The Principality of Bayreuth (german: Fürstentum Bayreuth) or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (''Markgraftum Brandenburg-Bayreuth'') was an
immediate territory of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
, ruled by a
Franconian branch of the
Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Branden ...
dynasty. Since Burgrave
Frederick VI of Nuremberg was enfeoffed with the
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe.
Brandenburg developed out ...
in 1415/17, the Hohenzollern princes transferred the
margravial title to their Franconian possessions, though the principality never had been a
march
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Ma ...
. Until 1604 they used
Plassenburg
Plassenburg is a castle in the city of Kulmbach in Bavaria. It is one of the most impressive castles in Germany and a symbol of the city. It was first mentioned in 1135. The Plassenberg family were ministerial of the counts of Andechs (later th ...
Castle in
Kulmbach
Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its sausages, or '' Bratwürste''.
Geography
Location ...
as their residence, hence their territory was officially called the Principality of Kulmbach or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until the Empire's dissolution in 1806.
Geography
The Kulmbach-Bayreuth principality arose from the northern uplands (''Oberland'') of the former
Burgraviate of Nuremberg
The Burgraviate of Nuremberg (german: Burggrafschaft Nürnberg) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from the early 12th to the late 15th centuries. As a burgraviate, it was a county seated in the town of Nuremberg; almost two centuries pas ...
, while the southern lowlands (''Unterland'') formed the
Principality of Ansbach. The final border demarcation was settled by the 1541
House Treaty of Regensburg, adding some smaller ''Unterland'' territories to Bayreuth. However, it was not connected with the ''Oberland'' core territory stretching up to the
Franconian Forest and the
Fichtel Mountains. Mountainous and densely wooded, most of the lands were of less agricultural use, nevertheless mineral resources, predominantly
ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 April ...
deposits led to the construction of numerous
mines.
Beside the residence
Bayreuth
Bayreuth (, ; bar, Bareid) is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtelgebirge Mountains. The town's roots date back to 1194. In the 21st century, it is the capital ...
, the separate ''Oberland'' and ''Unterland'' territories were administrated from
Hof and
Neustadt an der Aisch respectively.
History
The principality arose upon the death of the Hohenzollern burgrave
Frederick V of Nuremberg on 21 January 1398, when his lands were partitioned between his two sons: the elder, Burgrave
John III received Kulmbach-Bayreuth and the younger,
Frederick VI, received the
Principality of Ansbach.
The two principalities were once again united under the younger son, Frederick, after John's death on 11 June 1420. At the
Council of Constance
The Council of Constance was a 15th-century ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418 in the Bishopric of Constance in present-day Germany. The council ended the Western Schism by deposing or accepting the r ...
in 1415, Emperor
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it '' Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
vested Frederick with the hereditary title of an
Elector of Brandenburg (as Frederick I). Frederick finally sold his burgravial title to the citizens of the
Imperial City of Nuremberg. On his death in 1440, his territories were again divided between his sons: the eldest,
John the Alchemist had waived his right of primogeniture and succeeded his father in Kulmbach-Bayreuth, while the second,
Frederick Irontooth, received the Brandenburg electorate. Ansbach passed to the third son
Albert Achilles.
As John the Alchemist had no male heirs, he renounced his rights in 1457, whereupon Kulmbach-Bayreuth fell to his brother, Albert Achilles. When the eldest brother, the Brandenburg elector Frederick Irontooth abdicated in 1470, Albert united all Hohenzollern territories under his rule. After Albert's death in 1486 the Franconian principalities were finally partitioned according to his ''
Dispositio Achillea'' disposition, passing to the younger sons of his second marriage with
Anna of Saxony
Anna of Saxony (23 December 1544 – 18 December 1577) was the heiress of Maurice, Elector of Saxony, and Agnes, eldest daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. Maurice's only son, Albert, died in infancy. Anna was the second wife of William th ...
, Margrave
Siegmund and his brother
Frederick II.
Elder line
While the Brandenburg electorate became the power base for the rising Hohenzollern dynasty, the Principality of Kulmbach-Bayreuth was held by Frederick's descendants, temporarily in
personal union
A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interlink ...
with Ansbach. The rulers were commonly known as the Margraves of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (though Bayreuth is nowhere near Brandenburg). Kulmbach-Bayreuth became part of the
Franconian Circle in 1500.
After in 1541 the ambitious Margrave
Albert Alcibiades assumed the rule over Kulmbach-Bayreuth, he barged onto the battlegrounds of the
Schmalkaldic War
The Schmalkaldic War (german: link=no, Schmalkaldischer Krieg) was the short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire (simultaneously King Charles I of Spain), commanded by the Duk ...
, several times switching sides between Emperor
Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Inf ...
and the Lutheran princes of the
Schmalkaldic League
The Schmalkaldic League (; ; or ) was a military alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century.
Although created for religious motives soon after the start of the Reformation, its members later came to ...
. In 1552 he sparked the
Second Margrave War against Nuremberg and the neighbouring
Prince-bishoprics of
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River.
Würzburg ...
and
Bamberg
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name w ...
. His soaring plans to re-establish the medieval
Duchy of Franconia
The Duchy of Franconia (german: Herzogtum Franken) was one of the five stem duchies of East Francia and the medieval Kingdom of Germany emerging in the early 10th century. The word Franconia, first used in a Latin charter of 1053, was applied l ...
under his rule ended with his utter defeat and an
Imperial ban
The imperial ban (german: Reichsacht) was a form of outlawry in the Holy Roman Empire. At different times, it could be declared by the Holy Roman Emperor, by the Imperial Diet, or by courts like the League of the Holy Court (''Vehmgericht'') or t ...
in 1554.
