The Duke Of Bavaria: Where Is His Residence?

Franz, Duke of Bavaria, is the current head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the former throne of Bavaria. He is also the heir to the Jacobite succession and a direct descendant of the House of Stuart.

Franz was born in Munich on 14 July 1933. During World War II, his family fled Nazi Germany for Hungary, but they were eventually arrested when Germany occupied Hungary in 1944. Franz, then 11 years old, was sent to several Nazi concentration camps, including Sachsenhausen, Flossenbürg, and Dachau. After being liberated by American forces in April 1945, he completed his secondary education at the Benedictine Abbey of Ettal and studied business management at the University of Munich and in Zurich.

Franz has a strong interest in art and is an avid collector of modern art. He holds numerous positions in museums and art-related organisations. He lives at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich and Berg Palace.

Franz has never married, and his heir is his younger brother, Max, Duke in Bavaria.

The Duke of Bavaria's family history

The Duke of Bavaria, Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern, is the head of the House of Wittelsbach, the former ruling family of the Kingdom of Bavaria. The current duke is a direct descendant of the family that ruled Bavaria from 1180 to 1918.

The Wittelsbach dynasty was established in 1180 when Otto, the first Count of Wittelsbach, was invested with the Duchy of Bavaria. The family had three of its members elected emperors and kings of the Holy Roman Empire. They also ruled over territories including the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electorate of Cologne, Holland, Zeeland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Bohemia, and Greece.

The Kingdom of Bavaria was created in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. The last king of Bavaria, Ludwig III, was deposed in 1918 when the kingdom was abolished. The current duke's great-grandfather, Ludwig III, was the last ruling monarch of Bavaria.

The current duke, Franz, was born in Munich on July 14, 1933. He is the third child and elder son of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, and his first wife, Countess Maria (Marita) Draskovich of Trakostjan, a member of an old Croatian noble family. During World War II, the family fled to Hungary but was eventually arrested by the Gestapo in 1944. Franz, who was only 11 at the time, spent time in several Nazi concentration camps, including Sachsenhausen, Flossenbürg, and Dachau.

After the war, Franz received his secondary education at the Benedictine Abbey of Ettal and went on to study business management at the University of Munich. He became a collector of modern art and brought his collection on permanent loan to the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich. Franz succeeded as head of the House of Wittelsbach and as pretender to the Bavarian throne upon the death of his father in 1996. He lives at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich and Berg Palace.

Franz has never married and has no children. The heir presumptive to the headship of the House of Wittelsbach is his brother, Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria.

The Duke of Bavaria's personal life

Franz, Duke of Bavaria, was born in Munich on 14 July 1933. He is the son of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, and Countess Maria Draskovich of Trakostjan. Franz's family left Bavaria in 1937, eventually settling in Hungary by 1940. In 1944, they were arrested after the German occupation and held in several concentration camps before being freed by American forces in April 1945. Following the war, Franz finished his secondary education at the Benedictine Abbey in Ettal and then studied business at the Universities of Munich and Zurich.

Franz has a strong interest in art, amassing a large personal collection. He holds numerous positions on boards and associations of museums and art-related organisations. He is an honorary trustee of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and items from his private collection are on permanent loan to the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich.

Franz became Head of the House of Wittelsbach and Pretender to the former throne of Bavaria upon his father's death in 1996. He lives at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich and Berg Palace. Franz has never married, so his heir is his younger brother, Max, Duke in Bavaria. In 2021, Franz appeared alongside his long-term partner, Thomas Greinwald, in an official portrait—the first time the head of a European royal dynasty has publicly acknowledged a same-sex relationship.

The Duke of Bavaria's career

Franz, Duke of Bavaria, is the current Head of the House of Wittelsbach and Pretender to the former throne of Bavaria. He is also the heir to the Jacobite Succession.

Franz was born in Munich on 14 July 1933. His family left Bavaria in 1937, eventually settling in Hungary by 1940. In 1944, they were arrested after the German occupation and held in several concentration camps before being freed by American forces in April 1945. Following the war, Franz finished his secondary education at the Benedictine Abbey in Ettal and then studied business at the Universities of Munich and Zurich.

Franz has a strong interest in art, amassing a large personal collection and holding numerous positions on boards and associations of museums and art-related organisations. He is an honorary trustee of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and items from his private collection are on permanent loan to the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich.

Franz became Head of the House of Wittelsbach and pretender to the Bavarian throne upon his father's death in 1996. He lives at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich and Berg Palace.

In 2016, Franz became the donor of the restoration of the Statue of St. John of Nepomuk in Divina, Slovakia. In June 2021, he appeared alongside his long-term partner, Thomas Greinwald, in an official portrait—the first time the head of a European royal dynasty has publicly acknowledged a same-sex relationship.

The Duke of Bavaria's residences

The Duke of Bavaria, Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria, lives in a wing of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Germany, and uses Berg Castle in Starnberg, Germany, as his country home.

Franz is the current Head of the House of Wittelsbach and Pretender to the former throne of Bavaria. He is also the heir to the Jacobite Succession. Franz has never married and has no children, so his heir is his younger brother, Max, Duke in Bavaria.

Franz was born in Munich on 14 July 1933. His family left Bavaria in 1937, eventually settling in Hungary by 1940. In 1944, they were arrested after the German occupation and held in several concentration camps before being freed by American forces in April 1945. Following the war, Franz finished his secondary education at the Benedictine Abbey in Ettal and then studied business at the Universities of Munich and Zurich.

Franz has a strong interest in art, amassing a large personal collection and holding numerous positions on boards and associations of museums and art-related organisations.

The Duke of Bavaria's family's political views

The Duke of Bavaria, Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria, is the current head of the House of Wittelsbach, the former ruling family of the Kingdom of Bavaria. He is the pretender to the former Bavarian throne and the heir to the Jacobite succession. Franz is also a direct descendant of the House of Stuart and, were it not for the Act of Settlement 1701, he would be the successor to the British and Irish crowns. However, his spokesman has clarified that this is a purely 'hypothetical' issue and not an active claim.

Franz was born in Munich on 14 July 1933. His family fled Nazi Germany for Hungary in 1939, but they were eventually arrested when Germany occupied Hungary in 1944. Franz, who was 11 at the time, was sent to several Nazi concentration camps, including Sachsenhausen, Flossenbürg, and Dachau. After being liberated by American forces in April 1945, he completed his secondary education at the Benedictine Abbey of Ettal and then studied business management at the University of Munich and in Zurich.

Franz has held various positions related to art and culture. He is an avid collector of modern art, with items from his private collection on permanent loan to the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich. He also serves as an honorary trustee of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and holds positions in several museums and art-related organisations in Munich.

Regarding the political views of the Duke of Bavaria's family, it is known that the Wittelsbach dynasty was strongly opposed to the Nazis during World War II. They fled Germany during the war and were arrested and held in concentration camps upon their capture. This anti-Nazi stance can be seen as an indication of the family's political leanings, at least during that period.

Additionally, the House of Wittelsbach ruled Bavaria until 1918, and their descendants are now considered 'pretenders' to the defunct throne. This suggests that the family's political views may align with monarchism or conservatism. However, it is important to note that these are speculations, and the specific political views of the Duke of Bavaria's family may be more nuanced or complex.

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