Wittelsbach Residences: Exploring Bavaria's Historical Homes

The House of Wittelsbach, a former Bavarian dynasty, ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918. The dynasty also had links to the British Monarchy. The name was taken from the castle of Wittelsbach, which formerly stood near Aichach on the Paar in Bavaria. In 1124, Otto V, count of Scheyern, removed the residence of his family to Wittelsbach and called himself by this name. His son, Otto VI, after serving the German king Frederick I, was invested as the duke of Bavaria, as Otto I in 1180. From that date until 1918, Bavaria was ruled by the Wittelsbachs.

Wittelsbach dynasty's rule in Bavaria

The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918. The name of the dynasty comes from the castle of Wittelsbach, which was located near Aichach on the Paar in Bavaria. In 1124, Otto V, Count of Scheyern, moved his family residence to Wittelsbach and began using the name.

Otto VI, son of Otto V, served German King Frederick I and was invested as Duke of Bavaria, as Otto I, in 1180. Otto I's son, Louis I, received the Palatinate of the Rhine in 1214 through marriage, marking the first step in the dynasty's expansion beyond Bavaria. Louis I also became Duke of Bavaria in 1294 and Holy Roman Emperor in 1328.

In 1329, Louis IV made the first significant division of the Wittelsbach lands through the Treaty of Pavia, granting the Palatinate of the Rhine and the Upper Palatinate of Bavaria to his brother's descendants. This split created the Bavarian and Palatinate branches of the family.

The Bavarian branch continued to rule Bavaria until 1777, while the Palatinate branch ruled the Palatinate until 1918. The two branches were reunited in 1777 and again in 1799 when the Palatinate elector, Charles Theodore, succeeded the Bavarian line. In 1806, the Duke of Bavaria, Maximilian IV Joseph, became King Maximilian I, and his descendants ruled Bavaria until 1918.

In addition to ruling Bavaria, the Wittelsbach dynasty also provided rulers for several other territories, including:

• The Electorate of the Palatinate
• The Electorate of Cologne
• Holland
• Zeeland
• Sweden
• Denmark
• Norway
• Hungary
• Bohemia
• Greece

Wittelsbach dynasty's rule in the Palatinate

The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled the German territories of Bavaria from 1180 to 1918 and the Electorate of the Palatinate from 1214 until 1805.

The first Wittelsbach ruler of the Palatinate was Louis I, who became duke of Bavaria in 1294 and Holy Roman Emperor in 1328. In 1329, Louis divided the Wittelsbach lands, granting the Palatinate of the Rhine and the Upper Palatinate of Bavaria to his nephews Rudolf II and Rupert I.

The Palatinate branch of the family provided a German king, Rupert, who reigned from 1400 to 1410. A Wittelsbach of the Palatinate branch also became king of Sweden in 1654, with Charles XI and Charles XII continuing the line until 1718.

In 1623, the Bavarian dukes became electors, and in 1742, the Bavarian elector Charles Albert became Holy Roman Emperor. With the death of his son Maximilian III Joseph in 1777, the Bavarian line of Wittelsbachs died out. The Palatinate line of the family then succeeded to Bavaria, under the elector Charles Theodore, until the death of the last Wittelsbach king, Ludwig III, in 1918.

Wittelsbach dynasty's rule in Electoral Cologne

The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled over the Electorate of Cologne from 1583 to 1761. During this period, the Wittelsbachs also held up to three electoral votes in the Holy Roman Empire.

The Wittelsbachs' rule in Electoral Cologne began with Ernest of Bavaria, who was appointed Elector and Archbishop of Cologne in 1583. Ernest was a member of the Bavarian branch of the family, and his appointment was part of the Counter-Reformation, with the Bavarian dukes becoming leaders of the movement in Germany. Ernest was also appointed as Prince-Bishop of Liège, serving from 1581 until 1589.

The next Wittelsbach to become Elector and Archbishop of Cologne was Ferdinand of Bavaria, who ruled from 1612 to 1650. Like his predecessor, Ferdinand also held other positions in the Holy Roman Empire, including Prince-Bishop of Liège, Hildesheim, Freising, and Münster.

The third Wittelsbach to become Elector and Archbishop of Cologne was Maximilian Henry of Bavaria, who ruled from 1650 to 1688. Maximilian Henry was also appointed as Prince-Bishop of Liège.

The final Wittelsbach to rule in Electoral Cologne was Joseph Clemens of Bavaria, who served from 1688 to 1723. Joseph Clemens was the last member of the Wittelsbach family to hold the position of Elector and Archbishop of Cologne.

In addition to their rule in Electoral Cologne, the Wittelsbach dynasty also provided rulers for several other territories within the Holy Roman Empire, including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, and Greece.

Wittelsbach dynasty's rule in prince-bishoprics

The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled over a number of prince-bishoprics, including Freising, Liège, Münster, Osnabrück, Paderborn, and Regensburg.

From 1583 to 1761, the Bavarian branch of the dynasty provided the Prince-electors and Archbishops of Cologne. Wittelsbach princes also served as Bishops of Regensburg, Freising, Münster, Hildesheim, Paderborn, and Osnabrück, and as Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.

The Wittelsbach dynasty also had a hand in the rule of Liège. John III, a younger son of Duke Albert I of Bavaria, became Prince-Bishop of Liège in 1417.

Wittelsbach dynasty's rule in Sweden

The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Sweden twice, from 1441 to 1448 and from 1654 to 1720.

Wittelsbach Rule in Sweden, 1441-1448

The first Wittelsbach king of Sweden was Christopher III, who was also king of Denmark and Norway. He was a member of the Palatinate branch of the family, and a descendant of the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV. He ruled Sweden from 1440/1442 to 1448, but left no descendants.

Wittelsbach Rule in Sweden, 1654-1720

The second period of Wittelsbach rule in Sweden was initiated by Queen Christina of Sweden, who abdicated her throne in 1654 in favour of her cousin, Charles X Gustav, from the Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg cadet branch of the Wittelsbachs. Under Charles X, Sweden became the hegemonic power in northern Europe, ruling over Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Livonia, and Pomerania. Charles was succeeded by his sons, Charles XI and Charles XII, who maintained Sweden's position in the Great Northern War. Charles XII died without an heir, and his sister Ulrika Eleonora became queen in 1718. She abdicated in 1720 in favour of her husband, Frederick of Hessen-Kassel, marking the end of Wittelsbach rule in Sweden.

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