Albert was succeeded by his cousin Margrave
George Frederick in 1557, who from 1577 als ruled in the
Duchy of Prussia
The Duchy of Prussia (german: Herzogtum Preußen, pl, Księstwo Pruskie, lt, Prūsijos kunigaikštystė) or Ducal Prussia (german: Herzogliches Preußen, link=no; pl, Prusy Książęce, link=no) was a duchy in the region of Prussia establishe ...
as regent for his incapable Hohenzollern relative Duke
Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia
Albert Frederick (german: Albrecht Friedrich; pl, Albrecht Fryderyk; 7 May 1553 – 27 August 1618) was the Duke of Prussia, from 1568 until his death. He was a son of Albert of Prussia and Anna Marie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He was the sec ...
. With George Frederick's death in 1603, the elder Bayreuth line became extinct. He left his successor, Margrave
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
, younger son of the Brandenburg elector
John George, an orderly and functioning state.
Younger line
Margrave Christian took his residence in Bayreuth; in 1655 he was succeeded by his grandson
Christian Ernst, who gained power and influence on Imperial politics in the military rank of a
Field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...
. In 1705 his son Prince
George William founded the ''
Ordre de la Sincerité'', predecessor to the Prussian
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...
. Margrave
Frederick, ruling from 1735, and his wife
Wilhelmine of Prussia, both patrons of arts and sciences, had the Bayreuth residence largely rebuilt in a distinct
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
style (''Markgrafenstil''), including the erection of the
Margravial Opera House finished in 1748. A university was founded in 1742 and relocated to
Erlangen
Erlangen (; East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative district Erlangen), and with 116,062 in ...
the next year.
The younger line of the Brandenburg-Bayreuth margraves died out in 1769 with the death of
Frederick Christian, whereafter Bayreuth and Ansbach were once again ruled in personal union by Margrave
Charles Alexander. On 2 December 1791, Charles Alexander signed a treaty with King
Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II (german: Friedrich Wilhelm II.; 25 September 1744 – 16 November 1797) was King of Prussia from 1786 until his death in 1797. He was in personal union the Prince-elector of Brandenburg and (via the Orange-Nassau inherit ...
, whereby he ceded his principalities to the Prussian state against a lifelong annuity. He married socialite
Elizabeth Craven and retired to private life in
England, while Bayreuth and Ansbach were governed by the Prussian minister
Karl August von Hardenberg
Karl August Fürst von Hardenberg (31 May 1750, in Essenrode-Lehre – 26 November 1822, in Genoa) was a Prussian statesman and Prime Minister of Prussia. While during his late career he acquiesced to reactionary policies, earlier in his caree ...
.
Occupied by
French troops during the
War of the Fourth Coalition
The Fourth Coalition fought against Napoleon's French Empire and were defeated in a war spanning 1806–1807. The main coalition partners were Prussia and Russia with Saxony, Sweden, and Great Britain also contributing. Excluding Prussia, ...
, Prussia had to cede Bayreuth according to the 1807
Treaty of Tilsit
The Treaties of Tilsit were two agreements signed by French Emperor Napoleon in the town of Tilsit in July 1807 in the aftermath of his victory at Friedland. The first was signed on 7 July, between Napoleon and Russian Emperor Alexander, when ...
. At the 1808
Congress of Erfurt
The Congress of Erfurt was the meeting between Napoleon, Emperor of the French, and Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, from Tuesday 27 September to Friday 14 October 1808 intended to reaffirm the alliance concluded the previous year with the Tr ...
, the French emperor
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
offered it for sale to the newly established
Kingdom of Bavaria; it changed owners in 1810 against a payment of 15 million francs.
Margraves
* 1398:
John III of Nuremberg
* 1420:
Frederick I of Brandenburg
* 1440:
John IV ''the Alchemist''
* 1457:
Albert I ''Achilles'' (also Margrave of Brandenburg from 1470)
* 1486:
Siegmund
* 1495:
Frederick III (also Margrave of Ansbach as Friedrich I)
* 1515:
Casimir
Casimir is classically an English, French and Latin form of the Polish name Kazimierz. Feminine forms are Casimira and Kazimiera. It means "proclaimer (from ''kazać'' to preach) of peace (''mir'')."
List of variations
*Belarusian: Казі ...
* 1527:
Albert Alcibiades
* 1553:
George Frederick (also Margrave of Ansbach)
* 1603:
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
* 1655:
Christian Ernst
* 1712:
George William
* 1726:
George Frederick Charles (previously Margrave of Kulmbach from 1708)
* 1735:
Frederick
* 1763:
Frederick Christian
* 1769:
Charles Alexander (to 1791; also Margrave of Ansbach)
See also
*
Ansbach-Bayreuth in the American Revolution
Further reading
*
External links
The Ansbach-Bayreuth Army in Americaat Exulanten.com
on WorldStatesmen.org
* on Genealogy.eu
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayreuth
1398 establishments in Europe
1390s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire
1792 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire
Bayreuth
Britain's German allies during the American Revolution
Former states and territories of Bavaria
Franconian Circle
Lists of nobility
Principalities of the Holy Roman Empire
States and territories established in 1398