John, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen
John, Count Palatine of Gelnhausen was Count Palatine and Duke of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld at Gelnhausen.Life
John was the younger son of the Duke and Count Palatine John Charles of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen from his second marriage with Esther Maria, a daughter of Baron George Frederick of Witzleben-Elgersburg.
He was a Feldzeugmeister in the army of the Electoral Palatinate and commander of all troops and knights of the Palatinate Order of St. Hubert. John was also a governor of Palatine Duchy of Jülich and commander of the fortress of Jülich. He mainly lived in Mannheim. After the death of his brother Frederick Bernard in 1739, he succeeded as Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen.Marriage and issue
Johann married in 1743 in Dhaun with Sophie Charlotte, a daughter of the Wild- and Rhinegrave Charles of Salm-Dhaun. Sophie Charlotte was the granddaughter of two of Johann's first cousins, making the couple first cousins twice removed in descent from Christian I, Count Palatine of Birkenfeld-Bischweiler. They had the following children:
