Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld was a

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

based around

Birkenfeld Birkenfeld () is a town and the district seat of the Birkenfeld district in southwest Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is also the seat of the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde''. The town itself has approximately 7,000 inhabitants. Geography ...

within the

Upper Rhenish Circle The Upper Rhenish Circle (german: Oberrheinischer Reichskreis) was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1500 on the territory of the former Duchy of Upper Lorraine and large parts of Rhenish Franconia including the Swabi ...

. It was formed in 1569, after the partition of

Palatine Zweibrücken Palatine Zweibrücken (), or the County Palatine of Zweibrücken, is a former state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Zweibrücken (french: Deux-Ponts). Its reigning house, a branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was also the Royal House of ...

and was reincorporated into that state in 1731.

History

Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld was created in 1569 in the partition of the County Palatine of Zweibrücken after the death of Wolfgang for his youngest son

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

. After Charles' death in 1600 his state was partitioned into itself and

Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around Bischwiller. It was formed in 1600, after the separation from Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and was incorporated into Palatine Zweibrücken in 1731. Hist ...

by his sons, with George William succeeding him in Birkenfeld. In 1635 the state was invaded and devastated during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

, and in the same year decimated by an outbreak of the

Plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

. George William died in 1669 and was succeeded by his son Charles II Otto. Two years later he died, and with him the male line of the branch, so the state passed to

Christian II Christian II (1 July 1481 – 25 January 1559) was a Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union who reigned as King of Denmark and Norway, from 1513 until 1523, and Sweden from 1520 until 1521. From 1513 to 1523, he was concurrently Duke ...

of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler. Christian II died in 1717 and was succeeded by his son

Christian III Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...

. In 1731 Christian inherited the Duchy of Zweibrücken and its seat in the Imperial Diet, and renamed his territories to

Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around the Duchy of Zweibrücken in modern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken was created in 1731 when Christian III of Palatinate-Zweibr ...

List of rulers

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palatinate-Zweibrucken-Birkenfeld House of Wittelsbach Counties of the Holy Roman Empire States and territories established in 1569 States and territories disestablished in 1731