Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria, full German
name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern (born 10 November 1752 in Gelnhausen
, Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
; died 8 January 1837 in Landshut
or Bamberg
, Kingdom of Bavaria
) was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria
from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837. From 17 December 1803 to 20 March 1806, Wilhelm was titled Duke of Berg. Wilhelm was a great-grandfather of Empress Elisabeth of Austria
through his son Duke Pius August in Bavaria
.
to John, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen and his wife Wildgravine and Rhinegravine Sophie Charlotte of Salm-Dhaun. In 1778, Wilhelm became an honorary member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
.
. Wilhelm and Maria Anna had two children:
died. At the time there were two surviving branches of the Wittelsbach family: Zweibrücken (headed by Duke Maximilian Joseph) and Birkenfeld (headed by Count Palatine Wilhelm). Maximilian Joseph inherited Charles Theodor's title of Elector of Bavaria, while Wilhelm was compensated with the title of Duke in Bavaria. The form Duke in Bavaria was selected because in 1506 primogeniture
had been established in the House of Wittelsbach resulting in there being only one Duke of Bavaria at any given time.
.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern (born 10 November 1752 in Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen is a town and the capital of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 40 kilometers east of Frankfurt am Main, between the Vogelsberg mountains and the Spessart range at the river Kinzig...
, Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around Gelnhausen in the south of modern Hesse, Germany.Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen was partitioned from Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler in 1654. It was a mediate state with few rights...
; died 8 January 1837 in Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
or Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
, Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
) was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen was a state of the Holy Roman Empire based around Gelnhausen in the south of modern Hesse, Germany.Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen was partitioned from Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler in 1654. It was a mediate state with few rights...
between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria
Duke in Bavaria
Duke in Bavaria was a title used among others since 1506, when primogeniture was established, by all members of the House of Wittelsbach, with the exception of the Duke of Bavaria which began to be a unique position...
from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837. From 17 December 1803 to 20 March 1806, Wilhelm was titled Duke of Berg. Wilhelm was a great-grandfather of Empress Elisabeth of Austria
Elisabeth of Bavaria
Elisabeth of Austria was the spouse of Franz Joseph I, and therefore both Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia, among others...
through his son Duke Pius August in Bavaria
Duke Pius August in Bavaria
Duke Pius August in Bavaria, full German name: Pius August Herzog in Bayern was a Duke in Bavaria as a member of the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen line of the House of Wittelsbach...
.
Early life
Wilhelm was born on 10 November 1752 in GelnhausenGelnhausen
Gelnhausen is a town and the capital of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approx. 40 kilometers east of Frankfurt am Main, between the Vogelsberg mountains and the Spessart range at the river Kinzig...
to John, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen and his wife Wildgravine and Rhinegravine Sophie Charlotte of Salm-Dhaun. In 1778, Wilhelm became an honorary member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities is an independent public institution, located in Munich. It appoints scholars whose research has contributed considerably to the increase of knowledge within their subject...
.
Marriage and issue
Wilhelm married Countess Palatine Maria Anna of Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken, daughter of Frederick Michael, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and his wife Countess Palatine Maria Franziska of Sulzbach, on 30 January 1780 in MannheimMannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
. Wilhelm and Maria Anna had two children:
- unnamed son (6 May 1782)
- Duchess Maria Elisabeth Amalie Franziska in Bavaria (5 May 1784 – 1 June 1849) married the French Marshall Louis Alexandre BerthierLouis Alexandre BerthierLouis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Prince de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valangin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel , was a Marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon.-Early life:Alexandre was born at Versailles to Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Baptiste Berthier ,...
, 1st Duc de Wagram and had issue. - Duke Pius August in BavariaDuke Pius August in BavariaDuke Pius August in Bavaria, full German name: Pius August Herzog in Bayern was a Duke in Bavaria as a member of the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen line of the House of Wittelsbach...
(1 August 1786 – 3 August 1837)
Duke in Bavaria
On 16 February 1799, the head of the House of Wittelsbach Charles Theodore, Elector of BavariaCharles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Charles Theodore, Prince-Elector, Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria reigned as Prince-Elector and Count palatine from 1742, as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1742 and also as Prince-Elector and Duke of Bavaria from 1777, until his death...
died. At the time there were two surviving branches of the Wittelsbach family: Zweibrücken (headed by Duke Maximilian Joseph) and Birkenfeld (headed by Count Palatine Wilhelm). Maximilian Joseph inherited Charles Theodor's title of Elector of Bavaria, while Wilhelm was compensated with the title of Duke in Bavaria. The form Duke in Bavaria was selected because in 1506 primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
had been established in the House of Wittelsbach resulting in there being only one Duke of Bavaria at any given time.
Death
Wilhelm was interred at the family burial crypt of the Dukes in Bavaria at Tegernsee AbbeyTegernsee Abbey
Tegernsee Abbey or the Imperial Abbey of Tegernsee is a former Benedictine monastery in the town and district of Tegernsee in Bavaria. Both the abbey and the town that grew up around are named after the Tegernsee, the lake on the shores of which they are located...
.
Ancestry
Titles and styles
- 10 November 1752 – 31 March 1789: Count Palatine Wilhelm of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
- 31 March 1789 – 16 February 1799: The Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen
- 16 February 1799 – 8 January 1837: His Royal Highness The Duke in Bavaria