List of rulers of Bavaria

Agilolfing Dynasty

Around 548 the kings of the Franks placed the border region of Bavaria under the administration of a duke — possibly Frankish or possibly chosen from amongst the local leading families — who was supposed to act as a regional governor for the Frankish king. The first duke we know of, and likely the first, was Gariwald, or Garibald I, a member of the powerful Agilolfing family. This was the beginning of a series of Agilolfing dukes that was to last until 788.

Luitpolding dynasty, 911–947

  Luitpolding dynasty

Luitpold, founder of the Luitpolding dynasty, was not a Duke of Bavaria but a Margrave of Carinthia under the rule of Louis the Child. Frankish power had waned in the region due to Hungarian attacks, allowing the local rulers greater independence. Luitpold's son, Arnulf, claimed the title of Duke (implying full autonomy) in 911, and was recognized as such by the German King Henry the Fowler in 920.

German kings, 947–1070

  Ottonian dynasty   Salian dynasty

From 947 until the 11th century, the kings of Germany repeatedly transferred Bavaria into different hands (including their own), never allowing any one family to establish itself. Bavaria was ruled by a series of short-lasting, mostly unrelated dynasties.

Houses of Welf and Babenberg, 1070–1180

  Houses of Welf and Babenberg

In 1070, Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor deposed duke Otto, granting the duchy instead to Welf I, Duke of Bavaria, a member of the Italo-Bavarian family of Este. Welf I subsequently quarreled with King Henry and was deprived of his duchy for nineteen years, during which it was directly administered by the German crown. Welf I recovered the duchy in 1096, and was succeeded by his sons Welf II and Henry IX — the latter was succeeded by his son Henry X, who also became Duke of Saxony.

Name	Image	Title	Start term	End term	House	Part	Note
Luitpold		Margrave of Bavaria	895	907	Luitpolding
Arnulf the Bad		Duke of Bavaria	907	920	Luitpolding		Son of Luitpold. Arnulf the Bad claimed the title of Duke — implying full autonomy — in 911, and was recognized as such by the German King Henry the Fowler, in 920.
Eberhard		Duke of Bavaria	937	938	Luitpolding
Berthold		Duke of Bavaria	938	947	Luitpolding		Younger son of Luitpold. The German King Otto I reasserted central authority, banishing Arnulf's son Eberhard and re-granting the title to Berthold, a younger son of Luitpold.
Henry I		Duke of Bavaria	947	955	Ottonian		Son of Henry the Fowler. On Berthold's death, Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, gave the duchy to his own brother Henry (I), who was also Arnulf the Bad's son-in-law.
Henry II the Quarrelsome		Duke of Bavaria	955	976	Ottonian		Henry II made war upon his cousin, Emperor Otto II, and was deprived of his duchy in 976 in favor of his cousin Otto, Duke of Swabia (who now acquired two dukedoms).
Otto I		Duke of Bavaria	976	982	Ottonian
Henry III the Younger		Duke of Bavaria	983	985	Luitpolding		Bavaria was given to Berthold's son Henry III, briefly restoring the Luitpolding dynasty. Henry III exchanged Bavaria for Carinthia, and Henry II received Bavaria again.
Henry II the Quarrelsome		Duke of Bavaria	985	995	Ottonian		Restored
Henry IV		Duke of Bavaria	995	1004	Ottonian		Son of Henry II the Quarrelsome. Henry IV was elected as Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, who gave Bavaria to his brother-in-law Henry V, Count of Luxemburg in 1004.
Henry V		Duke of Bavaria	1004	1009	Luxemburg		Son of Siegfried of Luxembourg.
Henry IV		Duke of Bavaria	1009	1017	Ottonian		Henry IV reasserted direct control.
Henry V		Duke of Bavaria	1017	1026	Luxemburg		Son of Siegfried of Luxembourg. Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany, gave Bavaria to his son Henry VI after the death of Henry V in 1026.
Henry VI the Black		Duke of Bavaria	1026	1042	Salian		Son of Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor. Later Henry was elected as Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, and became King of Germany in 1039.
Henry VII		Duke of Bavaria	1042	1047	Luxemburg		Son of Frederick of Luxembourg. In 1042, Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, granted the duchy to Henry VII, Count of Luxemburg, nephew of Henry V.
Conrad I (Kuno)		Duke of Bavaria	1049	1053	Ezzonen		Son of Liudolf of Lotharingia. After Henry VII's death, the dukedom was vacant for a couple of years. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, then gave the duchy to Kuno, Count of Zütphen, in 1049. Kuno was deposed in 1053.
Henry VIII		Duke of Bavaria	1053	1054	Salian		Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. During his reign in Bavaria Henry VIII was a minor (born 1050). In 1056 he became King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor as Henry IV in 1084.
Conrad II		Duke of Bavaria	1054	1055	Salian		(minor, born 1052, died 1055) Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VIII		Duke of Bavaria	1055	1061	Salian		(minor: born 1050) Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry VIII became King of Germany (1056) and Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor in 1084.
Otto II		Duke of Bavaria	1061	1070	Nordheim		In 1061 Empress Agnes — the 11-year-old King Henry IV's mother and regent — entrusted the duchy to Otto of Nordheim.
Welf I		Duke of Bavaria	1070	1077	Welf		Welf I subsequently quarreled with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and was deprived of his duchy for nineteen years, during which it was directly administered by the German crown.
Henry VIII		Duke of Bavaria	1077	1096	Salian		(minor: born 1050) Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry VIII became King of Germany (1056) and Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor in 1084.
Welf I		Duke of Bavaria	1096	1101	Welf		Welf I recovered the duchy in 1096.
Welf II		Duke of Bavaria	1101	1120	Welf		Son of Welf I
Henry IX the Black		Duke of Bavaria	1120	1126	Welf		Son of Welf I. Abdicated.
Henry X the Proud		Duke of Bavaria	1126	1138	Welf		Son of Henry IX the Black. In a power struggle with King Conrad III of Germany, Henry X lost his duchy to the King, who granted it to his follower Leopold Margrave of Austria.
Leopold I		Duke of Bavaria	1139	1141	Babenberg		When Leopold died, Conrad III of Germany resumed the duchy and granted it to Leopold's brother Henry XI.
Henry XI Jasomirgott		Duke of Bavaria	1143	1156	Babenberg		Brother of Leopold.
Henry XII the Lion		Duke of Bavaria	1156	1180	Welf		When Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, became king of Germany, he restored Bavaria to the Welf line in the person of Henry X's son, Henry XII the Lion, Duke of Saxony.

