House of Wittelsbach - Between crazyness and excellence
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| Plate with the coat of arms of Bavaria, Germany own picture taken in Munich |
With this blog post about the House of Wittelsbach I take you on a trip to Bavaria
(Bayern) in Germany.
Since 1996, the royal family's head is: Franz, Duke of Bavaria. So far is the
Since 1996, the royal family's head is: Franz, Duke of Bavaria. So far is the
situation nowadays but this royal familie has a very nice history.
The House of Wittelsbach: the origin
Otto II, Count of Scheyern (who died on 31 October 1120) could acquire
the castle of Wittelsbach near Aichach. Later the Counts of Scheyern left
the castle in 1119 for Wittelsbach Castle and the former was given to monks
to establish Scheyern Abbey.
From 1180 till 1918 the Wittelsbach dynasty ruled several German territories
in Bavaria and the Electorate of the Palatinate (till 1805).
In 1329 under the Treaty of Pavia, the House of Wittelsbach split in two
branches. Emperor Louis IV granted the Palatinate including the
Bavarian Upper Palatinate to his brother Duke Rudolf's descendants.
Due to marriages the Wittelsbach Emperor Louis IV acquired
Brandenburg (1323), Tyrol (1342), Holland, Zeeland and Hainault (1345).
In 1373, Otto, the last Wittelsbach regent of Brandenburg released the
country to the House of Luxembourg.
William II, Duke of Bavaria married Margaret of Burgundy. Their daughter
Jacqueline of Hainault was the victim of a war of succession and this war
resulted in the Hook and Cod Wars in Holland,Zeeland and Hainault but
at the end her territories came into the hands of the Burgundians.
The House of Wittelsbach were Roman Catholics by upbringing. The
Bavarian dukes became leaders of the German Counter-Reformation.
From 1583 till 1761 the Bavarian branch of the dynasty provided the
Prince-electors, Archbishops of Cologne and many other bishops of
the Empire.
Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria served also as Governor of
the Habsburg Netherlands and as Duke of Luxembourg.
His son Emperor Charles VII was King of Bohemia. However in 1777
this Bavarian branch died out.
The Palatinate branch kept the Palatinate untill 1918. Princes of the
Palatinate branch served as Bishops of the Empire and also as
Elector-Archbishops of Mainz and Trier.
In 1799, with the death of Charles Theodore of Palatinate-Sulzbach,
all Wittelsbach land in Bavaria and the Palatinate was reunited under
Maximilian IV Joseph. He inherited Charles Theodore's title of
Elector of Bavaria. He became Duke of Bavaria.
The other surviving branch of the House of Wittlesbach was compensated
with the title Duke in Bavaria.
On 1 January 1806, Maximilian Joseph assumed the title of King.
However the new King still served as Prince-Elector until the Kingdom of
Bavaria left the Holy Roman Empire (1 August 1806).
Bavaria became the third most powerful German state behind only
Prussia and Austria. When the German Empire was formed in 1871,
Bavaria became the new empire's second most powerful state after
Prussia.
The Wittelsbachs ruled as King of Bavaria until 1918. Then on
12 November 1918, Ludwig III ended the 738-year rule of the House of
Wittelsbach in Bavaria. Bavaria became a republic.
During the second World War, the Wittelsbachs were anti-Nazi. The
former royal family left even Germany for Hungary. However they
were arrested and family members spent time in several Nazi concentration
camps including Oranienburg and Dachau.
The House of Wittelsbach around Europe
Isabeau of Bavaria (died in 1435) married King Charles VI of France.
She became Queen of France during the Hundred Years' War. Two of her
children became Queen of England.
Frederick V, Elector Palatine (1610-123) became King of Bohemia. There
he was called the "Winter King".
Queen Christina of Sweden abdicated her throne on 5 June 1654 in favour
of her cousin Charles X Gustavus, a member of the Wittelsbach branch
Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Sweden reached its largest territorium under
Charles X after the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658.
Charles XI (son of Charles X) rebuilt the economy and refitted the army.
Charles XII had one of the finest arsenals in the world, a large standing army
and a great fleet. Charles XII was a skilled military leader and tactician.
Though he was reluctant in making peace.
Charles XII was succeeded by his sister Ulrika Eleonora. Her abdication in
1720 marked the end of the Wittelsbach rule in Sweden.
Princess Sophia of Hanover (was a member from the House of
Wittelsbach) and the mother of George I of Great Britain.
