Palatinate-Sulzbach Explained

Palatinate-Sulzbach was the name of two separate states of the Holy Roman Empire located in modern Amberg-Sulzbach, Bavaria, Germany, ruled by a branch of the House of Wittelsbach.

Palatinate-Sulzbach (1569 - 1604)

Conventional Long Name:Palatinate-Sulzbach
Common Name:Palatinate-Sulzbach
Native Name:Pfalz-Sulzbach
Status:vassal
Empire:Holy Roman Empire
Government Type:Principality
Life Span:1569–1604
1614–1742
Year Start:1569
Year End:1742
Capital:Sulzbach
Event Start:Partitioned from Palatinate-Zweibrücken
Date Event1:1604
Event1:Annexed to Palatinate-Neuburg
Date Event2:1614
Event2:Partitioned from Palatinate-Neuburg
Event End:Annexed to the Electorate of the Palatinate
P1:Palatine Zweibrücken
Flag P1:Armoiries_comtes_palatins_de_Deux-Ponts.svg
Border P1:no
S1:Electoral Palatinate
Flag S1:Banner_of_the_Palatinate.svg

Palatinate-Sulzbach was partitioned from Palatinate-Zweibrücken upon the death of Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken in 1569. His will provided that Palatinate-Sulzbach should be created out of Palatinate-Zweibrücken and ruled by his younger son Otto Henry. Otto Henry died in 1604 without any heirs so Palatinate-Sulzbach passed to Palatinate-Neuburg.

Palatinate-Sulzbach (1614 - 1742)

In 1614, Palatinate-Sulzbach was partitioned from Palatinate-Neuburg following the death of Count Palatine Philip Louis for his son Augustus. It consisted of two noncontiguous areas separated by the Electorate of Bavaria. It was bordered on the west by the territory of the Imperial city of Nuremberg and on the east by the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Augustus' successor Christian Augustus was a tolerant ruler who allowed his subjects to choose their religious denomination, introduced the simultaneum, allowed Jews to live in Sulzbach in 1666, and established an important printing industry. It became clear during the reigns of his successors that Palatinate-Sulzbach would inherit the Electorate of the Palatinate following the death of Charles III Philip, but this would only occur in 1742 for Charles Theodore.

NameReignNotes
Augustus1614–1632
Christian Augustus1632–1708
Theodore Eustace1708–1732
John Christian Joseph1732–1733
Charles Theodore1733–1742Elector Palatine
Duke of Bavaria