First partition, 1253–1340

In 1253, on Otto II's death, Bavaria was divided between his sons. Henry became Duke of Lower Bavaria, and Louis of Upper Bavaria. From this point until the beginning of the 16th century, the territories were frequently divided between brothers, making the Dukes difficult to list.

In Lower Bavaria, Henry XIII was succeeded by his three sons, Otto III, Louis III, and Stephen I ruling jointly. Otto III's successor in the joint dukedom was his son Henry XV. Stephen's successors were his sons Otto IV and Henry XIV. Henry XIV's son was John I.

In Upper Bavaria, Louis II was succeeded by his sons Rudolf I and Louis IV. The latter was elected King of Germany in 1314. After John I's death in 1340, Louis IV unified the Bavarian duchy.

The dukes of Upper Bavaria served also as Counts Palatinate of the Rhine. In 1329 Louis IV released the Palatinate of the Rhine including the Bavarian Upper Palatinate to the sons of Rudolf I. The Upper Palatinate would be reunited with Bavaria in 1623, the Lower Palatinate in 1777.

Second partition 1349–1503

From 1349 until 1503 the second partition of Bavaria took place. In 1349, the six sons of Louis IV partitioned Bavaria into Upper and Lower Bavaria again. In 1353, Lower Bavaria was partitioned into Bavaria-Landshut and Bavaria-Straubing. Upper Bavaria was partitioned between Bavaria-Straubing and Bavaria-Landshut in 1363. After the death of Stephan II in 1392, Bavaria-Landshut was broken into three duchies, John II gained Bavaria-Munich, Frederick, Duke of Bavaria-Landshut received a smaller Bavaria-Landshut, and in Bavaria-Ingolstadt ruled Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria.

Following the Landshut War (1503–1505), the Duke of Bavaria-Munich Albert IV the Wise became ruler of Bavaria. In 1506 Albert decreed that the duchy should pass according to the rules of primogeniture.

In 1623 Maximilian I was granted the title Prince-elector (German: Kurfürst) of the Rhenish Palatinate in 1623.

