Duchy of Bavaria

Duchy of Bavaria Herzogtum Bayern(German) Ducatus Bavariae(Latin)
c. 555–1805
Flag variants of the Wittelsbach dynasty Wittelsbacharmsof thedukes of Bavaria(until 1623)
Duchy of Bavaria (red) within theHoly Roman Empirec. 1000.
Duchy of Bavaria within theHoly Roman Empire,1618.
Status	Stem duchyand vassal of theMerovingians(the so-calledolderstem duchy)(c. 555–788) Direct ruleunder theCarolingians,asKings of Bavaria(788–843) Stem duchy ofEast Franciaand theKingdom of Germany(the so-calledyoungerstem duchy)(843–962) Stateof theHoly Roman Empire(from 962)
Capital	Regensburg(until 1255) Munich(from 1505)
Common languages	Bavarian,Latin
Religion	Roman Catholicism(official) Lutheranism
Demonym(s)	Bavarian
Government	Feudal monarchy
Duke
• 555–591	Garibald I(first)
• 1597–1623	Maximilian I(last)
Historical era	Medieval Europe
•Garibald Ias vassal of theMerovingians,first documented duke	c. 555
• Directly ruled part of theCarolingian Empire	788
• MargraveArnulf assumed ducal title	907
•Carinthiasplit off	976
•Austriasplit off	1156
• ToHouse of Wittelsbach	1180
• Firstpartition	1255
•Reunification	1503
• Raised toElectorate	1623
•Treaty of Pressburg	1805
Preceded by Succeeded by East Francia Bavaria-Munich Kingdom of Bavaria Margraviate of Austria Prince-Bishopric of Brixen Prince-Bishopric of Regensburg Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg County of Tyrol Bohemian Palatinate
Today part of	Germany Austria Italy Slovenia

TheDuchy of Bavaria(German:Herzogtum Bayern) was a frontier region in the southeastern part of theMerovingiankingdom from the sixth through the eighth century. It was settled byBavariantribes and ruled bydukes (duces)underFrankishoverlordship. A new duchy was created from this area during the decline of theCarolingian Empirein the late ninth century. It became one of thestem duchiesof theEast Frankishrealm which evolved as theKingdom of Germanyand theHoly Roman Empire.

During internal struggles of the rulingOttonian dynasty,the Bavarian territory was considerably diminished by the separation of the newly establishedDuchy of Carinthiain 976. Between 1070 and 1180 theHoly Roman Emperorswere again strongly opposed by Bavaria, especially by the ducalHouse of Welf.In the final conflict between the Welf andHohenstaufendynasties, DukeHenry the Lionwas banned and deprived of his Bavarian andSaxonfiefs by EmperorFrederick Barbarossa.Frederick passed Bavaria over to theHouse of Wittelsbach,which held it until 1918. The Bavarian dukes were raised toprince-electorsduring theThirty Years' Warin 1623, and tokingsbyNapoleonin 1806. The duchy chaired the bench of the secular princes to theReichstagof the Empire.

Geography

The medieval Bavarian stem duchy covered present-daySoutheastern Germanyand most parts ofAustriaalong theDanuberiver, up to theHungarianborder which then ran along theLeithatributary in the east. It included theAltbayernregions of the modern state ofBavaria,with the lands of theNordgaumarch (the laterUpper Palatinate), but without itsSwabianandFranconianregions. The separation of the Duchy of Carinthia in 976 entailed the loss of largeEast Alpineterritories covering the present-day Austrian states ofCarinthiaandStyriaas well as the adjacentCarniolanregion in today'sSlovenia.The easternMarch of Austria—roughly corresponding to the present state ofLower Austria— was likewise elevated to aduchyin its own right by 1156.

Over the centuries, several further seceded territories in the territory of the former stem duchy, such as theCounty of Tyrolor theArchbishopric of Salzburg,gainedImperial immediacy.From 1500, a number of theseImperial stateswere members of theBavarian Circleof the Holy Roman Empire.

