List of rulers of Bavaria


The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria. Bavaria was ruled by several dukes and kings, partitioned and reunited, under several dynasties. Since 1918, Bavaria has been under a republican form of government, and from 1949, Bavaria has been a democratic state in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Monarchs of Bavaria

Ducal Bavaria (also known as the "Old Stem duchy")

Agilolfing dynasty

Around 548 the kings of the Franks placed the border region of Bavaria under the administration of a duke—possibly Frankish or possibly chosen from amongst the local leading families—who was supposed to act as a regional governor for the Frankish king. The first duke we know of, and likely the first, was Gariwald, or Garibald I, a member of the powerful Agilolfing family. This was the beginning of a series of Agilolfing dukes that was to last until 788.
NameImageTitleStart termEnd termPartNote
Garibald IDuke of Bavaria555 591Some sources call him "King of the Bavarians".
Tassilo IDuke of Bavaria591 610Named rex at his ascension.
Garibald IIDuke of Bavaria610 630
Theodo IDuke of Bavaria680 716 By the time of Theodo, who died in 716 or 717, the Bavarian duchy had achieved complete independence from the Frankish kings. Theodo's sons divided the duchy, but by 719 the rule had returned to Grimoald.
TheodbertDuke702 719SalzburgSon of Theodo.
TheobaldDuke711 719Parts of BavariaSon of Theodo.
Tassilo IIDuke716 719PassauSon of Theodo.
GrimoaldDuke716 725FreisingSon of Theodo, later ruling all of Bavaria.
HugbertDuke725737Son of Theudbert. In 725, Charles Martel, ruler in fact though not in name of the Frankish realm, reasserted royal supremacy over Bavaria, defeating and killing Grimoald and annexing portions of Bavaria during the rule of Hugbert.
Odilo737748Son of Gotfrid.
Grifo748748Carolingian usurper.
Tassilo IIIDuke of Bavaria748788In 757 Tassilo III recognized the suzerainty of the Frankish kings Pippin III and did homage to Charlemagne in 781, and again in 787, while pursued an independent policy. In 788, Charlemagne had Tassilo sentenced to death on a charge of treason. Tassilo, granted pardon, entered a monastery and formally renounced his duchy at Frankfurt am Main in 794.
Theodo IIDuke of Bavariabefore 782787Son of Tassilo III. Associated with his father. Served as a hostage from 787.

Carolingian dynasty and dominion from the Holy Roman Empire

The kings of the Franks now assumed complete control, placing Bavaria under the rule of non-hereditary governors and civil servants. They were not dukes but rather kings of Bavaria. Emperor Louis the Pious divided control of the Empire among his sons, and the divisions became permanent in the decades following his death in 840. The Frankish rulers controlled Bavaria as part of their possessions.
NameImageTitleStart termEnd termPartNote
CharlemagneEmperor788814Prefects of Bavaria: Gerold and Audulf
Louis the PiousEmperor814826In 814, Louis appointed his eldest son Lothair I as governor of Bavaria. In 817, Louis bestowed Bavaria upon his other son, Louis the German, who took charge of the province in 826, as King of Bavaria.
Louis the GermanKing of Bavaria826876In 826, Louis started to rule as King of Bavaria, subordinate to his father, until the latter's death in 840. From 843, Bavaria was merged in Louis the German's Kingdom of East Francia. In 864, Louis the German gave control of Bavaria to his son Carloman, and died in 876. Louis' two younger sons, Louis and Charles—the latter of whom briefly recovered control of all the Frankish possessions—ruled Bavaria in succession after Carloman.
CarlomanKing of Bavaria876880Eldest son of Louis the German.
Louis the YoungerKing of Bavaria880882Son of Louis the German.
Charles the FatKing of Bavaria882887Youngest son of Louis the German.
Carloman's bastard son, Arnulf of Carinthia, rebelled against Charles and took power in eastern Francia shortly before Charles' death.
Arnulf of CarinthiaKing of Bavaria887899Son of Carloman.
Louis the ChildKing of Bavaria899911Son of Arnulf of Carinthia.
EngeldeoMargrave of Bavaria890895Non-dynastic. Deprived of his title marchio Baioariorum and replaced by Luitpold.

Ducal Bavaria (also known as the "Younger Stem duchy")

Ruled by an array of dukes from an array of rivaling houses, individually appointed to office.

Luitpolding dynasty, 911–947

Luitpold, founder of the Luitpolding dynasty, was not a duke of Bavaria but a margrave of Carinthia under the rule of Louis the Child. Frankish power had waned in the region due to Hungarian attacks, allowing the local rulers greater independence. Luitpold's son, Arnulf, claimed the title of duke in 911 and was recognized as such by King Henry the Fowler of Germany in 920.

German kings, 947–1070

From 947 until the 11th century, the kings of Germany repeatedly transferred Bavaria into different hands, never allowing any one family to establish itself. Bavaria was ruled by a series of short-lasting, mostly unrelated dynasties.

