(1) in Germany, the area west of the Rhine River (2) a regality, a region, usually on the frontier of a country, whose lord enjoys semi-royal jurisdiction although still a subject and tenant-in-chief of the Crown--an arrangement that was designed mainly to strengthen defence against invasion Palatinates were usually in remote areas The best known palatinate in England was that of Durham, whose local government was in the hands of the Bishop of Durham until--believe it or not--1836 Chester and Lancaster were also palatinates, and Kent briefly The Count Palatine was the ruler of the palatinate
in the past, an area which was controlled by someone who represented the ruler. German Pfalz Historical region, now part of Germany. The region was once under the jurisdiction of the counts palatine (secular princes), who in the 14th century became electors of the Holy Roman Empire. In the 16th and 17th centuries the Palatinate was a stronghold of Protestantism. It was divided into two parts: the Lower, or Rhenish, Palatinate, on both sides of the Rhine River in the area south of the Main River; and the Upper Palatinate, in northern Bavaria around Amberg and Regensburg. The boundaries of the Palatinate varied with the political and dynastic fortunes of the counts palatine
An area in the western part of modern-day Germany that has been known as Pfalz, Rhineland Pfalz, and Bavarian Pfalz Thousands of immigrants to colonial America came from this region and were encouraged by the English to do so