List of Counts to Sponheim
Encyclopedia
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
went through roughly three main phases during the course of the centuries. The first one lasted from the beginnings in the 11th century until the first divisions of the county between two Sponheimish lines around 1234. In this first period the region was ruled by a single count.
In the second phase the county was managed by two counts. The Front County of Sponheim was ruled by the line Sponheim-Kreuznach with residence at Castle Kauzenburg near Kreuznach. The Rear County of Sponheim was ruled by the line Sponheim-Starkenburg, with residence at first at Castle Starkenburg near Enkirch
Enkirch
Enkirch is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
and after 1350 at Castle Grevenburg
Grevenburg
Grevenburg was a castle in Traben-Trarbach in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. The castle was formerly the residence of the Rear County of Sponheim and today is a ruin following its destruction by the French in 1734.- History :...
near Trarbach. This phase lasted nearly to the extinction of both lines in 1437.
Finally in the third phase both parts of the county were managed by joint rulers as a condominium (international law)
Condominium (international law)
In international law, a condominium is a political territory in or over which two or more sovereign powers formally agree to share equally dominium and exercise their rights jointly, without dividing it up into 'national' zones.Although a condominium has always been...
. The management of the Rear County of Sponheim was divided between a collateral palatine line (House of Palatinate-Simmern, later House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken
The House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was the Royal House of Sweden from 1654 to 1720.By this point it had splintered into several different houses...
, later House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld
House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld
Palatinate-Birkenfeld , later Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld, was the name of a collateral line of the Palatine Wittelsbachs. The Counts Palatine from this line initially ruled over only a relatively unimportant territory, namely the Palatine share of the Rear County of Sponheim; however, their...
) and Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
, the management of the Front County of Sponheim roughly between Baden and the Electoral Palatinate. The ruling houses of the Sponheimish condominium were female line descendants of the House of Sponheim
House of Sponheim
The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a noble family of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages. They were Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269 and Counts of Sponheim until 1437...
and took on the title of Count to Sponheim (Graf zu Sponheim).
Sponheim
- Eberhard I (?–1044)
- Siegfried I (1044–1065), Margrave of the Hungarian MarchHungarian MarchThe Hungarian March or Neumark was a brief frontier march established in the mid-eleventh century by the Emperor Henry III as a defence against the Kingdom of Hungary...
- Stephan IStephan I, Count of SponheimStephan I, Count of Sponheim is the patriarch of the Rhenish branch of the House of Sponheim, which ruled over the County of Sponheim. He was closely related to Siegfried I, Count of Sponheim, patriarch of the Carinthian Sponheimish branch, but the exact relationship between the two dynasts is...
(?–ca. 1080) - Stephan II (ca. 1080–ca. 1118)
- Meginhard I (ca. 1118–1136 or 1145)
- Gottfried I (1136 or 1135–1159)
- Gottfried II (1165–1183)
- Gottfried III (1195–1218)
Sponheim-Kreuznach
- Simon I (1223–1264)
- Johann I (1265–1290)
- Johann II (1290–1340)
- Simon II (1290–1336)
- Walram (1336–1380)
- Simon III (1380–1414)
- Elizabeth (1414–1417)
Electoral Palatinate
- Ludwig III (1417–1436)
- Ludwig IV (1436–1449)
- Friedrich I (1449–1476), at first custodian; 1451 Prince Elector
- Philipp (1476–1508, O.C. 1480)
- Ludwig V (1508–1544)
- Friedrich II (1544–1556)
- Ottheinrich (1556–1559)
(Succession on line Palatinate-Simmern)
Veldenz or Palatinate-Simmern
- Friedrich III, Count of Veldenz (1437–1444, O.C. 1437)
- Friedrich I, Count Palatine (1444–1480, O.C. 1453)
- Johann I (1480–1509, O.C. 1508)
- Johann II (1509–1557, O.C. 1527)
- Friedrich II (III), 1559 Prince Elector (1557–1576, O.C. 1569)
- Ludwig VI, Prince Elector (1576–1583)
- Friedrich IV, Prince Elector (1583–1610, O.C. 1588)
- Ludwig Philipp to Simmern (1610–1655), until 1622 single holder, O.C.