History

See also:History of Bavaria

Older stem duchy

The origins of the older Bavarian duchy can be traced to the year 551/555. In hisGetica,the chroniclerJordaneswrites: "That area of theSwabianshas theBavariiin the east, theFranksin the west... "

Agilolfings

Until the end of the first duchy, all rulers descended from the family of theAgilolfings.The Bavarians then colonized the area from theMarch of the Nordgaualong theNaabriver (later called theUpper Palatinate) up to theEnnsin the east and southward across theBrenner Passto the UpperAdigein present-daySouth Tyrol.The first documented duke wasGaribald I,a scion of the FrankishAgilolfings,who ruled from 555 onward as a largely independentMerovingianvassal.

On the eastern border, changes occurred with the departure of the West GermanicLombardtribes from thePannonianbasin to northernItalyin 568 and the succession of theAvars,as well as with the settlement of West SlavicCzechson the adjacent territory beyond theBohemian Forestat about the same time. At around 743, the Bavarian dukeOdilovassalised theSlavicprinces ofCarantania(roughly corresponding with the laterMarch of Carinthia), who had asked him for protection against the invading Avars. The residence of the largely independent Agilolfing dukes was thenRegensburg,the formerRomanCastra Regina,on theDanuberiver.

DuringChristianization,BishopCorbinianlaid the foundations for the laterDiocese of Freisingbefore 724;Saint Kilianin the 7th century had been a missionary of theFranconianterritory in the north, then ruled by theDukes of Thuringia,whereBonifacefounded theDiocese of Würzburgin 742. In the adjacentAlamannic(Swabian) lands west of theLechriver,Augsburgwas a bishop's seat. When Boniface established theDiocese of Passauin 739, he could already build on localEarly Christiantraditions. In the south, SaintRuperthad founded in 696 theDiocese of Salzburg,probably after he had baptized DukeTheodo of Bavariaat his court in Regensburg, becoming the "Apostle of Bavaria". In 798Pope Leo IIIcreated the Bavarianecclesiastical provincewithSalzburgasmetropolitanseat andRegensburg,Passau, Freising andSäben(later Brixen) as suffragan dioceses.

Carolingians

Bavaria, withCarantania,around 788

With the rise of theFrankish Empireunder theCarolingian dynasty,the autonomy of the Bavarian dukes, previously enjoyed under the Merovingians, was reduced and subsequently terminated. In 716 the Carolingians had incorporated the Franconian lands in the north, formerly held by theDukes of Thuringia,whereby the bishops of Würzburg gained a dominant position. In the west, the Carolingian mayor of the palaceCarlomanhad suppressed the last Alamannic revolt at the 746Blood court at Cannstatt.The last tribal stem duchy to be incorporated was Bavaria in 788, after DukeTassilo IIIhad tried in vain to maintain his independence through an alliance with theLombards.The conquest of theLombard KingdombyCharlemagneentailed the fall of Tassilo, who was deposed in 788. From that point, Bavaria was administered by Frankishprefects,first of whom wasGerold,who governed Bavaria from 788 to 799.

By establishing direct rule over Bavaria, the Franks provoked the neighbouringAvars.At that time, the eastern Bavarian border, towards the Avars, was situated on theriver Enns.Already in 788, the Avars made an incursion into Bavaria, but Franko-Bavarian forces repelled them, and then launched a counterattack towards neighbouring Avarian regions, situated along theriver Danube,east of the Enns. The two sides clashed near theriver Ybbs,on the Ybbs Field (German:Ybbsfeld), where the Avars suffered a significant defeat (788).

In order to secure Bavaria's eastern borders, and resolve other political and administrative questions,Charlemagnecame to Bavaria in person, during the autumn of the same year (788). InRegensburg,he held a council and regulated issues regarding the Bavarian frontier counties (marches),thus preparing the basis for future actions in the east. In 790, the Avars tried to negotiate a peace settlement with the Franks, but no agreement was reached.

Bavaria then became the main base for the Frankish campaign against the Avars, which was initiated in 791. A large Frankish army, personally led byCharlemagne,crossed from Bavaria in to the Avarian territory beyond theriver Enns,and started to advance along theriver Danube,divided in two columns, but found no active resistance, and soon reached the region ofVienna Woods,at the very gates of thePannonian Plain.No decisive battles were fought, since the Avars had fled before the advancing Frankish army.

Frankish acquisition of new eastern regions, particularly those between theriver Ennsand theVienna Woods,represented a significant gain for the security of Bavaria. At first, that territory was placed under the jurisdiction of the Bavarian prefectGerold(d. 799),and subsequently organized as a frontier unit, that became known as the (Bavarian)Eastern March(Latin:marcha orientalis). It provided safety for Bavaria's eastern borders, securing as well the main communication between Frankish possessions in Bavaria and Pannonia.

