Otto Henry, Elector Palatine

Georg Pencz: Portrait of Prince-elector Otto Henry

Otto-Henry, Elector Palatine, (German: Ottheinrich; 10 April 1502, Amberg^[1] – 12 February 1559, Heidelberg)^[2] a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Count Palatine of Palatinate-Neuburg from 1505 to 1559 and prince elector of the Palatinate from 1556 to 1559. He was a son of Rupert, Count Palatine, third son of Philip, Elector Palatine; and of Elizabeth of Bavaria-Landshut, daughter of George of Bavaria.

Life

As grandson of George of Bavaria, the young Otto Henry became regent of the new duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg after the Palatinate had lost the Landshut War of Succession against Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria. Otto Henry patronised the arts and was involved in several conflicts, due to his expensive holding of court a huge burden of debts caused his bankruptcy until he inherited the Electoral Palatinate in 1556. He then re-introduced the Protestant Reformation.

Otto Henry married Susanna of Bavaria (1502–43), daughter of Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria, on October 16, 1529 in Neuburg an der Donau.^[2] He was her second husband after Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth. They had no children, but Susanna brought five of her eleven children to the marriage. She left him a widower 14 years later in 1543.^[3]

Otto Henry died in Heidelberg in 1559. He is buried in the Heiliggeistkirche in Heidelberg.^[2]

References

1. ^ Andreas Edel, "Ottheinrich," in Neue Deutsche Biographie 19:655.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Schreiber, KH. "Otto Heinrich" (in German). Genealogie Mittelalter. self. http://www.genealogie-mittelalter.de/wittelsbacher_kurpfalz/otto_heinrich_kurfuerst_1559.html. Retrieved 2009-10-22. 
3. ^ "Der Fürst" (in German). Die Reise des Pfalzgrafen Ottheinrich 1536/1537. Universitätsbibliothek Würzburg. http://www.ottheinrich.info/. Retrieved 2009-10-20. 

External links

• Andreas Edel: Ottheinrich. In: Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB). Band 19. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1999, p. 655 f. (German)
• Robert Salzer (1887) (in German). "Otto Heinrich". In Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). 24. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 713–719.
• (in German) Otto Henry, Elector Palatine. Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). http://www.bautz.de/bbkl/o/ottheinrich_v_d_p.shtml. 
• Hans Kilian, Drawings from Elector Ottheinrich's alchemical laboratory
• Digital exhibition of the Ottheinrich-Bible

Otto Henry, Elector Palatine House of Wittelsbach Born: 1502 Died: 1559
German royalty
Regnal titles
Preceded by new creation	Count Palatine of Neuburg 1505–1559	Succeeded by Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken
Preceded by Frederick II	Elector Palatine 1556–1559	Succeeded by Frederick III

Persondata
Name	Otto Henry, Elector Palatine
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	10 April 1502
Place of birth
Date of death	12 February 1559
Place of death