Principality of Bayreuth
Principality of Bayreuth/ Margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach | |||||||||
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| 1398–1791 | |||||||||
Principality of Brandenburg-Bayreuth as at 1791, when it was sold to Prussia | |||||||||
| Status | Principality | ||||||||
| Capital | Kulmbach until 1604, Bayreuth from 1604 | ||||||||
| Margrave | |||||||||
• 1398–1420 (first) | John III, Burgrave of Nuremberg | ||||||||
• 1769–91 (last) | Christian Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Partitioned from Burgraviate of Nuremberg | 21 January 1398 | ||||||||
• Reunited with Ansbach | 1420–40 | ||||||||
• Joined Franconian Circle | 1500 | ||||||||
• Partitioned in twain | 1655–1726 | ||||||||
• Line extinct; inherited by Ansbach | 20 January 1769 | ||||||||
• Ansbach and Bayreuth sold to Prussia | 2 December 1791 | ||||||||
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The Principality of Bayreuth (German: Fürstentum Bayreuth) or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (Markgraftum Brandenburg-Bayreuth) was an immediate territory of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by a Franconian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty. Since Burgrave Frederick VI of Nuremberg was enfeoffed with the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1415/17, the Hohenzollern princes transferred the margravial title to their Franconian possessions, though the principality never had been a march. Until 1604 they used Plassenburg Castle in Kulmbach as their residence, hence their territory was officially called the Principality of Kulmbach or Margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until the Empire's dissolution in 1806.