Younger stem duchy

Bavaria and FrankishAvar March,in the time ofCharlemagne

In his 817Ordinatio Imperii,Charlemagne's son and successor EmperorLouis the Pioustried to maintain the unity of theCarolingian Empire:while imperial authority upon his death was to pass to his eldest sonLothair I,the younger brothers were to receive subordinate realms. From 825Louis the Germanstyled himself "King of Bavaria" in the territory that was to become the centre of his power. When the brothers divided the Empire by the 843Treaty of Verdun,Bavaria became part ofEast Franciaunder KingLouis the German,who upon his death bequested the Bavarian royal title to his eldest sonCarlomanin 876. Carloman's natural sonArnulf of Carinthia,raised in the former Carantanian lands, secured possession of theMarch of Carinthiaupon his father's death in 880 and became King of East Francia in 887. Carinthia and Bavaria were the bases of his power, with Regensburg as the seat of his government.

Due mainly to the support of the Bavarians, Arnulf could take the field against Charles in 887 and secure his own election as German king in the following year. In 899 Bavaria passed toLouis the Child,during whose reign continuousHungarianravages occurred. Resistance to these inroads became gradually feebler, and tradition has it that on 5 July 907 almost the whole of the Bavarian tribe perished in theBattle of Pressburgagainst these formidable enemies.

During the reign of Louis the Child,Luitpold,Count of Scheyern, who possessed large Bavarian domains, ruled the Mark ofCarinthia,created on the southeastern frontier for the defence of Bavaria. He died in the great battle of 907, but his sonArnulf,surnamed the Bad, rallied the remnants of the tribe in alliance with the Hungarians and became duke of the Bavarians in 911, uniting Bavaria and Carinthia under his rule. The German kingConrad Iunsuccessfully attacked Arnulf when the latter refused to acknowledge his royal supremacy.

Luitpoldings and Ottonians

Bavaria in 976, with the marches of Austria, Carinthia and Verona

The Carolingian reign in East Francia ended in 911 when Arnulf's son, KingLouis the Child,died without heirs. The discontinuation of the central authority led to a new strengthening of the Germanstem duchies.At the same time, East Francia was exposed to the rising threat fromHungarianinvasions, especially in the BavarianMarch of Austria(marchia orientalis) beyond the Enns river. In 907 the army ofLuitpold, Margrave of Bavariasuffered a crushing defeat at theBattle of Pressburg.Luitpold himself was killed in action and his sonArnulf the Badassumed the ducal title, becoming the first Duke of Bavaria from theLuitpolding dynasty.However, the Austrian march remained occupied by the Hungarians and the Pannonian lands were irrecoverably lost.

Nevertheless, the self-confidence of the Bavarian dukes was an ongoing matter of dispute in the newly establishedKingdom of Germany:Duke Arnulf's sonEberhardwas deposed by KingOtto I of Germanyin 938; he was succeeded by his younger brotherBerthold.In 948, King Otto finally disempowered the Luitpoldings and installed his younger brotherHenry Ias Bavarian duke. The late Duke Berthold's minor heir,Henry III,was fobbed off with the office of a BavarianCount palatine.The last attempt of the Luitpoldings to regain power by joining the rebellion of King Otto's son DukeLiudolf of Swabiawas crushed in 954.

In 952 Duke Henry I also received the ItalianMarch of Verona,which Otto I had seized from KingBerengar II of Italy.He still had to deal with the Hungarian threat, which was not eliminated until King Otto's victory at the 955Battle of Lechfeld.The Magyars retreated behind theLeithaandMoravarivers, facilitating a second wave of GermanOstsiedlunginto the areas of today'sLower Austria,IstriaandCarniola.Although ruled by theOttoniandescendants of Henry I, acadet branchof theSaxonroyal dynasty, the conflict of the Bavarian dukes with the German (from 962:Imperial) court continued: in 976, EmperorOtto IIdeposed his rebellious cousin DukeHenry II of Bavariaand established theDuchy of Carinthiaon former Bavarian territory granted to the former Luitpolding Count palatineHenry III,who also becameMargrave of Verona.Though Henry II reconciled with Emperor Otto's widowTheophanuin 985 and regained his duchy, the power of the Bavarian dukes was further diminished by the rise of the FranconianHouse of Babenberg,ruling as Margraves of Austria (Ostarrichi), who became increasingly independent.

