories, Lützelstein was allotted to Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken
Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken was member of the Wittelsbach family of the Counts Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken 1532–1559.-Biography:...
, who ceded the estates to his uncle Count Palatine Rupert of Veldenz
Rupert, Count Palatine of Veldenz
Rupert was the Duke of Veldenz from 1543 until 1544.-Life:Rupert was born in Zweibrücken in 1506 as the youngest son of Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. As a younger son, Rupert was designated by his father into a church career. In 1517 he became a member of the Cathedral of Strasbourg,...
. His son Count Palatine George John I of Veldenz
George John I, Count Palatine of Veldenz
George John I was the Duke of Veldenz from 1544 until 1592.-Life:...
founded the town of Phalsbourg
Phalsbourg
Phalsbourg is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France, with a population of about 5000.In 1911, it was a town of Germany, in the imperial province of Alsace-Lorraine, lying high on the west slopes of the Vosges, 25 miles north-west of Strasbourg by rail...
(Pfalzburg), which he nevertheless was forced to pledge to Duke Charles III of Lorraine
Charles III, Duke of Lorraine
Charles III , known as the Great, was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death.-History:He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark...
shortly afterwards.
Upon the death of Count Palatine George John I in 1592, Palatinate-Veldenz was administrated by his widow Princess Anna Maria of Sweden, until in 1598 her sons divided their heritage. Palatinate-Lützelstein was created for Count Palatine John Augustus
John Augustus, Count Palatine of Lützelstein
John Augustus was the co-Duke of Veldenz from 1592 until 1598 and the Duke of Lützelstein from 1598 until 1611.-Life:...
, who had received the Alsacien
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
territories around Lützelstein.
John Augustus himself died without issue in 1611 and was succeeded by his younger brother Count Palatine George John II of Guttenberg
George John II, Count Palatine of Lützelstein-Guttenberg
George John II was the co-Duke of Veldenz from 1592 until 1598 and the Duke of Guttenberg from 1598 until 1611, and the Duke of Lützelstein-Guttenberg from 1611 until 1654.-Life:...
, who renamed the united state Palatinate-Lützelstein-Guttenberg
Palatinate-Lützelstein-Guttenberg
Palatinate-Lützelstein-Guttenberg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around La Petite-Pierre in the far northeast of France.Palatinate-Lützelstein-Guttenberg was created in 1611 when George John II of Palatinate-Guttenberg inherited Palatinate-Lützelstein from his brother John Augustus...
. As he himself left no surviving children upon his death in 1654, his territory fell back to Palatinate-Veldenz.
With the Alsace region, the Lützelstein territory was annexed by France
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
according to the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick
Treaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces.Negotiations started in May...
following the Nine Years' War of the Palatinate Succession, and finally incorporated into the Bas-Rhin département in 1801.