- Ludwig Heinrich to Simmern (1655–1674)
- Karl I Ludwig, Prince Elector (1674–1680, O.C. 1677)
- Karl II, Prince Elector (1680–1685)
(Extinction of the line Simmern, succession on Palatinate-Neuburg)
Palatinate-Neuburg
- Philipp WilhelmPhilipp Wilhelm, Elector PalatinePhilip William of Neuburg, Elector Palatine was Count Palatine of Neuburg from 1653 to 1690, Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1653 to 1679 and Elector of the Palatinate from 1685 to 1690...
, Prince Elector (1685–1690) - Johann WilhelmJohann Wilhelm, Elector PalatineJohann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine was Elector Palatine , Duke Palatine of Neuburg/Danube , Duke of Jülich and Berg , and Duke of Upper Palatinate and Cham...
, Prince Elector (1690–1716, O.C. 1707) - Karl III Philipp, Prince Elector (1716–1742)
- Charles Theodore, Prince Elector (1742–1799, O.C. 1761)
(Rightful successor was Count Palatine Maximilian of Zweibrücken (see Rear County))
Baden-Baden
- Jakob I (1437–1453, O.C. 1444)
- Karl I (1453–1463) (1463 until Jan. 1508 pawned to Electoral Palatinate)
- Philipp I (1508–1533, O.C. 1509) (1533/34 disputed, 27 March 1534 to Baden-Baden)
- Bernhard IIIBernhard III, Margrave of Baden-BadenBernhard III, Margrave of Baden-Baden inherited in 1515 part of his fathers margraviate of Baden. He ruled his part from 1515 until 1536....
(1534–1536) - PhilibertPhilibert, Margrave of Baden-BadenMargrave Philibert of Baden ruled the Margraviate of Baden-Baden from 1554 to 1569. Philibert was the son of the Margrave Bernhard III, Margrave of Baden-Baden and Franziska of Luxembourg....
(1536–1569, O.C. 1557) - Philip IIPhilip II, Margrave of Baden-BadenMargrave Philip II of Baden , was from 1571 to 1588 Margrave of the Margraviate of Baden-Baden. He was the son of the Protestant Margrave Philibert of Baden-Baden and the Catholic Mechthild of Bavaria.Philip's father, Philibert, died in early in October 1569 during the Battle of Montcontour...
(1569–1588, O.C. 1576) - Eduard Fortunat (1588–1600) (1600 until Nov. 1622 no Badish joint ruler, electoral-palatine-only property)
- WilhelmWilhelm, Margrave of Baden-BadenMargrave William of Baden-Baden was regent of Baden-Baden between 1621 and 1677.Born in Baden-Baden, he was the eldest son of Margrave Edward Fortunatus of Baden and Maria of Eicken. He was Geheimrat, Generalfeldmarschall and Imperial Kammerrichter of Speyer, which gave him his nickname: Wilhelm...
(1622–1677, O.C. 1655) - Ludwig Wilhelm (1677–1707, O.C. 1680)
- Ludwig Georg Simpert (1707–1761, O.C. 1716)
- August Georg Simpert (1761–1771)
(Extinction of the line Baden-Baden, succession falls on line Baden-Durlach)
- Karl FriedrichKarl Friedrich, Grand Duke of BadenCharles Frederick, 1st Grand Duke of Baden was Margrave, elector and later Grand Duke of Baden from 1738 until his death.-Biography:...
(1771–1811)
Sponheim-Starkenburg
- Johann I (1223–1266)
- Heinrich I (1266–1289)
- Johann II (1289–1324)
- Heinrich II († 1323)
- Loretta (1324–1331)
- Johann IIIJohann III, Count of Sponheim-StarkenburgJohann III, Count of Sponheim-Starkenburg, the Older , reigned over the County of Sponheim for 67 years. He also received many epithets such as "the Noble" and, because of his declining vision, "the Blind".- Life and work :...
