Charles I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld

Charles I, Count Palatine by Rhine, Duke in Bavaria, Count to Veldenz and Sponheim

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 of Hohenlohe

9. Margarete of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein

19. Helene of Württemberg

2. Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

20. Louis II, Landgrave of Lower Hesse

10. William I, Landgrave of Lower Hesse

21. Mechthild of Württemberg

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

12. William II, Landgrave of Hesse

25. Mechthild of Württemberg-Urach

6. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse

26. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg

13. Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

27. Sophia of Pomerania

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