1623 Bavaria becomes an electorate

The granting of the electoral dignity to Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria 400 years ago, on 25 February 1623, was the result of difficult negotiations and a compromise: the Bavarian duke was only enfeoffed for his person, not for his entire house. In a secret supplementary agreement, however, Emperor Ferdinand II confirmed the hereditary enfeoffment of the Bavarian Wittelsbach dynasty.

This small exhibition explains the most important stages in Bavaria's rise to the status of an electorate and the scholarly discussions that took place about it at the courts involved. The exhibition will be on display in other state archives in the course of 2023 and has therefore been planned as a flexible presentation on roll-ups. The original document from 25 February 1623 will be on display at the opening.

Last edited on 27.10.2023