Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria

Duke Wilhelm in Bavaria (full German name: Wilhelm, Herzog in Bayern; 10 November 1752 – 8 January 1837) was a German prince of the House of Wittelsbach.

Born into a non-ruling cadet branch of the widely branched House of Wittelsbach, Wilhelm was Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen between 1789 and 1799 and first Duke in Bavaria from 16 February 1799 until his death in 1837. He never ruled over his own principality, but from 17 December 1803 to 20 March 1806 he was titled Duke of Berg.

Early life Wilhelm was born on 10 November 1752 in Gelnhausen in the Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen. He was the second son and the fourth of eight children born to John, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen and his wife Wild- and Rhinegravine Sophie Charlotte of Salm-Dhaun.

On 16 February 1799, the head of the House of Wittelsbach Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria died. At the time there were two surviving branches of the Wittelsbach family: Zweibrücken (headed by Duke Maximilian Joseph) and Birkenfeld (headed by Count Palatine Wilhelm). Maximilian Joseph inherited Charles Theodor's title of Elector of Bavaria, while Wilhelm was compensated with the title of Duke in Bavaria. The form Duke in Bavaria was selected because in 1506 primogeniture had been established in the House of Wittelsbach resulting in there being only one Duke of Bavaria at any given time.

Death Duke Wilhelm died on 8 January 1837 in Landshut or Bamberg in the Kingdom of Bavaria. He was interred at the family burial crypt of the Dukes in Bavaria at Tegernsee Abbey.

Ancestry