User:Kmorozov/Bavaria with tables



The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria:

Agilolfing dynasty 548–788


Around 548 the kings of the Franks placed the border region of Bavaria under the administration of a duke &mdash; possibly Frankish or possibly chosen from amongst the local leading families &mdash; who was supposed to act as a regional governor for the Frankish king. The first duke we know of, and likely the first, was Gariwald, or Garibald I, a member of the powerful Agilolfing family. This was the beginning of a series of Agilolfing dukes that was to last until 788.

Rulers unknown, ca. 630-680

By the time of Duke Theodo I, who died in 716 or 717, the Bavarian duchy had achieved complete independence from the Frankish kings. Theodo's sons divided the duchy, but by 719 the rule had returned to Duke Grimoald.

In 725(?), Charles Martel, ruler in fact though not in name of the Frankish realm, reasserted royal supremacy over Bavaria, defeating and killing Duke Grimwald and annexing portions of Bavaria during the rule of Hugbert.

In 757 Tassilo III recognized the suzerainty of the Frankish kings Pippin III and did homage to Charlemagne in 781, and again in 787, while pursued an independent policy. In 788, Charlemagne had Tassilo sentenced to death on a charge of treason. Tassilo, granted pardon, entered a monastery and formally renounced his duchy at Frankfurt am Main in 794.

Carolingian dynasty 788–911


The Kings (later Emperors) of the Franks now assumed complete control, placing Bavaria under the rule of non-hereditary governors and civil servants. The Emperor Louis the Pious divided control of the Empire among his sons, and the divisions became permanent in the decades following his death in 840. The Frankish rulers controlled Bavaria as part of their possessions.

Luitpolding dynasty, 911–947


Luitpold, founder of the Luitpolding dynasty, was not a Duke of Bavaria but a Margrave of Carinthia under the rule of Louis the Child. Frankish power had waned in the region due to Hungarian attacks, allowing the local rulers greater independence. Luitpold's son, Arnulf, claimed the title of Duke (implying full autonomy) in 911, and was recognized as such by the German King Henry the Fowler in 920.

The German Kings, 947–1070


From 947 until the 11th century, the Kings of Germany repeatedly transferred Bavaria into different hands (including their own), never allowing any one family to establish itself. Bavaria was ruled by a series of short-lasting, mostly unrelated dynasties.

Houses of Welf and Babenberg 1070–1180


In 1070, Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor deposed duke Otto, granting the duchy instead to Welf I, Duke of Bavaria, a member of the Italo-Bavarian family of Este. Welf I subsequently quarreled with King Henry and was deprived of his duchy for nineteen years, during which it was directly administered by the German crown. Welf I recovered the duchy in 1096, and was succeeded by his sons Welf II and Henry IX &mdash; the latter was succeeded by his son Henry X, who also became Duke of Saxony.

Wittelsbach dynasty 1180–1919


In 1180, Henry XII the Lion and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, fell out, and Frederick dispossessed the duke and gave his territory to Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach. Bavaria remained in the possession of various branches of the family until the First World War.


 * Otto I 1180-1183. Succeeded by his son,
 * Louis I 1183-1231 – obtained the Palatinate of the Rhine in 1214; assassinated 1231. Succeeded by his son,
 * Otto II 1231-1253

Though Otto I of Wittelsbach was the third duke of Bavaria named Otto he is mostly called Otto I as founder of a new dynasty. Louis I and Otto II served also as Counts Palatine of the Rhine.

First partition, 1253-1340
On Otto II's death, Bavaria was divided between his sons. Henry became Duke of Lower Bavaria, and Louis of Upper Bavaria. From this point until the beginning of the 16th century, the territories were frequently divided between brothers, making the Dukes difficult to list.

In Lower Bavaria, Henry XIII was succeeded by his three sons, Otto III, Louis III, and Stephen I ruling jointly. Otto III's successor in the joint dukedom was his son Henry XV. Stephen's successors were his sons Otto IV and Henry XIV. Henry XIV's son was John I.

In Upper Bavaria, Louis II was succeeded by his sons Rudolf I and Louis IV. The latter was elected King of Germany in 1314. After John I's death in 1340, Louis IV unified the Bavarian duchy.

The dukes of Upper Bavaria served also as Counts Palatinate of the Rhine. In 1329 Louis IV released the Palatinate of the Rhine including the Bavarian Upper Palatinate to the sons of Rudolf I. The Upper Palatinate would be reunited with Bavaria in 1623, the Lower Palatinate in 1777.

Reunion, 1340-1349

 * Louis IV 1340-1347
 * Co-rulers 1347-1349, sons of Louis IV:
 * Louis V the Brandenburger (1315 - 1361)
 * Stephen II (1319 - 1375)
 * Louis VI the Roman (1328 - 1365)
 * William I (1330 - 1389)
 * Albert I (1336 - 1404)
 * Otto V (1346 - 1379)

Second partition, 1349-1503
In 1349, the six sons of Louis IV again partitioned Bavaria into Upper and Lower Bavaria. Further partitions followed, which are most easily represented in tabular format:

Post-monarchy
In 1918, Bavaria became a republic.

Heads of the House of Wittelsbach since 1918 (not ruling)

 * King Ludwig III, 1918-1921.
 * Rupprecht, Duke of Bavaria, 1921-1955.
 * Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, 1955-1996.
 * Franz, Duke of Bavaria, since 1996.