The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria. Bavaria was ruled by several dukes and kings, partitioned and reunited, under several dynasties. Since 1918, Bavaria has been under a republican form of government, and from 1949, Bavaria has been a democratic state in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Monarchs of Bavaria Ducal Bavaria (also known as the "Old Stem duchy") Agilolfing dynasty Around 548 the kings of the Franks placed the border region of Bavaria under the administration of a duke—possibly Frankish or possibly chosen from amongst the local leading families—who was supposed to act as a regional governor for the Frankish king. The first duke we know of, and likely the first, was Gariwald, or Garibald I, a member of the powerful Agilolfing family. This was the beginning of a series of Agilolfing dukes that was to last until 788.

Name Image Title Start term End term Part NoteGaribald IDuke of Bavaria555 (c.)591 Some sources call him "King of the Bavarians".Paul the Deacon (1907), History of the Langobards (Historia Langobardorum) , William Dudley Foulke, trans. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania), III, x , calls him "king of the Bavarians". The mid-thirteenth-century Series Ducum Bavariæ calls him Garibaldus rexTassilo I Duke of Bavaria591 (c.)610 Named rex (king) at his ascension.Garibald II Duke of Bavaria610 (c.)630 Theodo I Duke of Bavaria680 (c.)716 (?) By the time of Theodo, who died in 716 or 717, the Bavarian duchy had achieved complete independence from the Frankish kings. Theodo's sons divided the duchy, but by 719 the rule had returned to Grimoald.Theodbert Duke702 (c.)719SalzburgSon of Theodo.Theobald Duke711 (c.)719Parts of BavariaSon of Theodo.Tassilo II Duke716 (c.)719PassauSon of Theodo.Grimoald Duke716 (c.)725FreisingSon of Theodo, later ruling all of Bavaria.Hugbert Duke725737 Son of Theudbert. In 725(?), Charles Martel, ruler in fact though not in name of the Frankish realm, reasserted royal supremacy over Bavaria, defeating and killing Grimoald and annexing portions of Bavaria during the rule of Hugbert.Odilo 737748 Son of Gotfrid.Grifo 748748 Carolingian usurper.Tassilo III Duke of Bavaria748788 In 757 Tassilo III recognized the suzerainty of the Frankish kings Pippin III and did homage to Charlemagne in 781, and again in 787, while pursued an independent policy. In 788, Charlemagne had Tassilo sentenced to death on a charge of treason. Tassilo, granted pardon, entered a monastery and formally renounced his duchy at Frankfurt am Main in 794.Theodo II Duke of Bavariabefore 782787 Son of Tassilo III. Associated with his father. Served as a hostage from 787.

Carolingian dynasty and dominion from the Holy Roman Empire

The kings (later emperors) of the Franks now assumed complete control, placing Bavaria under the rule of non-hereditary governors and civil servants. They were not dukes but rather kings of Bavaria. Emperor Louis the Pious divided control of the Empire among his sons, and the divisions became permanent in the decades following his death in 840. The Frankish rulers controlled Bavaria as part of their possessions.

Name Image Title Start term End term Part NoteCharlemagneEmperor788814 Prefects of Bavaria: Gerold (794–799) and Audulf (799–818)Louis the PiousEmperor814826 In 814, Louis appointed his eldest son Lothair I as governor of Bavaria. In 817, Louis bestowed Bavaria upon his other son, Louis the German, who took charge of the province in 826, as King of Bavaria.Louis the GermanKing of Bavaria826876 In 826, Louis started to rule as King of Bavaria, subordinate to his father, until the latter's death in 840. From 843, Bavaria was merged in Louis the German's Kingdom of East Francia. In 864, Louis the German gave control of Bavaria to his son Carloman, and died in 876. Louis' two younger sons, Louis and Charles—the latter of whom briefly recovered control of all the Frankish possessions—ruled Bavaria in succession after Carloman.Carloman King of Bavaria876880 Eldest son of Louis the German.Louis the Younger King of Bavaria880882 Son of Louis the German.Charles the FatKing of Bavaria882887 Youngest son of Louis the German. Carloman's bastard son, Arnulf of Carinthia, rebelled against Charles and took power in eastern Francia shortly before Charles' death.Arnulf of CarinthiaKing of Bavaria887899 Son of Carloman.Louis the ChildKing of Bavaria899911 Son of Arnulf of Carinthia.Engeldeo Margrave of Bavaria890895 Non-dynastic. Deprived of his title marchio Baioariorum and replaced by Luitpold.

