Christian II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld


Christian II was the Duke of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler from 1654, the Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld from 1671, and the Count of Rappoltstein from 1673 until 1699.

Early life and ancestry

Christian was born in Bischwiller in 1637, as the eldest surviving son of Christian I, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler by his first wife, Countess Palatine Magdalene Catherine of Zweibrücken, both members of the House of Wittelsbach.

Reign

After his father's death in 1654 he succeeded him to his territories around Bischweiler. In 1671 he inherited Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld from his cousin Charles II Otto. Through the inheritance of his wife, he was also the Count of Rappolstein from 1673 until he granted that title to his son Christian III.

Marriage and issue

Christian II married Countess Catherine Agatha of Rappoltstein on 5 September 1667.
Together, they had seven children:
  1. Magdalena Claudia, married to Philipp Reinhard, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg
  2. Louis
  3. Elizabeth Sophie Augusta
  4. Christina Catherine
  5. Charlotte Wilhelmina
  6. Christian
  7. Louise, married to Friedrich Anton Ulrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont

Death

Christian II died on 26 April 1717, in Birkenfeld, aged 79. He was interred in the family vault in Birkenfeld, until 1776, when his body was, along with that of his wife, transferred and buried in the Schlosskirche Meisenheim, Bad Kreuznach.