Philipp (Pfalz-Neuburg)

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Philip the Arguable, Count Palatine and Duke of Pfalz-Neuburg (by Hans Baldung , 1513)

Philip the Controversial (born November 12, 1503 in Heidelberg ; † July 4, 1548 there ) was Count Palatine and Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg (from 1522).

Life

Philip the Arguable (by Barthel Beham , 1533)
Hans Daucher , Philipp von Pfalz-Neuburg medal, 1527
Coat of arms of Philip and his brother Ottheinrich

Count Palatine Philipp was the son of Count Palatine Ruprecht bei Rhein and Elisabeth von Bayern-Landshut . Philipp was the younger brother of Ottheinrich (1502–1559), who later became Elector Palatinate.

Except for their lavish lifestyle, the brothers did not have much in common, while Ottheinrich wanted to gain experience in discovering foreign countries, Philipp set out to increase his knowledge by studying in Freiburg im Breisgau and Padua . According to his motto “Leave no stone unturned”, he tried to secure himself financially through studies and marriage. Although he was quite a handsome lad at a young age, he was repeatedly turned down by potential marriage candidates, which is why he decided to earn his living with the curia . However, this refused him even after an application, whereupon he went into the services of the emperor .

On June 2, 1522, at the age of 19, he was declared of the age of majority so that he and his brother could take over the government of the newly created Duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg. Before that, both brothers were under the tutelage of their uncle, Elector Friedrich II of the Palatinate . A year later (1523) Philip gave up partial rule due to fraternal differences, which enabled him to devote himself entirely to his imperial service.

In 1524 he joined the retinue of Archduke Ferdinand . A short time later he left this again to travel through the country with his uncle, Elector Friedrich II. When the Ottomans approached Vienna in 1529 , Philipp was placed as commander-in-chief at the head of two regiments and was successful because he managed to drive the Ottomans out of the city after they had blown up the thick city wall with the help of a mine .

Because of its military merits Philipp was first in Bologna to Knight and then in 1532 in Regensburg for Knights of the Golden Fleece beaten. Since he was now fully in the service of the emperor, he got a position as governor in Württemberg in the early 30s of the 16th century after Duke Ulrich had lost his land for financial reasons. He also commanded the Austrian troops when the Hessian Landgrave Philip I went into the field against him in 1534 to restitute Duke Ulrich in Württemberg. The Count Palatine was wounded near Nordheim on May 12, 1534, and the next day his troops were defeated under the orders of Dietrich Spät in the battle of Lauffen .

In 1535 he forced his brother Ottheinrich to divide the country. On March 30th of the same year, the two brothers signed a contract that fairly divided the Principality of Neuburg , after which he resided at Burglengenfeld Castle in the Upper Palatinate from 1535 to 1540 . However, he lived a lavish lifestyle and quickly got into debt very high, which is why he returned his hereditary land to his older brother. At that time it was said that Philip had lost the young Palatinate. Philipp has been under the cliché of the little brother all his life and has always been in the shadow of Ottheinrich, the great regent.

Nevertheless, the two brothers lived on their upscale life, which was particularly evident in many hunts and the culinary delights that followed. Neither Philipp nor Ottheinrich learned from each other's mistakes, so that the Duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg had to be surrendered heavily in debt in 1544 and the regents had to borrow money from the state estates, which took power in the same year. Philipp and Ottheinrich both retired to Heidelberg to live with their uncle in the “Quasiexil”.

Count Palatine Philip had always been a poor aristocrat, which is why he lived in humble conditions in Heidelberg. Philip the controversial always remained in the shadow of his brother, because Ottheinrich had made himself comfortable in the elector's neat castle and later became the successor of the childless Friedrich II. Elector of the Palatinate. In 1548 Count Palatine Philipp died a poor and seriously ill man at the age of only 45 in Heidelberg. He was buried in the Heiliggeistkirche , but like almost all other princely graves, his grave was destroyed in the Palatinate War of Succession .

literature

Commons : Philip, Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Web links

predecessor Office successor
- Duke of Pfalz-Neuburg
1505–1548 		Ottheinrich
personal data
SURNAME Philip
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Philip the Moot
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Count Palatine and Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg
DATE OF BIRTH November 12, 1503
PLACE OF BIRTH Heidelberg
DATE OF DEATH 4th July 1548
Place of death Heidelberg