House of Welf

Coat of Arms of the House of Welf

The last Ottonian duke,Henry IV of Bavaria,was electedKing of the Romansin 1002 as Henry II. At different times, the duchy was ruled by the German kings in personal union, by dependent dukes, or even by the emperor's sons, a tradition maintained by Henry'sSaliansuccessors. This period saw the rise of many aristocratic families, such as theCounts of Andechsand theHouse of Wittelsbach.In 1061, the dowager empressAgnes of Poitouenfeoffedthe Saxon countOtto of Nordheimwith the Duchy. Nevertheless, her son KingHenry IVseized the duchy on fallacious grounds, which ultimately led to theSaxon Rebellionof 1073. Henry entrusted Bavaria toWelf,a scion of the Veronese margravialHouse of Esteand progenitor of theWelf dynasty,which intermittently ruled the duchy for the next 110 years.

Only with the establishment of Welf rule as dukes from 1070 by Henry IV was there a re-emergence of the Bavarian dukes. This period is characterized by theInvestiture Controversybetween Emperor and Pope, which strengthened Welf rule through siding with the pope's position.

AfterHenry V,the last of the Salian emperors, died in 1125,Lothair IIIof the House ofSupplinburgwas elected to the thrown; the Bavarian dukeHenry the Proudhad married Lothair's daughterGertrude,and was thus promised her inheritance. When conflict arose withanti-kingConrad III,nephew of Henry V and member of theSwabianHouse of Hohenstaufen,the Bavarian duke threw his support behind Lothair, further increasing his social capital and increasing his chances of election as King of Germany as well asDuke of Saxonyin the aftermath of Lothair's death. However, Conrad III was successfully elected as King of Germany in 1138; fearing Henry's power, Conrad denied Henry his investiture with theDuchy of Saxony,claiming that it was unlawful for a duke to hold two duchies.This, compounded with his bitterness for being denied the throne, prompted Henry to refuse to swear his oath of allegiance to Conrad. As a consequence, he was dispossessed of all of his territories, and Bavaria was given to hisBabenberghalf-brotherLeopold IV, Margrave of Austriain 1139.

TheDuchy of Swabiaconsisted largely of countryside during the reign of the Staufer king, whileFranconiabecame the center of Staufer power, having been invested with the titledux Francorum orientalium,in 1115 by Henry V. This lasted until 1168, when theBishop of Würzburgacquired thediocese of Bambergand thus became theDuke of Franconia.The HohenstaufenFrederick I Barbarossaattempted reconciliation with the Welfsand, in 1156, gave back the Duchy of Bavaria to the WelfHenry the Lion;however, the East Mark remained in Babenberg hands, and it was thus elevated to theDuchy of Austriaas compensation for the loss of Bavaria.The elevation of theMarcha Orientalisunder the Babenbergs to a Dukedom established it as the nucleus of the later state ofAustria(Ostarrichi).

Henry the Lion founded numerous cities, including Munich in 1158. Through his strong position as ruler of the two duchies of Saxony and Bavaria, he came into conflict with Frederick I Barbarossa. With the banishment of Henry the Lion and the separation of theMarch of Styriafrom Bavaria—raised to theDuchy of Styriain 1180 underMargrave Ottokar IV—the younger tribal duchy came to an end.

Wittelsbachs

Coat of arms of counts of Bogen, laterHouse of Wittelsbach

From 1180 to 1918, theWittelsbachswere the rulers of Bavaria, as dukes, later as electors and kings. When Count Palatine Otto VI. of Wittelsbach becameOtto I, Duke of Bavariain 1180, the Wittelsbach treasury was rather low. In the following years it was significantly augmented by purchase, marriage, and inheritance. Newly acquired land was no longer given as a fief, but managed by servants. Also, powerful families, such as the counts of Andechs, died out during this period. Otto's son Ludwig I of Wittelsbach was enfeoffed in 1214 with theCounty Palatine of the Rhine.