(1331–1398) - Johann IV (1398–1411)
- Johann V (1411–1437)
Joint rulers of the Rear County of Sponheim
- Friedrich III, Count to Veldenz and Sponheim (1437–1444, O.C. 1437)
Palatinate-Simmern/-Birkenfeld/-Zweibrücken
- Friedrich I, Count Palatine (1444–1480, O.C. 1453)
- Johann I (1480–1509)
- Johann II (1509–1557, O.C. 1527)
- Friedrich II, 1559 Prince Elector Friedrich III (1557–1560), as pawn holder 1569 to 1571
Palatinate-Zweibrücken
- WolfgangWolfgang, Count Palatine of ZweibrückenCount Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken was member of the Wittelsbach family of the Counts Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken 1532–1559.-Biography:...
to Veldenz (1560–1569) - Johann I (1569–1584 as custodian to his brother Karl I)
Palatinate-Birkenfeld
- Karl I to Birkenfeld (1584–1600, O.C. 1588)
- Georg Wilhelm (1600–1669, O.C. 1600), until 1618 under custody
- Karl II Otto (1669–1671)
Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler receives Birkenfeld
- Christian IIChristian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-BirkenfeldChristian II was the Duke of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler from 1654 until 1717, the Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld from 1671 until 1717, and the Count of Rappoltstein from 1673 until 1699.-Life:...
to Bischweiler (1671–1717, O.C. 1677)
Palatinate-Bischweiler-Birkenfeld receives Zweibrücken
- Christian IIIChristian III, Count Palatine of ZweibrückenChristian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1731–1735. He was the son of Christian II of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Katharina Agathe, Countess of Rappoltstein...
, since 1731 to Zweibrücken (1717–1735) - Christian IVChristian IV, Count Palatine of ZweibrückenChristian IV, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1735 to 1775. He was the son of Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken.In 1751 he married, morganatically, Maria Johanna Camasse...
(1735–1775, O.C. 1761) - Karl III August Christian (1775–1795)
- Maximilian I (IV) Joseph, Prince Elector of Palatinate-Bavaria, 1806 King of Bavaria, heir 1799 also to the share of the Front County
Baden
- Jakob I (1437–1453, O.C. 1444)
- Karl I (1453–1475)
- Christoph I (1475–1527, O.C. 1480)
- Bernhard IIIBernhard III, Margrave of Baden-BadenBernhard III, Margrave of Baden-Baden inherited in 1515 part of his fathers margraviate of Baden. He ruled his part from 1515 until 1536....
to Baden (1527–1536) - PhilibertPhilibert, Margrave of Baden-BadenMargrave Philibert of Baden ruled the Margraviate of Baden-Baden from 1554 to 1569. Philibert was the son of the Margrave Bernhard III, Margrave of Baden-Baden and Franziska of Luxembourg....
(1536–1569, O.C. 1557) - Philip IIPhilip II, Margrave of Baden-BadenMargrave Philip II of Baden , was from 1571 to 1588 Margrave of the Margraviate of Baden-Baden. He was the son of the Protestant Margrave Philibert of Baden-Baden and the Catholic Mechthild of Bavaria.Philip's father, Philibert, died in early in October 1569 during the Battle of Montcontour...
(1569–1588, O.C. 1569) - Eduard Fortunat (1588–1600) (1600–1605 no Badish joint ruler)
- Georg FriedrichGeorg Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-DurlachGeorge Frederick of Baden-Durlach was Margrave of Baden-Durlach from 1604 until his abdication in 1622. He also ruled Baden-Baden....
to Durlach (1605–1622) - WilhelmWilhelm, Margrave of Baden-BadenMargrave William of Baden-Baden was regent of Baden-Baden between 1621 and 1677.Born in Baden-Baden, he was the eldest son of Margrave Edward Fortunatus of Baden and Maria of Eicken. He was Geheimrat, Generalfeldmarschall and Imperial Kammerrichter of Speyer, which gave him his nickname: Wilhelm...
(1622–1677, O.C. 1669) - Ludwig Wilhelm (1677–1683), brother (from 1683 to 1697 holder of the share Margravin Marie Franziska b. Countess of Fürstenberg)
- Ludwig Georg Simpert (1697–1761, O.C. 1717)
- August Georg Simpert (1761–1771)
- Karl FriedrichKarl Friedrich, Grand Duke of BadenCharles Frederick, 1st Grand Duke of Baden was Margrave, elector and later Grand Duke of Baden from 1738 until his death.-Biography:...
(1771–1811)