Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria

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Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria (October 31, 1636 - May 26, 1679) was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and an elector (Kurfürst) of the Holy Roman Empire from 1651 to 1679.

Biography

He was born in Munich. He was the eldest son of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria - whom he succeeded, and his second wife Maria Anna of Austria, daughter of the emperor Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor.

He was crowned on October 31, 1654. His absolutistic style of leadership became a benchmark for the rest of Germany. Though Ferdinand Maria allied with France he abstained the imperial crown in 1657 to avoid a conflict with Habsburg.

He married Henriette Adelaide of Savoy (d.1676), daughter of Victor Amadeus I of Savoy. With her the Italian Baroque was introduced in Bavaria. The Theatiner Church in Munich was built from 1663 onwards as a gesture of thanks for the birth of the long-awaited heir to the Bavarian crown, Prince Max Emanuel. In 1664, he commissioned the building of Nymphenburg Palace, near Munich.

He died in Schleissheim Palace and was succeeded by his son Maximilian II Emanuel. He is buried in the crypt of the Theatiner Church in Munich.

Trivia

He was the great grandfather of French monarch Louis XV.

Ancestors

Ferdinand Maria's ancestors in three generations

Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria	Father: Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria	Paternal Grandfather: William V, Duke of Bavaria	Paternal Great-grandfather: Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Anna of Austria
		Paternal Grandmother: Renata of Lorraine	Paternal Great-grandfather: Francis I, Duke of Lorraine
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Christina of Denmark
	Mother: Maria Anna of Austria	Maternal Grandfather: Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor	Maternal Great-grandfather: Charles II of Austria
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Maria Anna of Bavaria
		Maternal Grandmother: Maria Anna of Bavaria	Maternal Great-grandfather: William V, Duke of Bavaria
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Renata of Lorraine

Succession

• Duchess Maria Anna of Bavaria, Dauphine of France
• Maximilian II, Kurfürst of Bavaria
• Luise Margarete Antonie, Duchess of Bavaria
• Ludwig Amadeus Victor, Duke of Bavaria
• Kajetan Maria Franz, Duke of Bavaria
• Joseph Clemens Kajetan, Kurfürst and Archbishop of Cologne
• Violante Beatrix, Duchess of Bavaria

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Last updated on Tuesday October 09, 2007 at 16:46:32 PDT (GMT -0700)
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