Since there was no preference for succession of the firstborn in the Wittelsbach dynasty, in contrast to many governments of this time, there was in 1255 a division of the land into Upper Bavaria with the Palatinate and the Nordgau (headquartered in Munich) and Lower Bavaria (with seats inLandshutand Burghausen). There is still today a distinction made between upper and lower Bavaria (cf.Regierungsbezirke).

Bavarian lands after 1392 partition

Despite renewed division after a short time of reunification, Bavaria gained new heights of power withLouis IV, Holy Roman Emperor,who became the first Wittelsbach emperor in 1328. The newly gained areas ofBrandenburg(1323),Tyrol(1342), the Dutch provincesHolland,ZeelandandFrieslandand theHainaut(1345) were, however, lost under his successors. In 1369, Tyrol fell through the Treaty of Schärding to the Habsburgs. The Luxemburgish rider followed in 1373 and the Dutch counties fell toBurgundyin 1436. In the 1329Treaty of Pavia,Emperor Louis divided ownership in a Palatine region, with the Rhine Palatinate, and a later so-called Upper Palatinate. Thus, the electoral dignity for the line was passed onwards to the Palatinate. With the recognition of the limits of domination by the Bavarian Duke in the year 1275,Salzburgof Bavaria went into their final phase. When the Salzburg Archbishop issued its own country regulations in 1328, Salzburg become a largely independent state within the Holy Roman Empire.

The Bavarian Square banner in theWappenbuch des St. Galler Abtes Ulrich Rösch,15th century

Late Coat of arms ofWittelsbachs

In the 14th and 15th centuries, upper and lower Bavaria were repeatedly subdivided. Four Duchies existed after the division of 1392:Bavaria-Straubing,Bavaria-Landshut,Bavaria-IngolstadtandBavaria-Munich.These dukes often waged war against each other. DukeAlbrecht IVof Bavaria-Munich united Bavaria in 1503 throughwarandprimogeniture.However, the originally Bavarian officesKufstein,KitzbühelandRattenbergin Tirol were lost in 1504.

In spite of the decree of 1506, Albert's oldest sonWilliam IVwas compelled to grant a share in the government in 1516 to his brotherLouis X,an arrangement which lasted until the death of Louis in 1545. William followed the traditional Wittelsbach policy of opposition to the Habsburgs until in 1534 he made a treaty atLinzwithFerdinand I,the king ofHungary and Bohemia.This link strengthened in 1546, when the emperorCharles Vobtained the help of the duke during the war of theleague of Schmalkaldenby promising him in certain eventualities the succession to the Bohemian throne, and the electoral dignity enjoyed by thecount palatine of the Rhine.William also did much at a critical period to secure Bavaria forCatholicism.The reformed doctrines had made considerable progress in the duchy when the duke obtained extensive rights over the bishoprics and monasteries from the pope. He then took measures to repress the reformers, many of whom were banished; while theJesuits,whom he invited into the duchy in 1541, made theJesuit College of Ingolstadt,their headquarters in Germany. William died in March 1550 and was succeeded by his sonAlbert V,who had married a daughter of Ferdinand I. Early in his reign Albert made some concessions to the reformers, who were still strong in Bavaria; but about 1563 he changed his attitude, favoured the decrees of theCouncil of Trent,and pressed forward the work of theCounter-Reformation.As education passed by degrees into the hands of the Jesuits, the progress ofProtestantismwas effectually arrested in Bavaria.

The succeeding duke, Albert's son,William V,had received a Jesuit education and showed keen attachment to Jesuit tenets. He secured theArchbishopric of Colognefor his brotherErnestin 1583, and this dignity remained in the possession of the family for more than 200 years. In 1597 he abdicated in favour of his sonMaximilian I.

Maximilian I found the duchy encumbered with debt and filled with disorder, but ten years of his vigorous rule effected a remarkable change. The finances and the judicial system were reorganised, a class of civil servants and a national militia founded, and several small districts were brought under the duke's authority. The result was a unity and order in the duchy which enabled Maximilian to play an important part in theThirty Years' War;during the earlier years of which he was so successful as to acquire theUpper Palatinateand theelectoral dignitywhich had been enjoyed since 1356 by the elder branch of the Wittelsbach family. TheElectorate of Bavariathen consisted of most of the modern regions ofUpper Bavaria,Lower Bavaria,and theUpper Palatinate.

See also

• List of rulers of Bavaria

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Bavaria".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

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