View source for Frederick I, Elector Palatine

{{Short description|Elector Palatine from 1449 to 1476}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2017}}
{{infobox royal
| name         = Frederick I
| image        = Friedrich der Siegreiche von Albrecht Altdorfer.jpg
| caption      = Frederick I, Count Palatine of the Rhine ''(painting of [[Albrecht Altdorfer]])''
| house        = [[House of Wittelsbach|Wittelsbach]]
| succession = [[Elector Palatine]]
| reign = 13 August 1449 – 12 December 1476
| predecessor = [[Louis IV, Elector Palatine |Louis IV]]
| successor = [[Philip, Elector Palatine|Philip]]
| father       = [[Louis III, Elector Palatine]]
| mother       = [[Matilda of Savoy]]

| spouse       = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Clara Tott]]<br>|1471-72}}
}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
* [[Louis I, Count of Löwenstein]]
}}
| birth_date = {{birth_date|1425|8|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Heidelberg]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1476|12|12|1425|8|1|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Heidelberg]]
}}

[[Image:Kurfuerst Friedrich der Siegreiche.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Frederick I the Victorious in a [[baroque]] engraving]]
'''Frederick I, the Victorious''' (''der Siegreiche'') (1 August 1425, [[Heidelberg]] – 12 December 1476, [[Heidelberg]]) was a [[Count Palatine of the Rhine]] and [[Elector Palatine]] from the [[House of Wittelsbach]] in 1451–1476.

==Biography==
He was a son of [[Louis III, Elector Palatine]] and his second wife [[Matilda of Savoy]]. His maternal grandparents were [[Amadeus, Prince of Achaea]] and his wife Catherina of Geneva. 

He ruled the [[Electoral Palatinate]] after the death of his brother [[Louis IV, Elector Palatine|Louis IV]] as regent for his nephew [[Philip, Elector Palatine]]. He adopted his nephew in 1451 and refused to marry. From this "Arrogation", he claimed the right to be the legitimate elector. As this action was against imperial law, Emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]] refused to confirm Frederick's status. However, the emperor did not manage to displace Frederick who was an able strategist and allied with [[Louis IX, Duke of Bavaria]].

Frederick was also successful against other opponents such as the emperor's party follower [[Albrecht III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg]] and [[Diether von Isenburg]], the [[Archbishopric of Mainz|archbishop of Mainz]], and increased his territory. With the [[Battle of Seckenheim]] during the [[Bavarian War (1459–63)]] Frederick captured his antagonists Bishop [[George of Baden]], [[Charles I, Margrave of Baden-Baden]] and [[Ulrich V, Count of Württemberg]].

==Marriage and children==
In 1471/1472, Frederick married his long-time mistress [[Clara Tott]]. She was a commoner and this was considered a [[morganatic marriage]]. They had two children:

*Friedrich von Wittelsbach (1461–1474).
*[[Louis I, Count of Löwenstein]] (29 September 1463 – 28 March 1523). Married first Elisabeth von Montfort and secondly Sophia Böcklin. Ancestor of the further rulers of [[Löwenstein]].

==External links==
*{{cite web |last=Marek |first=Miroslav |url=http://genealogy.euweb.cz/wittel/wittel15.html |title= A listing of his descendants |publisher=Genealogy.EU}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Wittelsbach]]|1 August|1425|12 December|1476|}}
{{s-reg|}}
{{succession box|
title=[[Electoral Palatinate|Elector Palatine]]|
before=[[Louis IV, Elector Palatine|Louis IV]]|
after=[[Philip, Elector Palatine|Philip]]|
years=1451–1476}}
{{s-end}}

{{Electors Palatine}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frederick 01, Elector Palatine}}
[[Category:1425 births|Wittelsbach, Frederick I of the Rhine]]
[[Category:1476 deaths|Wittelsbach, Frederick I of the Rhine]]
[[Category:15th-century Prince-electors of the Palatinate]]
[[Category:House of Wittelsbach]]