Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld

Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
Charles I, Count Palatine by Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, Count to Veldenz and Sponheim
Spouse(s) Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Noble family House of Wittelsbach
Father Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Mother Anna of Hesse
Born 4 September 1560(1560-09-04)
Neuburg an der Donau
Died 16 December 1600(1600-12-16) (aged 40)
Birkenfeld
Burial Meisenheim

Charles I of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld (German: Karl I.) (4 September 1560 – 16 December 1600), Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, Count to Veldenz and Sponheim was the Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld from 1569 until 1600.

Life

Charles was born in Neuburg in 1560 as the youngest son of Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken. After his father's death in 1569, Charles and his brothers partitioned his territories: Charles received the Palatine share on the Rear County of Sponheim, a small territory around Birkenfeld. Charles is the founder of the House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld.

Charles died in Birkenfeld in 1600 and was buried in Meisenheim. Charles was a prince of a relatively unimportant state, and his chief fame is that the Kings of Bavaria descended from him.

Marriage

Charles married Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1 January 1570 – 15 August 1649), daughter of Duke William VI, on 23 February 1586 and had the following children:

  1. George William (6 August 1591 – 25 December 1669)
  2. Sophie (29 March 1593 – 16 November 1676)
  3. Frederick (29 October 1594 – 20 July 1626)
  4. Christian (3 November 1598 – 6 September 1654)

Ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16. Louis I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Alexander, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17. Johanna of Croÿ
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18. Kraft VI, Count of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9. Margarete of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19. Helene of Württemberg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20. Louis II, Landgrave of Lower Hesse (= 24)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. William I, Landgrave of Lower Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21. Mechthild of Württemberg-Urach (= 25)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. Elisabeth of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22. William IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11. Anna of Brunswick
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23. Elizabeth of Stolberg-Wernigerode
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. Louis II, Landgrave of Lower Hesse (= 20)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. William II, Landgrave of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25. Mechthild of Württemberg-Urach (= 25)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13. Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 27. Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Anna of Hesse
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 28. Albert III, Duke of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14. George, Duke of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29. Sidonie of Poděbrady
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Christine of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30. Casimir IV Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 15. Barbara Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 31. Elisabeth of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 

Preceded by:

Charles I

Succeeded by:
Wolfgang of Palatinate-Zweibrücken Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
1569–1600		 George William of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld
Christian I of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler