County of Zweibrücken-Bitsch

County of Zweibrücken-Bitsch
Grafschaft Zweibrücken-Bitsch
State of the Holy Roman Empire
1286/1302 – 1570
Coat of arms
Counties of Zweibrücken-Zweibrücken (dark green) and Zweibrücken-Bitsch (light pink) around 1400
Capital		Bitsch
Government		County
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Established	1286-1302
•	Disestablished	1570
Preceded by Succeeded by County of Zweibrücken Hanau-Lichtenberg Duchy of Lorraine
Roman Catholic; ruled by counts; language: German

Coat of arms

The County of Zweibrücken-Bitsch was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation that was created between 1286 and 1302 from the eastern part of the old County of Zweibrücken and the Barony of Bitche (German: Bitsch) in Lorraine. It continued to exist until 1570 and was then divided amongst its heirs when the counts died out.

When the land of Zweibrücken was divided amongst the sons of Count Henry II of Zweibrücken, the district (Amt) of Lemberg and Lemberg Castle went to the elder son, Eberhard I from 1286. His portion also included Morsberg, Linder and Saargemünd. In 1297 he swapped these three castles with Duke Frederick III of Lorraine and received in return the castle and lordship of Bitsch as a fief. This exchange of territory was further defined in 1302. From then on, Eberhard called himself the Count of Zweibrücken and Lord of Bitsch. Because he and his descendants bore the comital title, the new territory was called the County of Zweibrücken-Bitsch.