Wittelsbach

The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.

Wittelsbach Coat of Arms

Origin

Berthold, Margrave in Bavaria (died 980), was the ancestor of Otto I, Count of Scheyern (died 1072), whose 3rd son Otto II, Count of Dachau acquired the castle of Wittelsbach (near Aichach), and was father of Otto IV, Count Palatine in Bavaria (died 1156), whose son Otto V was invested with the Duchy of Bavaria in 1180 after the fall of Henry the Lion. Otto's son Louis I, Duke of Bavaria acquired also the Palatinate in 1214.

Reign in Germany

The Wittelsbach family was the ruling dynasty of the German territories of Bavaria from 1180 to 1918 and of the Rhine Palatinate from 1214 until 1805; in 1815 the latter territory was partly incorporated into Bavaria, which was elevated to a kingdom by Napoleon in 1806.

The family provided two Holy Roman Emperors: Louis IV (1314-1347) and Charles VII (1742-1745), both members of the younger branch of the family, and one German King with Rupert of the Palatinate (1400-1410), a member of the older branch.

The House of Wittelsbach split into these two branches in 1329: Under the Treaty of Pavia, Emperor Louis IV granted the Palatinate to his brother Duke Rudolph's descendants, Rudolph II, Rupert I and Rupert II. Rudolph I this way became the ancestor of the older (Palatinate) line of the Wittelsbach dynasty, which returned to power also in Bavaria in 1777 after the extinction of the younger (Bavarian) line, the descendants of Louis IV.

Bavarian branch

The Bavarian branch kept the duchy of Bavaria from 1317 until its extinction in 1777. In 1623 the dukes were invested with the electoral dignity.

For half a century, from 1323 until 1373, the younger branch of the dynasty also ruled Brandenburg in the north-east of Germany. In the south Tyrol was kept between 1342 and 1363. Between 1345 and 1432, they governed also in Holland and Hainaut in the north-west of the former German Empire. From 1583 to 1761, the Bavarian branch of the dynasty provided the Electors and Archbishops of Cologne and many other Bishops of the Holy Roman Empire.

Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria served also as Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands (1692-1706) and as Duke of Luxemburg (1712-1714).

Palatinate branch

The Palatinate branch kept the Palatinate from 1317/1329 until 1918 and succeeded also in Bavaria in 1777. With the Golden Bull of 1356 the Counts Palatinate were invested with the electoral dignity.

In 1619, the Protestant Frederick V of the older branch of the family was King of Bohemia but was defeated by the Catholic Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, a member of the younger branch. The Palatinate branch kept also the Duchy of Jülich and Berg.

Reign outside Germany

With Duke Otto III, who was elected King of Hungary as Bela V 1305-1308 the Wittelsbach dynasty came to power outside the Holy Roman Empire for the first time.

Palatinate branch

Christopher III of the Palatinate branch was king of Denmark, Sweden and Norway 1440/1442-1448. The House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken contributed to the monarchy of Sweden again 1654-1720 under Charles X, Charles XI, Charles XII and Ulrika Eleonora.

Finally the Bavarian prince Otto was king of Greece 1832-1862.

The line of Jacobite succession is currently within the House of Wittelsbach. Franz, Hereditary Prince of Bavaria is recognised by the Jacobites as Francis II.

Bavarian branch

Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria, Prince of Asturias was the favored choice of England and the Netherlands to succeed as the ruler of Spain, young Charles II of Spain chose him as his heir. Due to the unexpected death of Joseph Ferdinand in 1699 the Wittelsbach did not come to power in Spain.