House of Wittelsbach

The Wittelsbachs emerged the dominant ruling family of Bavaria in the late 1100s and played a heavy hand in the region for several centuries. As their prestige grew, they extended their influence far across Europe: south into Greece, west into Britain, and north into Scandinavia. In Sweden, Kings Charles XI and II were renowned for the development of the Carolean army, which employed innovative tactics to score several military victories against opponents that far outnumbered them. Following the dissolution of the house’s Bavarian branch in 1777, its Palatine branch assumed control in its absence. In the 1800s, the House of Wittelsbach ruled the Kingdom of Bavaria, one of the most preeminent polities of the German-speaking world. They would remain in power until the end of World War I in 1918. The Wittelsbachs were well-known for their regal splendor. The Bavarian King Ludwig II commissioned the construction of the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle, a monument so fabulous that it contributed to his reputation as the “Swan King”.

From the game's History encyclopedia, AoE3: DE 100.19.18309.