Princess Sophie of Bavaria (1805-1872) was Archduchess of Austria
and the mother-in-law of her own niece Elisabeth in Bavaria (Sisi),
who became Empress of Austria.
Duchess Marie Sophie in Bavaria (sister of Sisi) married Francis II
of the Two Sicilies. She was the last Queen there.
Prince Otto of Bavaria was elected King of the newly independent
Greece in 1832. Otto faced political challenges concerning Greece's
financial weakness and the role of the government in the affairs of
the Church. In 1850 Greece was blockaded by the British Royal
Navy and again in 1853 to stop Greece from attacking the Ottoman
Empire during the Crimean War. There was an assassination attempt
on the queen and in 1862 Otto was forced to abdicate.
Elisabeth in Bavaria, the niece of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi)
became the flamboyant Queen of Belgium.
Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, she married Alois, Hereditary Prince and
Regent of Liechtenstein.
From Crazyness to brilliance
When Prince Albert of Belgium told his parents that he would like to
marry to Elisabeth in Bavaria, they were not happy with his choice
due to the poor mental health of several members of the royal house of
Wittelsbach.
Perhaps it is not the mental health which was typical for the royal
family of Bavaria but the combination of extravagance and the lacquer
of convention.
Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi) was a restless beauty, constant on
her way to travel and to escape the strict protocol of the court of
Habsburg.
Sisi's brother Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria and the father of Queen
Elisabeth of Belgium, also caused lots of turmoil by hanging his
military uniform on the hook, and studying medicine instead. He
specialized himself as an eyedoctor. Besides that he was fascinated by
history, philosophy, literature and music. He also had progressive and
liberal ideas. Ideas and interests that his daughter Queen Elizabeth of
Belgium inherited.
But the most famous King of Bavaria was by no doubt: King Ludwig II.
Though he was labeled as crazy he gave the order to build many
beautiful castles.
A fascination
I always had a big fascination for the members of the House of Wittelsbach.
Okay they were perhaps unconventional and crazy but they were so
brilliant too.
Their interest in medicine resulted in finest clinics, their
notice of architecture resulted in fairy tale palaces and in Belgium the
music competition of Queen Elisabeth is well-appreciated.
Never a royal family had such a thin line between craziness and excellence
as the noble House of Wittelsbach.
Source pictures: Wikipedia
except the Coat of Arms, Sisi in Corfu and the Bavarian Pen.
The Coat of Arms belongs to my own small royal collection.
 |
| Own picture taken of the Coat of Arms of Bavaria |
The House of Wittelsbach: the origin
Otto II, Count of Scheyern (who died on 31 October 1120) could acquire
the castle of Wittelsbach near Aichach. Later the Counts of Scheyern left
the castle in 1119 for Wittelsbach Castle and the former was given to monks
to establish Scheyern Abbey.
From 1180 till 1918 the Wittelsbach dynasty ruled several German territories
in Bavaria and the Electorate of the Palatinate (till 1805).
In 1329 under the Treaty of Pavia, the House of Wittelsbach split in two
branches. Emperor Louis IV granted the Palatinate including the
Bavarian Upper Palatinate to his brother Duke Rudolf's descendants.
Due to marriages the Wittelsbach Emperor Louis IV acquired
Brandenburg (1323), Tyrol (1342), Holland, Zeeland and Hainault (1345).
In 1373, Otto, the last Wittelsbach regent of Brandenburg released the
country to the House of Luxembourg.
William II, Duke of Bavaria married Margaret of Burgundy. Their daughter
Jacqueline of Hainault was the victim of a war of succession and this war
resulted in the Hook and Cod Wars in Holland,Zeeland and Hainault but
at the end her territories came into the hands of the Burgundians.
The House of Wittelsbach were Roman Catholics by upbringing. The
Bavarian dukes became leaders of the German Counter-Reformation.
From 1583 till 1761 the Bavarian branch of the dynasty provided the
Prince-electors, Archbishops of Cologne and many other bishops of
the Empire.
Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria served also as Governor of
the Habsburg Netherlands and as Duke of Luxembourg.
His son Emperor Charles VII was King of Bohemia. However in 1777
this Bavarian branch died out.
The Palatinate branch kept the Palatinate untill 1918. Princes of the
Palatinate branch served as Bishops of the Empire and also as
Elector-Archbishops of Mainz and Trier.
In 1799, with the death of Charles Theodore of Palatinate-Sulzbach,
all Wittelsbach land in Bavaria and the Palatinate was reunited under
Maximilian IV Joseph. He inherited Charles Theodore's title of
Elector of Bavaria. He became Duke of Bavaria.
