Maximilian III Joseph
| Maximilian III Joseph | |
|---|---|
| Elector of Bavaria | |
Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria by Georg Desmarées | |
| Elector of Bavaria | |
| Reign | 20 January 1745 – 30 December 1777 |
| Predecessor | Charles Albert |
| Successor | Charles Theodore |
| Born | 28 March 1727 Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 30 December 1777 (aged 50) Munich, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | |
| House | Wittelsbach |
| Father | Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Mother | Maria Amalia of Austria |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature | |
Maximilian III Joseph[a] (28 March 1727 – 30 December 1777) was the prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Bavaria from 20 January 1745 to his death. He was the last of the Bavarian branch of the House of Wittelsbach. Because of his death, the War of the Bavarian Succession started. He was the son of Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria Amalia of Austria.
Marriage and death
Marriage
Maximilian III married Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony[b] in 1747 at the age of 20, but, they had no children, which led to the War of the Bavarian Succession[c].
Death
In December 1777 Maximilian Joseph rode in his carriage through Munich; on the ride, as he passed one of the tower clocks, the mechanism broke, and the clock struck 77 times. Commenting to the passengers, Maximilian Joseph decided this was an omen and that his years had run out. Within days, he was stricken with a strange disease. None of his 15 doctors could diagnose it, but by Christmas, it had become clear that it was a particularly virulent strain of smallpox, called "purple small pox" at the time.[1]
Ancestry
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Regnal titles
Maximilian III Joseph Born: 28 March 1727 Died: 30 December 1777
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| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Albert |
Elector of Bavaria 1745–1777 |
Succeeded by Charles Theodore |
Notes
- ↑ Also known by his epithet "the much beloved"
- ↑ Also his first cousin
- ↑ It led to the conflict over the receiving of the Electorate of Bavaria, which caused the war.
References
- ↑ Paul Bernard. Joseph II and Bavaria: Two Eighteenth Century Attempts at German Unification. Hague: Martin Nijoff, 1965, p. 40.