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Coordinates: 49°39′00″N 07°11′00″E / 49.65, 7.183333 Birkenfeld is a municipality, capital of the district Birkenfeld, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Hunsrück, approx. 15 km south-west of Idar-Oberstein. In the 17/18th century Birkenfeld was capital of the Pfalzgrafschaft Birkenfeld, whose heir Maximilian I Joseph inherited the electorates of Palatinate and Bavaria in 1799 and who became king of Bavaria in 1806. From 1816-1937 Birkenfeld was capital of the Principality of Birkenfeld which was part of the grand-duchy of Oldenburg. Therefore Birkenfeld is now centre of the district though Idar-Oberstein is bigger.
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