Elisabeth of Bavaria (1478–1504) facts for kids

Elisabeth of Bavaria (born 1478, died September 15, 1504) was an important woman from a powerful family called the House of Wittelsbach. Through her marriage, she became an Electress of the Palatinate. After her father passed away, she also became the Duchess of Bavaria-Landshut.

Early Life and Family

Elisabeth was born in 1478. Her father was Duke George the Rich. He was the ruler of a part of Bavaria called Bavaria-Landshut. Her mother was Hedwig Jagiellonica.

Elisabeth had a brother named Louis. Sadly, Louis died in 1496. This meant that the Duchy of Bavaria-Landshut no longer had a male heir. According to old family rules, the land should have been split among other parts of Bavaria. But Duke George had other plans.

He decided to ignore these old rules. On September 19, 1496, he wrote a will. In his will, he left all his lands to his daughter, Elisabeth. This was a very unusual decision for the time.

Marriage and Children

In 1499, Elisabeth married Ruprecht of the Palatinate. He was an important noble. Together, they had several children.

They had twin sons named Rupert and George. Sadly, both twins died young in 1504. However, two of their other sons survived into adulthood. These were Philip, Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg and Otto Henry, Elector Palatine.

The Landshut War of Succession

In 1503, Elisabeth's father, Duke George, appointed Ruprecht as the governor of Lower Bavaria. This was a big responsibility. Duke George died on December 1, 1503. After his death, Elisabeth quickly took charge. She dismissed the group of nobles who were supposed to help rule.

Her strong actions led to a major conflict. This conflict is known as the Landshut War of Succession. It was a fight over who would inherit Bavaria-Landshut.

Elisabeth's main opponent was Albrecht IV of Bavaria-Munich. Albrecht had powerful friends. Soon, even Emperor Maximilian I joined his side. This made the war very difficult for Elisabeth.

Final Days

Elisabeth's husband, Ruprecht, became sick. He died from a disease called dysentery on August 20, 1504. Even after his death, Elisabeth bravely continued the war. She ordered her troops to take control of important towns. These towns included Landshut, Dingolfing, and Moosburg an der Isar.

However, the war was not going well for her. She was declared an outlaw. This meant she had lost her legal rights and protection. Her allies from Bohemia suffered a major defeat. This happened at Wenzenbach on September 12, 1504.

Just three days later, Elisabeth also died. She passed away on September 15, 1504, also from dysentery. She was buried in the Cistercian monastery of Seligenthal in Landshut.