county · Germany and Central Europe

County of Ortenburg

1120 CE – 1805 CE (approx.) · capital Ortenburg

A tiny Bavarian county near Passau that survived as an imperial Protestant enclave surrounded by Catholic Bavaria until 1805.

Origins

The counts of Ortenburg descend from the Spanheim family; around 1120 Count Rapoto I built Ortenburg castle in Lower Bavaria near Vilshofen. His descendants briefly held the office of count palatine of Bavaria in the 13th century before losing most of their lands to the Wittelsbachs.

Rule and society

The counts long disputed with Bavaria whether Ortenburg was an imperial county or a Bavarian fief; the Imperial Chamber Court confirmed its imperial status in 1573. In 1563 Count Joachim introduced Lutheranism, making Ortenburg a Protestant island surrounded by Catholic Bavaria. Its castle is noted for a Renaissance wooden ceiling.

Decline and legacy

In 1805 the count exchanged Ortenburg with Bavaria for the territory of Tambach in Franconia, and Ortenburg became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. The count's family still owns Tambach.

Lineage

County of OrtenburgElectorate of Bavaria 1623 CE – 1806 CE

Connections (1)

More states of Germany and Central Europe →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). County of Ortenburg. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-ortenburg
MLA
“County of Ortenburg.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-ortenburg. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “County of Ortenburg.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-ortenburg.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘County of Ortenburg’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-ortenburg (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