Frederick I , Count Palatine of the Rhine (1 August 1425, Heidelberg – 12 December 1476, Heidelberg) was an Elector Palatine from the House of Wittelsbach in 1451 - 1476. He was a son of Louis III, Elector Palatine and his second wife Matilda of Savoy. His maternal grandparents were Amadeo, Prince of Achaea and his wife Catherina of Geneva. He ruled the Palatinate after the death of his brother Louis IV as custodian of his nephew Philip, Elector Palatine. Though this was against the law Emperor Frederick III did not manage to displace Frederick who was an able strategist and allied with Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria. Frederick was also successful against other opponents such as the emperor's party follower Albert III, Elector of Brandenburg and Dieter von Isenburg, the archbishop of Mainz, and increased his territory. With the battle of Seckenheim (1462) during the war of Mainz 1461-1463 Frederick captured his antagonists bishop Georg of Metz, Charles I, Margrave of Baden-Baden and Ulrich V, Count of Wurttemberg.
Marriage and children
In 1471/1472, Frederick married his long-time mistress Klara Tott. She was a commoner and this was considered a morganatic marriage. They had two children:
- Friedrich von Wittelsbach (1461 - 1474).
- Louis I, Count of Löwenstein (29 September, 1463 - 1524). Married first Elisabeth von Montfort and secondly Sophia Böcklin. Ancestor of the further rulers of Löwenstein. He was also an eleventh-generation ancestor of Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, wife of Miguel of Portugal.
External links
|
Frederick I, Elector Palatine
Born: 1 August 1425 Died: 12 December 1476 |
||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Louis IV |
Elector Palatine 1451–1476 |
Succeeded by Philip |