Partitions of Bavaria under Wittelsbach rule

Table of rulers

(Note: Here the numbering of the dukes is the same for all duchies, as all were titled Dukes of Bavaria, despite of the different parts of land and its particular numbering of the rulers. The dukes are numbered by the year of their succession.)

Ruler		Born	Reign	Death	Ruling part	Consort	Notes
Otto III the Redhead		1117	1180-1183	11 July 1183	Bavaria	Agnes of Loon 1169 eleven children	In 1180 Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor gave Bavaria to Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach.
Agnes of Loon (regent)		1150	1183-1189	1191	Bavaria	Otto III the Redhead 1169 eleven children	Regent on behalf of her son, Louis I. She managed to secure the inheritance of her son.
Louis I the Kelheimer		23 December 1173	1189-1231	15 September 1231	Bavaria	Ludmilla of Bohemia 1204 one child	Son of Otto III. Louis obtained the Palatinate of the Rhine in 1214. So Louis I served also as Count Palatine of the Rhine. He was assassinated 1231.
Otto IV the Illustrious		7 April 1206	1231-1253	29 November 1253	Bavaria	Agnes of the Palatinate 1222 Worms eleven children	Otto IV served also as Count Palatine of the Rhine. On Otto IV's death, Bavaria was divided between his sons. Henry became duke of Lower Bavaria, and Louis of Upper Bavaria. From this point until the beginning of the 16th century, the territories were frequently divided between brothers.
Henry XIII		19 November 1235	1253-1290	3 February 1290	Lower Bavaria	Elizabeth of Hungary 1250 ten children	Son of Otto IV. After the partition of 1253, received Lower Bavaria.
Louis II the Strict		13 April 1229	1253-1294	2 February 1294	Upper Bavaria	Maria of Brabant 2 August 1254 (executed) no children Anna of Głogów 1260 two children Matilda of Austria 24 October 1273 four children	Son of Otto IV. After the partition of 1253, received Upper Bavaria.
Otto V		11 February 1261	1290-1312	9 November 1312	Lower Bavaria	Catherine of Austria January 1279 two children Anna of Głogów 18 May 1309 two children	Sons of Henry XIII, ruled jointly. In 1305 Otto became also King of Hungary and Croatia, as grandson of Béla IV of Hungary.
Louis III		9 October 1269	1290-1296	9 October 1296	Lower Bavaria	Isabella of Lorraine 1287 no children
Stephen I		14 March 1271	1290-1310	10 December 1310	Lower Bavaria	Judith of Świdnica-Jawor 1299 eight children
Matilda of Austria (regent)		1253	1294-1296	23 December 1304	Upper Bavaria	Louis II the Strict 24 October 1273 four children	Widow of Louis II. Regent on behalf of her sons.
Rudolph I the Stammerer		4 October 1274	1296-1317	12 August 1319	Upper Bavaria	Matilda of Nassau 1 September 1294 Nuremberg six children	Ruled jointly with his brother Louis IV. In 1317 Rudolph abdicated of his rights to his brother, who in 1328 was elected Holy Roman Emperor, and in 1340 reunited Bavaria.
Henry XIV the Elder		29 September 1305	1312-1339	1 September 1339	Lower Bavaria	Margaret of Bohemia 12 August 1328 two children	Sons of Stephen I (Henry XIV and Otto VI) and Otto V (Henry XV), ruled jointly.
Otto VI		3 January 1307	1312-1334	14 December 1334	Lower Bavaria	Richardis of Jülich 1330 one child
Henry XV the Natternberger		28 August 1312	1312-1333	18 June 1333	Lower Bavaria	Anna of Austria between 1326 and 1328 no children
John I the Child		29 November 1329	1339-1340	20 December 1340	Lower Bavaria	Anna of Upper Bavaria 18 April 1339 Munich no children	Left no male heirs, which allowed his cousin (and brother-in-law) Louis to reunite the Bavarian lands.
Louis IV the Bavarian		5 April 1282	1296-1340	11 October 1347	Upper Bavaria	Beatrice of Świdnica-Jawor 14 October 1308 six children Margaret II, Countess of Holland-Hainaut 26 February 1324 Cologne ten children	Co-ruled with his brother Rudolf I until 1317 — then alone. Louis IV was elected King of Germany in 1314. In the Treaty of Pavia (1329) Louis IV released the Palatinate of the Rhine including the Bavarian Upper Palatinate to the sons of Rudolf I. After John I the Child's death in 1340, Louis IV unified the Bavarian duchy.
