Person

Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria

1724–1799 · 18th century · Also known as Karl Theodor

Charles Theodore was a Wittelsbach prince of the Sulzbach line who inherited the Electoral Palatinate in 1742 and the Electorate of Bavaria in 1777. His attempt to exchange Bavaria for the Austrian Netherlands led to the War of the Bavarian Succession. A patron of the arts and sciences, he made Mannheim a musical centre and laid out the English Garden in Munich.

Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria
Image: Anna Dorothea Therbusch · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 state histories

Palatinate-NeuburgElectorate of BavariaPalatinate-Sulzbach

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-theodore-elector-of-bavaria
MLA
“Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-theodore-elector-of-bavaria. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-theodore-elector-of-bavaria.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/charles-theodore-elector-of-bavaria (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