Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken
File:Wolfgang of Zweibrucken.jpg Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken
Spouse(s)	Anna of Hesse
Issue Countess Palatine Christine Philipp Ludwig of Pfalz-Neuburg John I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken Countess Palatine Dorothea Agnes Countess Palatine Elisabeth Countess Palatine Anna Countess Palatine Elisabeth Otto Henry, Count Palatine of Sulzbach Frederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Vohenstrauss-Parkstein Barbara, Countess of Oettingen-Oettingen Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld Maria Elisabeth, Countess of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hardenburg Countess Palatine Susanna
Noble family	House of Wittelsbach
Father	Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Mother	Elisabeth of Hesse
Born	(1526-09-26)26 September 1526 Zweibrücken
Died	Nexon, Haute-Vienne
Buried	Meisenheim

Count Palatine Wolfgang of Zweibrücken (German: Pfalzgraf Wolfgang von Zweibrücken; 26 September 1526 – 11 June 1569) was member of the Wittelsbach family of the Counts Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken 1532–1559.

Biography

He was the only son of Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken and his wife Elisabeth of Hesse, daughter of William I, Landgrave of Hesse. His father died in 1532, so the regency of Palatinate-Zweibrücken passed to Louis' younger brother Rupert until 1543. In 1557 Wolfgang received the territory of Palatinate-Neuburg in accordance with the Contract of Heidelberg. In 1548 the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V occupied his Protestant territories and reintroduced Catholic practices. This imposition ended in 1552. The Peace of Augsburg of 1555 ended the religious conflict, and in 1557 several ecclesiastical states in Germany were secularised, a few of which Wolfgang obtained. In 1566 he served as a cavalry officer in the Turkish Wars.

In 1569 he came to the aid of French Huguenots with 14,000 mercenaries during the "Third War" of the French Wars of Religion (his intervention was financed by Queen Elizabeth I of England). He invaded Burgundy, but was killed in the conflict.

He was buried in Meisenheim.

Succession

After his death Wolfgang's land was split among his five sons who then created three branches: Philip Louis (House of Palatinate-Neuburg), John (House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken) and Charles (House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld). Otto Henry and Frederick had no surviving sons.

The House of Palatinate-Neuburg inherited the Electorate of the Palatinate in 1685 and by its cadet branch Palatinate-Sulzbach also Bavaria in 1777. The House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld then inherited the Electorate of the Palatinate and Bavaria in 1799. The House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken contributed to the monarchy in Sweden from 1654 onwards through its cadet branch Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg.

Family and children

He was married in 1545 to Anna of Hesse, daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. They had the following children:

• Countess Palatine Christine (1546 – 1619).
• Philipp Ludwig of Pfalz-Neuburg (1547–1614), married Anna of Cleves (1552–1632), daughter of William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. Their grandson was Philip William, Elector Palatine.
• John I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (1550–1604), married his sister-in-law Magdalene (1553–1633), daughter of William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. Their grandson was Charles X Gustav of Sweden.
• Countess Palatine Dorothea Agnes (1551–1552).
• Countess Palatine Elisabeth (1553–1554).
• Countess Palatine Anna (1554–1576).
• Countess Palatine Elisabeth (1555–1625).
• Otto Henry, Count Palatine of Sulzbach (1556–1604).
• Frederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Vohenstrauss-Parkstein (1557–1597).
• Countess Palatine Barbara of Zweibrücken-Neuburg (1559 – 1618), married on 7 November 1591 Gottfried, Count of Oettingen-Oettingen.
• Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld (1560–1600), married Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg and became ancestor to the line of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and the Dukes in Bavaria and later Kings of Bavaria.
• Countess Palatine Maria Elisabeth (1561–1629), married in 1585 Emich XII, Count of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hardenburg.
• Countess Palatine Susanna (1564–1565).

Ancestors

Family of Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

16. Stefan, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken               8. Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken                       17. Anna of Veldenz, Countess Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken               4. Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken                             18. Antoine I de Croÿ, Count of Porcéan               9. Johanna of Croÿ                       19. Margaret of Lorraine-Vaudémont               2. Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken                                   20. Kraft V, Count of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim               10. Kraft VI, Count of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim                       21. Margaret of Oettingen               5. Margarete of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein                             22. Ulrich V, Count of Württemberg               11. Helene of Württemberg                       23. Margaret of Savoy, Duchess of Anjou               1. Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken                                         24. Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse               12. Louis II, Landgrave of Lower Hesse                       25. Anna of Saxony, Landgravine of Hesse               6. William I, Landgrave of Lower Hesse                             26. Ludwig I, Count of Württemberg-Urach               13. Mechthild of Württemberg-Urach                       27. Mechthild of Germany               3. Elisabeth of Hesse                                   28. William the Victorious, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               14. William IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg                       29. Cecilia of Brandenburg               7. Anna of Brunswick                             30. Bodo VII, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode               15. Elizabeth of Stolberg-Wernigerode                       31. Anna of Schwarzburg

Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken House of Wittelsbach Born: 1526 Died: 1569
German royalty
Regnal titles
Preceded by Otto Henry	Count Palatine of Neuburg 1559–1569	Succeeded by Philipp Louis
Preceded by Louis II	Duke of Zweibrücken 1532–1569	Succeeded by John I
	Count Palatine of Sulzbach 1532–1569	Succeeded by Otto Henry
	Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Vohenstrauss-Parkstein 1532–1569	Succeeded by Frederick
	Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld 1532–1569	Succeeded by Charles I

References

• Grosses vollständiges Universal-Lexicon

External links

• Die Genealogie der Wittelsbacher