			1340-1347		Bavaria
Louis V the Brandenburger		May 1315	1347-1349	18 September 1361	Bavaria	Margaret of Denmark 1324 no children Margaret, Countess of Tyrol 10 February 1342 Meran four children	Sons of Louis IV, ruled jointly until 1349, when they divided the land: Louis V, Louis VI and Otto VII kept Upper Bavaria; William, Albert and Stephen Lower Bavaria. In 1351 Louis VI and Otto gave up their inheritance in Bavaria, in excnhange of the Electoral dignity in Brandenburg. Having lost the Electorate of Brandenburg in 1373, Otto returned to Bavaria to claim new inheritance, and shared the part of Stephen II's sons (his nephews) in Landshut. In Lower Bavaria, the three brothers divided the land again in 1353: Stephen kept Landshut, William and Albert shared Straubing, and from 1389 the two shared Straubing also with Albert I's son, Albert II.
			1349-1361		Upper Bavaria
Louis VI the Roman		7 May 1328	1347-1349	17 May 1365	Bavaria	Cunigunde of Poland before 1349 no children Ingeborg of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1360 no children
			1349-1351		Upper Bavaria
Otto VII the Lazy		1340/42	1347-1349	15 November 1379	Bavaria	Catherine of Bohemia 19 March 1366 no children
			1349-1351		Upper Bavaria
			1375-1379		Bavaria-Landshut
Stephen II the Representative		1319	1347-1349	13 May 1375	Bavaria	Elisabeth of Sicily 27 June 1328 four children Margaret of Nuremberg 14 February 1359 three children
			1349-1353		Lower Bavaria
			1353-1375		Bavaria-Landshut
William I the Mad		12 May 1330	1347-1349	15 April 1389	Bavaria	Matilda of England 1352 London no children
			1349-1353		Lower Bavaria
			1353-1389		Bavaria-Straubing
Albert I		25 July 1336	1347-1349	13 December 1404	Bavaria	Margaret of Brzeg after 19 July 1353 Passau no children Margaret of Clèves 1394 Heusden no children
			1349-1353		Lower Bavaria
			1353-1404		Bavaria-Straubing
Albert II		1368	1389-1397	21 January 1397	Bavaria-Straubing	Unmarried
Meinhard I		9 February 1344	1361-1363	13 January 1363	Upper Bavaria	Margaret of Austria 4 September 1359 Passau no children	Left no male descendants. After his death Upper Bavaria was divided between Bavaria-Landshut and Bavaria-Straubing.
Definitively annexed by Bavaria-Landshut (1/2) and Bavaria-Straubing (1/2)
Frederick I the Wise		1339	1375-1393	4 December 1393	Bavaria-Landshut	Anna of Neuffen 1360 one child Maddalena Visconti 2 September 1381 five children	Ruled jointly. Shared rule, until 1379, with their uncle Otto VII. In 1392 the brothers divided the land once more. Frederick retained Landshut, Stephen kept Ingolstadt and John received Munich.
Stephen III the Magnificent		1337	1375-1392	26 September 1413	Bavaria-Landshut	Taddea Visconti 13 October 1364 two children Anna of Neuffen 16 January 1401 Cologne no children
			1392-1413		Bavaria-Landshut-Ingolstadt
John II		1341	1375-1392	14 June/1 July 1397	Bavaria-Landshut	Catherine of Gorizia 1372 three children
			1392-1397		Bavaria-Landshut-Munich
Henry XVI the Rich		1386	1393-1450	30 July 1450	Bavaria-Landshut	Margaret of Austria 25 November 1412 Landshut six children	Annexed Ingolstadt in 1445.
Ernest		1373	1397-1438	14 June/1 July 1397	Bavaria-Landshut-Munich	Elisabetta Visconti 26 January 1395 Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm four children	Ruled jointly.
William II		1375	1397-1435	12 September 1435	Bavaria-Landshut-Munich	Unmarried
William III		5 April 1365	1404-1417	31 May 1417	Bavaria-Straubing	Margaret of Burgundy 12 April 1385 Cambrai one child	Eldest son of Albert I.