Ducal Bavaria (also known as the "Younger Stem duchy") Ruled by an array of dukes from an array of rivaling houses, individually appointed to office.

Luitpolding dynasty, 911–947

Luitpold, founder of the Luitpolding dynasty, was not a duke of Bavaria but a margrave of Carinthia under the rule of Louis the Child. Frankish power had waned in the region due to Hungarian attacks, allowing the local rulers greater independence. Luitpold's son, Arnulf, claimed the title of duke (implying full autonomy) in 911 and was recognized as such by King Henry the Fowler of Germany in 920.

German kings, 947–1070

From 947 until the 11th century, the kings of Germany repeatedly transferred Bavaria into different hands (including their own), never allowing any one family to establish itself. Bavaria was ruled by a series of short-lasting, mostly unrelated dynasties.

Houses of Welf and Babenberg, 1070–1180

In 1070, Emperor Henry IV deposed Duke Otto, granting the duchy instead to Welf I, a member of the Italo-Bavarian family of Este. Welf I subsequently quarreled with King Henry and was deprived of his duchy for nineteen years, during which it was directly administered by the German crown. Welf I recovered the duchy in 1096, and was succeeded by his sons Welf II and Henry IX—the latter was succeeded by his son Henry X, who also became Duke of Saxony.

Name Image Title Start term End term House Part NoteLuitpold Margrave of Bavaria895907Luitpolding Arnulf the Bad Duke of Bavaria907920Luitpolding Son of Luitpold. Arnulf the Bad claimed the title of duke—implying full autonomy—in 911, and was recognized as such by King Henry the Fowler in 920.Eberhard Duke of Bavaria937938Luitpolding BertholdDuke of Bavaria938947Luitpolding Younger son of Luitpold. The German King Otto I reasserted central authority, banishing Arnulf's son Eberhard and re-granting the title to Berthold, a younger son of Luitpold.Henry IDuke of Bavaria947955Ottonian Son of Henry the Fowler. On Berthold's death, Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, gave the duchy to his own brother Henry (I), who was also Arnulf the Bad's son-in-law. Henry II the QuarrelsomeDuke of Bavaria955976Ottonian Henry II made war upon his cousin, Emperor Otto II, and was deprived of his duchy in 976 in favor of his cousin Otto, Duke of Swabia (who now acquired two dukedoms).Otto IDuke of Bavaria976982Ottonian Henry III the Younger Duke of Bavaria983985Luitpolding Bavaria was given to Berthold's son Henry III, briefly restoring the Luitpolding dynasty. Henry III exchanged Bavaria for Carinthia, and Henry II received Bavaria again. Henry II the QuarrelsomeDuke of Bavaria985995Ottonian RestoredHenry IVDuke of Bavaria9951004Ottonian Son of Henry II the Quarrelsome. Henry IV was elected as Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, and gave Bavaria to his brother-in-law Henry V, Count of Luxemburg in 1004.Henry V Duke of Bavaria10041009Luxemburg Son of Siegfried of Luxembourg.Henry IVDuke of Bavaria10091017Ottonian Henry IV reasserted direct control.Henry V Duke of Bavaria10171026Luxemburg Son of Siegfried of Luxembourg. Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany, gave Bavaria to his son Henry VI after the death of Henry V in 1026.Henry VIDuke of Bavaria10261042Salian Son of Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor. Later Henry was elected as Holy Roman Emperor Henry III, and became King of Germany in 1039.Henry VII Duke of Bavaria10421047Luxemburg Son of Frederick of Luxembourg. In 1042, Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, granted the duchy to Henry VII, Count of Luxemburg, nephew of Henry V.Conrad I (Kuno) Duke of Bavaria10491053Ezzonen Son of Liudolf of Lotharingia. After Henry VII's death, the dukedom was vacant for a couple of years. