Ludwig II of Bavaria

"Ludwig II" redirects here. For other uses, seeLudwig II (disambiguation).

Ludwig II(Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886),also called theSwan Kingor theFairy Tale King(der Märchenkönig), wasKing of Bavariafrom 1864 until his death in 1886. He also held the titles ofCount Palatine of the Rhine,Duke of Bavaria,Duke of Franconia,and Duke inSwabia.Outside Germany, he is at times called "the Mad King" orMad King Ludwig.

Ludwig II
Ludwig,c. 1874
King of Bavaria
Reign	10 March 1864 –13 June 1886
Predecessor	Maximilian II
Successor	Otto
Prime Ministers	See list Baron Karl Schrenck von Notzing Max Ritter von Neumayr Baron Karl Ludwig von der Pfordten Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Count Otto von Bray-Steinburg Baron Friedrich von Hegnenberg-Dux Adolph von Pfretzschner Johann von Lutz
Born	(1845-08-25)25 August 1845 Nymphenburg Palace,Munich,Bavaria,German Confederation
Died	13 June 1886(1886-06-13)(aged 40) Lake Starnberg,Bavaria,German Empire
Burial	St. Michael's Church,Munich
Names Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm
House	Wittelsbach
Father	Maximilian II of Bavaria
Mother	Marie of Prussia
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

Ludwig ascended to the throne in 1864 at the age of 18 but increasingly withdrew from day-to-day affairs of state in favour of extravagant artistic and architectural projects. He commissioned the construction of lavish palaces:Neuschwanstein Castle,Linderhof Palace,andHerrenchiemsee.He was also a devotedpatronof the composerRichard Wagner.Ludwig spent all his own private royal revenues (although not state funds as is commonly thought) on these projects, borrowed extensively, and defied all attempts by his ministers to restrain him. This extravagance was used against him to declare him insane, an accusation that has since come under scrutiny.

Ludwig was taken into custody and effectively deposed on 12 June 1886, and he and his doctor were found dead on the following day. His death was ruled to be a suicide, a decision that has since been disputed.Today, his architectural and artistic legacy includes many of Bavaria's most important tourist attractions.

Early life

Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (left) with his parents and his younger brother, PrinceOtto,1860

Born atNymphenburg Palace,which is located in what is today part of centralMunich,he was the elder son ofMaximilian II of BavariaandMarie of Prussia,Crown Prince and Princess of Bavaria, who became King and Queen in 1848 after the abdication of the former's father,Ludwig I,during theGerman revolution of 1848–1849.His parents intended to name him Otto, but his grandfather insisted that his grandson be named after him, since their common birthday, 25 August, is thefeast dayof SaintLouis IX of France,patron saint of Bavaria (withLudwigbeing the German form ofLouis).

Like many young heirs in an age when kings governed most of Europe, Ludwig was continually reminded of his royal status. King Maximilian II wanted to instruct both of his sons in the burdens of royal duty from an early age.Ludwig was both extremely indulged and severely controlled by his tutors and subjected to a strict regimen of study and exercise. Some point to the stresses of growing up in a royal family as cause for much of his odd behaviour as an adult.

Crown Prince Ludwig (left) with his mother, QueenMarieand his younger brotherOtto,c. 1863. Otto would becomeKing of Bavariaafter his older brother's death in 1886, although he would never actively rule due to his mental health problems.

Ludwig was not close to either of his parents.King Maximilian's advisers had suggested that on his daily walks he might like, at times, to be accompanied by his future successor. The King replied, "But what am I to say to him? After all, my son takes no interest in what other people tell him."Later, Ludwig would refer to his mother as "my predecessor's consort".He was far closer to his grandfather, the deposed and notorious King Ludwig I.

Ludwig's childhood years did have happy moments. He lived for much of the time atHohenschwangau Castle,a fantasy castle his father had built near theAlpsee(Alp Lake) nearFüssen.It was decorated in theGothic Revivalstyle with many frescoes depicting heroic German sagas, most notably images ofLohengrin,the Knight of the Swans. The family also visitedLake Starnberg(then called Lake Würm).

As an adolescent, Ludwig began a relationship with hisaide de camp,Prince Paul,a member of the wealthy BavarianThurn und Taxisfamily. The two young men rode together, read poetry aloud, and staged scenes from theRomanticoperas ofRichard Wagner.The friendship ended when Paul became engaged to a commoner in 1868. During his youth, Ludwig also initiated a lifelong friendship with his cousin,Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria,laterEmpress of Austria.

Early reign

Ludwig II just after his accession to the throne of Bavaria in 1864

Ludwig II's coronation portrait, 1865

Crown Prince Ludwig was in his 19th year when his father died after a three-day illness, and he ascended theBavarian throne.Although he was not prepared for high office, his youth and brooding good looks made him popular in Bavaria and elsewhere.He continued the state policies of his father and retained his ministers. His real interests were in art, music, and architecture. One of the first acts of his reign, a few months after his accession, was to summon the composer Richard Wagner to his court.Also in 1864, he laid the foundation stone of a new Court Theatre, now theStaatstheater am Gärtnerplatz(Gärtnerplatz-Theater).

Ludwig was notably eccentric in ways that made serving as Bavaria's head of state problematic. He disliked large public functions and avoided formal social events whenever possible, preferring a life of seclusion that he pursued with various creative projects. He last inspected a military parade on 22 August 1875 and last gave a court banquet on 10 February 1876.His mother had foreseen difficulties for Ludwig when she recorded her concern for her extremely introverted and creative son who spent much time day-dreaming. These idiosyncrasies, combined with the fact that Ludwig avoided Munich and participating in the government there at all costs, caused considerable tension with the king's government ministers but did not cost him popularity among the citizens of Bavaria.

