House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld
Palatinate - Birkenfeld (later Palatinate -Zweibrücken - Birkenfeld ) was the name of a branch line of the Palatine Wittelsbach. Were the Palatine from this branch initially only ruler of a relatively unimportant area, namely the Palatine share of the Rear County of Sponheim, so took their meaning but steadily. All Wittelsbach still living back to Pfalz- Birkenfeld, the so became the headquarters of the Bavarian kings.
History
Progenitor of the line was Charles I of Pfalz- Zweibrücken - Birkenfeld. He was a son of Duke Wolfgang of Zweibrücken. When he died in 1569, he left the Palatine share of the Rear County of Sponheim his son Karl. This Birkenfeld chose as his residence and secured solely by the 1595 Kastellaun contract with the Baden Mitgemeinsherren Eduard Fortunat in the offices Birkenfeld and Allenbach sovereign rights ( until 1671). Through him the Birkenfeld castle was substantially expanded. After the death of Charles in 1600 was George William, his successor in Birkenfeld, who reigned until 1669. He was succeeded by Karl Otto, but already in 1671 he died. The inheritance went to Christian II, a son of George William 's younger brother, who had once owned the rule obtained from zweibrückischem Bischweiler and so the line of Palatinate - Birkenfeld - Bischweiler justified. His son Christian III. dissolved the royal household in Birkenfeld 1717 and resided mainly in Bischweiler or 1734, in which year he took over the Duchy of Zweibrücken, in Zweibrücken. He was succeeded by his son Christian IV, who, however, had married the dancer Marianne unethical Camasse so that his sons were not entitled to inherit. After Christian's death, his nephew Charles II August Christian took over the regency. At his instigation takes place in 1776, the final division of the Rear County of Sponheim. It was agreed that the Community Baden Lord make the division, the Palatinate should subsequently choose his part. They had perhaps Baden hand, hoped that Charles II Augustus would opt for the part where even with Birkenfeld was the ancestral home of the family; However, Charles II Augustus ruled in favor of the Mosel area around Trarbach, so that as of 1776 came the Birkenfeld district in Baden sole possession. His brother Maximilian I Joseph succeeded him after his death in 1795 in the reign. He was due to the succession wars of the French Revolution, the last Duke of Zweibrücken, then 1799 Palatine and Bavarian elector and in 1806 the first Bavarian king was.
Already in 1654 had Johann Karl, a younger brother, Christian II, founded the branch line Palatinate - Birkenfeld - Gelnhausen. His descendants led in 1799 the title " Royal Highness the Duke of Bavaria ."