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, then gave the duchy to Kuno, Count of Zütphen, in 1049. Kuno was deposed in 1053.Henry VIIIDuke of Bavaria10531054Salian Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. During his reign in Bavaria Henry VIII was a minor (born 1050). In 1056 he became King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor as Henry IV in 1084.Conrad II Duke of Bavaria10541055Salian (minor, born 1052, died 1055) Son of Henry III, Holy Roman EmperorHenry VIIIDuke of Bavaria10551061Salian (minor: born 1050) Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry VIII became King of Germany (1056) and Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor in 1084.Otto II Duke of Bavaria10611070Nordheim In 1061 Empress Agnes—the 11-year-old King Henry IV's mother and regent—entrusted the duchy to Otto of Nordheim.Welf I Duke of Bavaria10701077Welf Welf I subsequently quarreled with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor and was deprived of his duchy for nineteen years, during which it was directly administered by the German crown.Henry VIIIDuke of Bavaria10771096Salian (minor: born 1050) Son of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry VIII became King of Germany (1056) and Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor in 1084.Welf IDuke of Bavaria10961101Welf Welf I recovered the duchy in 1096.Welf IIDuke of Bavaria11011120Welf Son of Welf IHenry IX the Black Duke of Bavaria11201126Welf Son of Welf I. Abdicated.Henry X the ProudDuke of Bavaria11261138Welf Son of Henry IX the Black. In a power struggle with King Conrad III of Germany, Henry X lost his duchy to the King, who granted it to his follower Leopold Margrave of Austria.Leopold IDuke of Bavaria11391141Babenberg When Leopold died, Conrad III of Germany resumed the duchy and granted it to Leopold's brother Henry XI.Henry XI JasomirgottDuke of Bavaria11431156Babenberg Brother of Leopold.Henry XII the Lion Duke of Bavaria11561180Welf When Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, became king of Germany, he restored Bavaria to the Welf line in the person of Henry X's son, Henry XII the Lion, Duke of Saxony.

Ducal and Electoral Bavaria (Hereditary dukes)

In 1180, Henry XII the Lion and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, fell out. The emperor consequently dispossessed the duke and gave his territory to Otto I, Duke of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach. From then on, Bavaria remained in the possession of various branches of the family for 738 years until the end of World War I.

First partition, 1253–1340 In 1253, on Otto II's death, Bavaria was divided between his sons. Henry became Duke of Lower Bavaria and Louis of Upper Bavaria. From this point until the beginning of the 16th century, the territories were frequently divided between brothers, making the dukes difficult to list.

In Lower Bavaria, Henry XIII was succeeded by his three sons, Otto III, Louis III, and Stephen I ruling jointly. Otto III's successor in the joint dukedom was his son Henry XV. Stephen's successors were his sons Otto IV and Henry XIV. Henry XIV's son was John I.

In Upper Bavaria, Louis II was succeeded by his sons Rudolf I and Louis IV. The latter was elected King of Germany in 1314. After John I's death in 1340, Louis IV unified the Bavarian duchy.

The dukes of Upper Bavaria served also as Counts Palatinate of the Rhine. In 1329 Louis IV released the Palatinate of the Rhine including the Bavarian Upper Palatinate to the sons of Rudolf I. The Upper Palatinate would be reunited with Bavaria in 1623, the Lower Palatinate in 1777.

Second partition 1349–1503