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The House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld (German language, German: ''Pfalz-Birkenfeld''), later Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, was the name of a collateral line of the Electoral Palatinate, Palatine House of Wittelsbach, Wittelsbachs. The Counts Palatine from this line initially ruled over only a relatively unimportant territory, namely the Palatine share of the County of Sponheim#First divisions, Rear and Front Counties, 11th to 15th centuries, Rear County of Sponheim; however, their importance steadily grew. All living members of the House of Wittelsbach descend from Palatinate-Birkenfeld, which thus became the parent branch of the Kingdom of Bavaria, Kings of Bavaria.
The patriarch of the line was Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld. He was a son of Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, who when he died in 1569, bequeathed the Palatine share of the Rear County of Sponheim to Charles. Charles chose Birkenfeld as his residence and in 1595, through the Treaty of Kastellaun with his joint ruler the Margrave of Baden, Edward Fortunatus, secured exclusive rule in the districts of Birkenfeld and Allenbach (until 1671). Under him, Birkenfeld Castle underwent major expansion. Following Charle' death in 1600, he was succeeded by Georg Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Georg Wilhelm, who ruled until 1669. He was succeeded by Karl II Otto, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Karl Otto, who died in 1671. The inheritance passed to Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Christian II, a son of Georg Wilhelm's younger brother, who had previously received the Lordship of Bischweiler from the holdings of Palatine Zweibrücken, Zweibrücken and thus founded the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler line. His son Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Christian III ended official residency at Birkenfeld in 1717 and resided primarily in Bischweiler, alternating with Zweibrücken after 1734, in which year he succeeded to the Palatine Zweibrücken, Duchy of Zweibrücken. He was succeeded by his son Christian IV, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Christian IV, who however was morganatic marriage, married below his station, to the dancer Marianne Camasse, so that his sons were not entitled to inherit. After Christian's death his nephew Karl III August Christian, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken, Karl III August Christian became ruler. Under his rule, the Rear County of Sponheim was finally partitioned. It was agreed that of the two joint rulers, the Margrave of Baden was to make the division and then the Count Palatine by Rhine was to choose his share. Possibly the hope on the Baden side was that Karl III August would decide on the portion in which Birkenfeld and the family seat were located; nonetheless, Karl III August decided upon the Mosel region around Trarbach, so that after 1776 the Birkenfeld region became the exclusive possession of Baden. His brother Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, Maximilian I Joseph succeeded him after his death in 1795. As a result of the wars of succession of the French Revolution he was the last Duke of Zweibrücken, becoming in 1799 Palatine and Bavarian Elector and in 1806 the first King of Bavaria.
Prior to this, in 1645, John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen, John Charles, a younger brother of Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Christian II, had founded the collateral line of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen. From 1799 on, his descendants were styled "His Royal Highness Duke in Bavaria".
Lazer, Stephen A. ''State Formation in Early Modern Alsace, 1648-1789''. Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 201
9 * Rodewald, Heinrich: ''Das Birkenfelder Schloß. Leben und Treiben an einer kleinen Fürstenresidenz 1584-1717''. Enke, Birkenfeld 1927. * Wild, Klaus Eberhard: ''Zur Geschichte der Grafschaften Veldenz und Sponheim und der Birkenfelder Linien der pfälzischen Wittelsbacher''. Mitteilungen des Vereins für Heimatkunde im Landkreis Birkenfeld 43. Birkenfeld 1982.
www.genealogienetz.de
History of the Palatinate (region) Noble families of the Holy Roman Empire Former states and territories of Rhineland-Palatinate
The House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld (German language, German: ''Pfalz-Birkenfeld''), later Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, was the name of a collateral line of the Electoral Palatinate, Palatine House of Wittelsbach, Wittelsbachs. The Counts Palatine from this line initially ruled over only a relatively unimportant territory, namely the Palatine share of the County of Sponheim#First divisions, Rear and Front Counties, 11th to 15th centuries, Rear County of Sponheim; however, their importance steadily grew. All living members of the House of Wittelsbach descend from Palatinate-Birkenfeld, which thus became the parent branch of the Kingdom of Bavaria, Kings of Bavaria.
History
The patriarch of the line was Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld. He was a son of Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, who when he died in 1569, bequeathed the Palatine share of the Rear County of Sponheim to Charles. Charles chose Birkenfeld as his residence and in 1595, through the Treaty of Kastellaun with his joint ruler the Margrave of Baden, Edward Fortunatus, secured exclusive rule in the districts of Birkenfeld and Allenbach (until 1671). Under him, Birkenfeld Castle underwent major expansion. Following Charle' death in 1600, he was succeeded by Georg Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Georg Wilhelm, who ruled until 1669. He was succeeded by Karl II Otto, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Karl Otto, who died in 1671. The inheritance passed to Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Christian II, a son of Georg Wilhelm's younger brother, who had previously received the Lordship of Bischweiler from the holdings of Palatine Zweibrücken, Zweibrücken and thus founded the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler line. His son Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Christian III ended official residency at Birkenfeld in 1717 and resided primarily in Bischweiler, alternating with Zweibrücken after 1734, in which year he succeeded to the Palatine Zweibrücken, Duchy of Zweibrücken. He was succeeded by his son Christian IV, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Christian IV, who however was morganatic marriage, married below his station, to the dancer Marianne Camasse, so that his sons were not entitled to inherit. After Christian's death his nephew Karl III August Christian, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken, Karl III August Christian became ruler. Under his rule, the Rear County of Sponheim was finally partitioned. It was agreed that of the two joint rulers, the Margrave of Baden was to make the division and then the Count Palatine by Rhine was to choose his share. Possibly the hope on the Baden side was that Karl III August would decide on the portion in which Birkenfeld and the family seat were located; nonetheless, Karl III August decided upon the Mosel region around Trarbach, so that after 1776 the Birkenfeld region became the exclusive possession of Baden. His brother Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, Maximilian I Joseph succeeded him after his death in 1795. As a result of the wars of succession of the French Revolution he was the last Duke of Zweibrücken, becoming in 1799 Palatine and Bavarian Elector and in 1806 the first King of Bavaria.
Prior to this, in 1645, John Charles, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen, John Charles, a younger brother of Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Christian II, had founded the collateral line of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen. From 1799 on, his descendants were styled "His Royal Highness Duke in Bavaria".
Counts Palatine of Birkenfeld
Palatinate-Birkenfeld
* Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Karl I (1584–1600) * Georg Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Georg Wilhelm (1600–1669) * Karl II Otto, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Karl II Otto (1669–1671)Palatinate-Bischweiler-Birkenfeld
* Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, Christian II (1671–1717) * Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Christian III (1717–1735), 1731 Count Palatine and Duke of ZweibrückenPalatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken
* Christian IV, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Christian IV (1735–1775) * Karl III August Christian, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken, Karl III August Christian (1775–1795) * Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, Maximilian I Joseph (1795–1825)Literature
Lazer, Stephen A. ''State Formation in Early Modern Alsace, 1648-1789''. Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 201
9 * Rodewald, Heinrich: ''Das Birkenfelder Schloß. Leben und Treiben an einer kleinen Fürstenresidenz 1584-1717''. Enke, Birkenfeld 1927. * Wild, Klaus Eberhard: ''Zur Geschichte der Grafschaften Veldenz und Sponheim und der Birkenfelder Linien der pfälzischen Wittelsbacher''. Mitteilungen des Vereins für Heimatkunde im Landkreis Birkenfeld 43. Birkenfeld 1982.
Sources
www.genealogienetz.de
History of the Palatinate (region) Noble families of the Holy Roman Empire Former states and territories of Rhineland-Palatinate