Louis VII the Bearded		1368	1413-1443	1 May 1447	Bavaria-Landshut-Ingolstadt	Anne de Bourbon-La Marche 1 October 1402 two children Catherine of Alençon 1413 two children	Imprisoned by his son, who was allied with Henry XVI. Died in prison.
Jacqueline		15 July 1401	1417-1432	8 October 1436	Bavaria-Straubing	John, Dauphin of France 6 August 1415 The Hague no children John IV, Duke of Brabant 10 March 1418 The Hague (dubious annullment in 1422) no children Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester 7 March 1423 Hadleigh (secretly; dubious annullment in 1428) no children Frank van Borssele 1434 no children	Contested by her uncle, John III In 1432 abdicated of all her titles and lands. Straubing therefore was divided between its neighbours.
John III the Pitiless (opponent)		1374	1417-1425	6 January 1425	Bavaria-Straubing	Elizabeth I, Duchess of Luxembourg 11418 no children	Son of Albert I. Contested Jacqueline until his death 1425.
Definitively annexed by the remaining Bavarian duchies
Albert III		27 March 1401	1438-1460	29 February 1460	Bavaria-Landshut-Munich	Agnes Bernauer c.1432? (morganatic) no children Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen 22 January 1437 Munich ten children	Son of Ernest.
Louis VIII the Hunchback		1 September 1403	1443-1445	7 April 1445	Bavaria-Landshut-Ingolstadt	Unmarried	After his death Ingolstadt was annexed by Landshut.
Definitively annexed by Bavaria-Landshut
Louis IX the Rich		23 February 1417	1450-1479	18 January 1479	Bavaria-Landshut	Amalia of Saxony 21 March 1452 Landshut four children
John IV		4 October 1437	1460-1463	18 November 1463	Bavaria-Landshut-Munich	Unmarried	Son of Albert III, ruled jointly with his brothers Sigismund and Albert IV.
Sigismund		26 July 1439	1460-1467	1 February 1501	Bavaria-Landshut-Munich	Unmarried	In 1467, Sigismund created a smaller duchy withits center in Dachau, but left no descendants, and this duchy was merged again in Bavaria-Munich after his death.
			1467-1501		Bavaria-Landshut-Munich-Dachau
Definitively annexed by Bavaria-Munich
George I the Rich		15 August 1455	1479-1503	1 December 1503	Bavaria-Landshut	Hedwig of Poland 14 November 1475 Landshut five children	Left no male descendants at his death. His duchy was annexed to Bavaria-Munich, which reunited the Bavarian duchy.
Albert IV the Wise		15 December 1447	1460-1503	18 March 1508	Bavaria-Landshut-Munich	Kunigunde of Austria 3 January 1487 Munich seven children	Co-ruled with his brothers John IV and Sigismund. Reunited the duchy in 1503. In 1506 Albert decreed that the duchy should pass according to the rules of primogeniture.
			1503-1508		Bavaria
William IV the Steadfast		13 November 1493	1508-1550	7 March 1550	Bavaria	Jakobaea of Baden 5 October 1522 Munich four children	Sons of Albert IV, the last Bavarian pair of brothers ruling together.
Louis X		18 September 1495	1516-1545	22 April 1545	Bavaria	Unmarried
Albert V the Magnanimous		29 February 1528	1503-1508	24 October 1579	Bavaria	Anna of Austria 4 July 1546 Regensburg seven children	Reunited the duchy in 1503. In 1506 Albert decreed that the duchy should pass according to the rules of primogeniture.
William V the Pious		29 September 1548	1579-1597	7 February 1626	Bavaria	Renata of Lorraine 22 February 1568 Munich ten children
Maximilian I the Great		17 April 1573	1597-1623	27 September 1651	Bavaria	Elisabeth of Lorraine 9 February 1595 Nancy no children Maria Anna of Austria 15 July 1635 Vienna two children	Son of William V. Maximilian I, was an ally of Emperor Ferdinand II in the Thirty Years' War. When the Elector of the Palatinate, Frederick V, head of a senior branch of the Wittelsbachs, became involved in the war against the Emperor, he was stripped of his Imperial offices and the Prince-elector title. Maximilian I was granted the Electorate of the Palatinate in 1623.