Houses of Welf and Babenberg, 1070–1180

In 1070, Emperor Henry IV deposed Duke Otto, granting the duchy instead to Welf I, a member of the Italo-Bavarian family of Este. Welf I subsequently quarreled with King Henry and was deprived of his duchy for nineteen years, during which it was directly administered by the German crown. Welf I recovered the duchy in 1096, and was succeeded by his sons Welf II and Henry IX—the latter was succeeded by his son Henry X, who also became Duke of Saxony.
NameImageTitleStart termEnd termHousePartNote
LuitpoldMargrave of Bavaria895907Luitpolding
Arnulf the BadDuke of Bavaria907920LuitpoldingSon of Luitpold.
Arnulf the Bad claimed the title of duke—implying full autonomy—in 911, and was recognized as such by King Henry the Fowler in 920.
EberhardDuke of Bavaria937938Luitpolding
BertholdDuke of Bavaria938947LuitpoldingYounger son of Luitpold.
The German King Otto I reasserted central authority, banishing Arnulf's son Eberhard and re-granting the title to Berthold, a younger son of Luitpold.
Henry IDuke of Bavaria947955OttonianSon of Henry the Fowler.
On Berthold's death, Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, gave the duchy to his own brother Henry, who was also Arnulf the Bad's son-in-law.
Henry II the QuarrelsomeDuke of Bavaria955976OttonianHenry II made war upon his cousin, Emperor Otto II, and was deprived of his duchy in 976 in favor of his cousin Otto, Duke of Swabia.
Otto IDuke of Bavaria976982Ottonian
Henry III the YoungerDuke of Bavaria983985LuitpoldingBavaria was given to Berthold's son Henry III, briefly restoring the Luitpolding dynasty. Henry III exchanged Bavaria for Carinthia, and Henry II received Bavaria again.
Henry II the QuarrelsomeDuke of Bavaria985995OttonianRestored
Henry IVDuke of Bavaria9951004OttonianSon of Henry II the Quarrelsome.
Henry IV was elected as Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, who gave Bavaria to his brother-in-law Henry V, Count of Luxemburg in 1004.
Henry VDuke of Bavaria10041009LuxemburgSon of Siegfried of Luxembourg.
Henry IVDuke of Bavaria10091017OttonianHenry IV reasserted direct control.
Henry VDuke of Bavaria10171026LuxemburgSon of Siegfried of Luxembourg.
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany, gave Bavaria to his son Henry VI after the death of Henry V in 1026.
Henry VI the BlackDuke of Bavaria10261042SalianSon of Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor.
Later Henry was elected as Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, and became King of Germany in 1039.
Henry VIIDuke of Bavaria10421047LuxemburgSon of Frederick of Luxembourg.
In 1042, Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, granted the duchy to Henry VII, Count of Luxemburg, nephew of Henry V.
Conrad I Duke of Bavaria10491053EzzonenSon of Liudolf of Lotharingia.
After Henry VII's death, the dukedom was vacant for a couple of years. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, then gave the duchy to Kuno, Count of Zütphen, in 1049. Kuno was deposed in 1053.
Henry VIIIDuke of Bavaria10531054SalianSon of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor.
During his reign in Bavaria Henry VIII was a minor. In 1056 he became King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor as Henry IV in 1084.
Conrad IIDuke of Bavaria10541055Salian Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VIIIDuke of Bavaria10551061Salian Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry VIII became King of Germany and Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor in 1084.
Otto IIDuke of Bavaria10611070NordheimIn 1061 Empress Agnes—the 11-year-old King Henry IV's mother and regent—entrusted the duchy to Otto of Nordheim.
Welf IDuke of Bavaria10701077WelfWelf I subsequently quarreled with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and was deprived of his duchy for nineteen years, during which it was directly administered by the German crown.
Henry VIIIDuke of Bavaria10771096Salian Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry VIII became King of Germany and Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor in 1084.
Welf IDuke of Bavaria10961101WelfWelf I recovered the duchy in 1096.
Welf IIDuke of Bavaria11011120WelfSon of Welf I
Henry IX the BlackDuke of Bavaria11201126WelfSon of Welf I.
Abdicated.
Henry X the ProudDuke of Bavaria11261138WelfSon of Henry IX the Black.
In a power struggle with King Conrad III of Germany, Henry X lost his duchy to the King, who granted it to his follower Leopold Margrave of Austria.
Leopold IDuke of Bavaria11391141BabenbergWhen Leopold died, Conrad III of Germany resumed the duchy and granted it to Leopold's brother Henry XI.
Henry XI JasomirgottDuke of Bavaria11431156BabenbergBrother of Leopold.
Henry XII the LionDuke of Bavaria11561180WelfWhen Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, became king of Germany, he restored Bavaria to the Welf line in the person of Henry X's son, Henry XII the Lion, Duke of Saxony.