margraviate · Germany and Central Europe

Principality of Brandenburg-Bayreuth

1398 CE – 1791 CE · capital Bayreuth

The Franconian margraviate of the Hohenzollerns, ruled from Kulmbach and Bayreuth and made a rococo showcase by Margravine Wilhelmine.

Origins

When the Hohenzollern rulers of the Burgraviate of Nuremberg divided their Franconian lands in 1398, the territory 'above the mountains' around Kulmbach and the Plassenburg went to John III. After the family gained the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1415, its Franconian principalities were usually ruled by younger sons with the title of margrave.

Rule and society

Margrave Albert Alcibiades devastated Franconia in his wars of the 1550s. The territory was Lutheran, and the court moved from Kulmbach to Bayreuth in the early 17th century. Margravine Wilhelmine, sister of Frederick the Great, and her husband Frederick made Bayreuth a cultural centre, building the Margravial Opera House and founding the university at Erlangen in 1743.

Decline and legacy

In 1769 Bayreuth passed to Charles Alexander, margrave of the Principality of Brandenburg-Ansbach, who in 1791 ceded both principalities to the Kingdom of Prussia. Napoleon gave Bayreuth to the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1810. Richard Wagner later built his festival theatre in the town.

Lineage

Burgraviate of Nuremberg 1105 CE – 1427 CEPrincipality of Brandenburg-BayreuthKingdom of Prussia 1701 CE – 1918 CEKingdom of Bavaria 1806 CE – 1918 CE

Connections (1)

  • Principality of Brandenburg-Bayreuth was part of Holy Roman Empire1398 CE – 1791 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-brandenburg-bayreuth
MLA
“Principality of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-brandenburg-bayreuth. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Brandenburg-Bayreuth.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-brandenburg-bayreuth.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Brandenburg-Bayreuth’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-brandenburg-bayreuth (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