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Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria

Also known as Maximilian the Great (epithet)

Munich, 27 Apr 1573 – Ingolstadt, 27 Sep 1651

15 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born27 Apr 1573, Munichnot verified1 source
  • MarriedElisabeth of Lorrainenot verified1 source
  • MarriedArchduchess Maria Anna of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleDuke of Bavaria, 1597–1623or Count Palatine of the Rhine, 1623–1648 · prince-elector of Bavaria, 1623–1651 · Elector Palatine, 1623–1648not verified1 source
  • Titleprince-elector of Bavaria, 1623–1651or Duke of Bavaria, 1597–1623 · Count Palatine of the Rhine, 1623–1648 · Elector Palatine, 1623–1648not verified1 source
  • TitleElector Palatine, 1623–1648or Duke of Bavaria, 1597–1623 · Count Palatine of the Rhine, 1623–1648 · prince-elector of Bavaria, 1623–1651not verified1 source
  • TitleCount Palatine of the Rhine, 1623–1648or Duke of Bavaria, 1597–1623 · prince-elector of Bavaria, 1623–1651 · Elector Palatine, 1623–1648not verified1 source
  • Died27 Sep 1651, Ingolstadtnot verified1 source
  • FatherWilhelm V, Duke of Bavarianot verified1 source
  • MotherRenata of Lorrainenot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 27 Apr 1573

    Born in Munich

  2. 1597–1623

    Duke of Bavaria

  3. 1623–1651

    Prince-elector of Bavaria

  4. 1623–1648

    Elector Palatine

  5. 1623–1648

    Count Palatine of the Rhine

  6. 1636–1638

    2 children are born

  7. 27 Sep 1651

    Dies in Ingolstadt, aged 78

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 2

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Munich.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1570s · Maximilian is born in Munich

In the news1572

Banking house collapse ruins economy (1572)

The collapse of the major merchant and banking house Loitz in Stettin in 1572 caused widespread economic turmoil throughout the region of Pomerania.

Getting around

Alternative methods of faster travel

While most people walked, specialized travel options included boats for river travel and the emerging mounted postal service. River travel was faster downstream, sometimes reaching up to 150 kilometers in 24 hours under optimal conditions, while mounted postal couriers could cover significantly more ground than a pedestrian.

In the news1575

Smallpox and measles epidemic (1575)

A widespread outbreak of smallpox and measles occurred in Holstein in 1575, severely impacting the lives of local families.

Daily life

School costs in pfennigs

Families sometimes paid quarterly school fees ranging from 12 to 18 pfennigs, while some also had to provide a log of wood during winter.

What people wore

The high value of clothing and tailoring

Clothing was highly valuable, often made to measure by tailors, and could be pawned to raise funds quickly. A typical working man's entire wardrobe might be worth only a few shillings to a pound.

Music

Wedding musician pay based on social status

City councils regulated the musicians employed for weddings based on social status, with pay for brass and wind players reaching two guilders, while bagpipers and fiddlers received half a guilder.

At the table

Rare Festive Pastries

For ordinary families, sweet pastries fried in fat, known as Nonnenfürzle, were rare festive delicacies served on special occasions like church festivals. They were made from choux pastry and, according to local tradition, were named for the hissing sound they made as steam escaped in the hot fat.