The other surviving branch of the House of Wittlesbach was compensated
with the title Duke in Bavaria.
On 1 January 1806, Maximilian Joseph assumed the title of King.
However the new King still served as Prince-Elector until the Kingdom of
Bavaria left the Holy Roman Empire (1 August 1806).
Bavaria became the third most powerful German state behind only
Prussia and Austria. When the German Empire was formed in 1871,
Bavaria became the new empire's second most powerful state after
Prussia.
The Wittelsbachs ruled as King of Bavaria until 1918. Then on
12 November 1918, Ludwig III ended the 738-year rule of the House of
Wittelsbach in Bavaria. Bavaria became a republic.
During the second World War, the Wittelsbachs were anti-Nazi. The
former royal family left even Germany for Hungary. However they
were arrested and family members spent time in several Nazi concentration
camps including Oranienburg and Dachau.
The House of Wittelsbach around Europe
Isabeau of Bavaria (died in 1435) married King Charles VI of France.
She became Queen of France during the Hundred Years' War. Two of her
children became Queen of England.
Frederick V, Elector Palatine (1610-123) became King of Bohemia. There
he was called the "Winter King".
Queen Christina of Sweden abdicated her throne on 5 June 1654 in favour
of her cousin Charles X Gustavus, a member of the Wittelsbach branch
Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Sweden reached its largest territorium under
Charles X after the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658.
Charles XI (son of Charles X) rebuilt the economy and refitted the army.
Charles XII had one of the finest arsenals in the world, a large standing army
and a great fleet. Charles XII was a skilled military leader and tactician.
Though he was reluctant in making peace.
Charles XII was succeeded by his sister Ulrika Eleonora. Her abdication in
1720 marked the end of the Wittelsbach rule in Sweden.
Princess Sophia of Hanover (was a member from the House of
Wittelsbach) and the mother of George I of Great Britain.
Princess Sophie of Bavaria (1805-1872) was Archduchess of Austria
and the mother-in-law of her own niece Elisabeth in Bavaria (Sisi),
who became Empress of Austria.
 |
| Own picture of Sisi at Corfu |
Duchess Marie Sophie in Bavaria (sister of Sisi) married Francis II
of the Two Sicilies. She was the last Queen there.
Prince Otto of Bavaria was elected King of the newly independent
Greece in 1832. Otto faced political challenges concerning Greece's
financial weakness and the role of the government in the affairs of
the Church. In 1850 Greece was blockaded by the British Royal
Navy and again in 1853 to stop Greece from attacking the Ottoman
Empire during the Crimean War. There was an assassination attempt
on the queen and in 1862 Otto was forced to abdicate.
Elisabeth in Bavaria, the niece of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi)
became the flamboyant Queen of Belgium.
Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, she married Alois, Hereditary Prince and
Regent of Liechtenstein.
From Crazyness to brilliance
When Prince Albert of Belgium told his parents that he would like to
marry to Elisabeth in Bavaria, they were not happy with his choice
due to the poor mental health of several members of the royal house of
Wittelsbach.
Perhaps it is not the mental health which was typical for the royal
family of Bavaria but the combination of extravagance and the lacquer
of convention.
Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi) was a restless beauty, constant on
her way to travel and to escape the strict protocol of the court of
Habsburg.
Sisi's brother Karl-Theodor, Duke in Bavaria and the father of Queen
Elisabeth of Belgium, also caused lots of turmoil by hanging his
military uniform on the hook, and studying medicine instead. He
specialized himself as an eyedoctor. Besides that he was fascinated by
history, philosophy, literature and music. He also had progressive and
liberal ideas. Ideas and interests that his daughter Queen Elizabeth of
Belgium inherited.
But the most famous King of Bavaria was by no doubt: King Ludwig II.
Though he was labeled as crazy he gave the order to build many
beautiful castles.
A fascination
I always had a big fascination for the members of the House of Wittelsbach.
Okay they were perhaps unconventional and crazy but they were so
brilliant too.
Their interest in medicine resulted in finest clinics, their
notice of architecture resulted in fairy tale palaces and in Belgium the
music competition of Queen Elisabeth is well-appreciated.
Never a royal family had such a thin line between craziness and excellence
as the noble House of Wittelsbach.
 |
| A Bavarian pen with the Coat of Arms own picture |
Source pictures: Wikipedia
except the Coat of Arms, Sisi in Corfu and the Bavarian Pen.
The Coat of Arms belongs to my own small royal collection.
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