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Wolfgang William
Wolfgang William
	Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg; painting by Johannes Spilberg (c. 1648)
Count Palatine of Neuburg
Reign	22 August 1614 – 14 September 1653
Predecessor	Philipp Ludwig
Successor	Philip William
Born	4 November 1578; Neuburg an der Donau
Died	14 September 1653 (aged 74); Düsseldorf
Spouse	Magdalene of Bavaria; Catharina Elisabeth Charlotte of Palatinate-Zweibrücken [de]; Maria Franziska of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg [de]
Issue	Philip William; Ferdinand Philip; Eleonore Franziska
House	Wittelsbach
Father	Philip Louis, Count Palatine of Neuburg
Mother	Anna of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
Religion	Lutheranism (until 1613); Roman Catholicism (from 1613)

Wolfgang Wilhelm von Pfalz-Neuburg (4 November 1578 in Neuburg an der Donau – 14 September 1653 in Düsseldorf) was a German Prince. He was Count Palatine of Neuburg and Duke of Jülich and Berg.

Life

Wolfgang Wilhelm's parents were Philip Louis, Count Palatine of Neuburg, and Anna of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, a daughter of William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.

His uncle, John William, Duke Julich-Cleves-Berg had no heirs, so Wolfgang Wilhelm rushed to secure the duchies for himself. Neuburg was small and weak, surrounded by stronger powers like Bavaria and the Electoral Palatinate. Acquiring the Jülich succession would not only provide more land but also enrich the Neuburg economy. Despite his Lutheran religious status, Wolfgang Wilhelm personally traveled to Prague to seek the Emperor's support. Neuburg also tried to gain the support of France and England, but these efforts were unsuccessful.^[1]

He eventually entered negotiations with his main rival over the succession, Johann Sigismund of Brandenburg, and agreed to the Treaty of Dortmund in 1609. However, this treaty would break down when he converted to Catholicism in 1613.^[1]

He eventually agreed settle the War of the Jülich Succession with his rival claimant, and thus became the first ruler of Palatinate-Neuburg who was also Duke of Jülich and Duke of Berg. In 1615, he was made a Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece. Because he converted to Catholicism and practiced a strict policy of neutrality in the Thirty Years' War, his territories escaped widespread destruction.

Wolfgang Wilhelm moved his residence to Düsseldorf in 1636. Wolfgang Wilhelm attempted to stabilize and spread Catholicism in his lands. In 1651, disputes over church property led to the short Düsseldorf Cow War.

When he died, his son, Phillip William, inherited his lands.

Marriage and issue

Wolfgang Wilhelm married three times:

In 1613 to Magdalene of Bavaria, who gave birth to
- Philip William, his successor.
In 1631 to Catharina Elisabeth Charlotte of Palatinate-Zweibrücken [de], daughter of John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, who gave birth to Ferdinand Philip and Eleonore Franziska. Both children died young.
In 1651 to Countess Maria Franziska of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg [de], daughter of Egon VIII of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg, they had no children.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg

8. Louis II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

4. Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken

9. Elisabeth of Lower Hesse

2. Philipp Ludwig, Count Palatine of Neuburg

10. Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse

5. Anna of Hesse

11. Christine of Saxony

1. Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg

12. John III, Duke of Cleves

6. William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg

13. Maria of Jülich-Berg

3. Anna of Jülich-Cleves-Berg

14. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor

7. Archduchess Maria of Austria

15. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary

References

^ ^a ^b Anderson, Alison D. (1999). On the verge of war: international relations and the Jülich-Kleve succession crises (1609-1614). Studies in Central European histories. Boston: Humanities Press. ISBN 978-0-391-04092-2.

External links

Media related to Wolfgang William, Count Palatine of Neuburg at Wikimedia Commons
Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg in the German National Library catalogue
Biography and Portrait of Count palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm von Neuburg
Ronny Baier (2003). "Pfalz-Neuburg, Wolfgang Wilhelm von, Pfalzgraf von Pfalz-Neuburg und Herzog von Jülich und Berg". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.). Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German). Vol. 21. Nordhausen: Bautz. cols. 1163–1168. ISBN 3-88309-110-3.

Regnal titles
Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg House of Wittelsbach Born: 1578 Died: 1653
Preceded by Philipp Ludwig	Count Palatine of Neuburg 1614–1653	Succeeded by Philipp Wilhelm
Vacant Title last held by Johann Wilhelm	Duke of Jülich and Berg 1614–1653	Succeeded by Philipp Wilhelm