The king enjoyed traveling in the Bavarian countryside and chatting with farmers and labourers he met along the way. He also delighted in rewarding those who were hospitable to him during his travels with lavish gifts. He is still remembered in Bavaria asUnser Kini( "Our Cherished King" in theBavarian dialect).

Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars

Unification withPrussiatook center stage from 1866. In theAustro-Prussian War,which began in August, Ludwig's government supported theAustrian Empireagainst Prussia.Austria and Bavaria were defeated, and theKingdom of Bavariawas forced to sign a mutual defence treaty with Prussia. When theFranco-Prussian Warbroke out in 1870, Bavaria was required to fight alongside Prussia. After the Prussian victory over theSecond French Empire,ChancellorOtto von Bismarckmoved to complete theunification of Germany.

In November 1870, Bavaria joined theNorth German Confederation,thus losing its status as an independent kingdom; however, the Bavarian delegation underMinister President,Count Otto von Bray-Steinburg,secured privilleged status for Bavaria within the empire (Reservatrechte). Bavaria retained its own diplomatic corps and theBavarian Army,which would come under Prussian command only in times of war.

In December 1870, Bismarck used financial concessions to induce Ludwig, with the support of the king'sequerry,Maximilian Count von Holnstein,to write theKaiserbrief,a letter endorsing the creation of theGerman EmpirewithKing Wilhelm I of Prussiaas Emperor. Nevertheless, Ludwig regretted Bavaria's loss of independence and refused to attend Wilhelm's 18 January proclamation asGerman Emperorin thePalace of Versailles.Ludwig's brother Prince Otto and his uncleLuitpoldwent instead.

In theConstitution of the German Empire,Bavaria was able to secure for itself extensive rights, in particular regarding military sovereignty. Not only did the Royal Bavarian Army retain, like the kingdoms ofSaxonyandWürttemberg,its own troops, war ministry, and military justice system but was excluded from the empire-wide regimental renumbering of the army regiments and would only come under imperial control in times of war. Bavaria also kept its light-blue infantry uniforms, theRaupenhelm(until 1886), the light cavalry, and some other peculiarities. The officers and men of the Bavarian Army continued to swear their oaths to the King of Bavaria and not the German Emperor. Nevertheless, the uniform cut, equipment, and training was standardised to the Prussian model. When field-grey uniforms were introduced, only thecockadeand a blue-and-white lozenge edging to the collar distinguished Bavarian units.

Engagement and sexual orientation

Ludwig II and his fiancéeDuchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavariain 1867

The greatest stress of Ludwig's early reign was the pressure to produce an heir, and this issue came to the forefront in 1867. Ludwig became engaged toDuchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria,his cousin and the youngest sister of his dear friend,Empress Elisabeth of Austria.The engagement was announced on 22 January 1867. They shared a deep interest in the works of Richard Wagner; a few days prior to their engagement announcement, Ludwig had written to Sophie, "The main substance of our relationship has always been… Richard Wagner's remarkable and deeply moving destiny."

Ludwig repeatedly postponed the wedding date and finally cancelled the engagement in October. After the engagement was broken off, Ludwig wrote to his former fiancée, "My beloved Elsa! Your cruel father has torn us apart. Eternally yours, Heinrich." The names Elsa and Heinrich came from characters in Wagner's operaLohengrin.Sophie later marriedPrince Ferdinand, Duke of Alençon,grandson of French KingLouis Philippe I,atPossenhofen Castleat which Ludwig II unexpectedly attended the reception.

Ludwig never married nor had any known mistresses. His diary, private letters, and other documents reveal his stronghomosexualdesires,which he struggled to suppress to remain true to the teachings of theCatholic Church.Homosexuality had not been punishable in Bavaria since 1813,but the unification of Germany under Prussian hegemony in 1871 instatedParagraph 175,which criminalized homosexual acts between males.

Throughout his reign, Ludwig had a succession of close friendships with men, including his aide-de-camp the Bavarian princePaul von Thurn und Taxis,chiefequerryandmaster of the horseRichard Hornig, the Hungarian theater actorJosef Kainz,and courtier Alfons Weber.Letters from Ludwig reveal that the quartermaster of the royal stables, Karl Hesselschwerdt, acted as his maleprocurer.

Patronage

After 1871, Ludwig largely withdrew from politics and devoted himself to his personal creative projects, most famously hiscastles,for which he personally approved every detail of the architecture, decoration, and furnishing.

Ludwig and Wagner

Bust of Ludwig II in front ofWahnfried,Richard Wagner's villa inBayreuth,which Ludwig had paid for.

Ludwig was intensely interested in the operas ofRichard Wagner.This interest began when Ludwig first sawLohengrinat the impressionable age of 15, followed byTannhäuserten months later. Wagner's operas appealed to the king's fantasy-filled imagination. Wagner had a notorious reputation as a political radical and philanderer who was constantly on the run from creditors.On 4 May 1864, the 51-year-old Wagner was given an unprecedented 1¾ hour audience with Ludwig in theMunich Residenz.Later, the composer wrote of his first meeting with Ludwig, "Alas, he is so handsome and wise, soulful and lovely, that I fear that his life must melt away in this vulgar world like a fleeting dream of the gods."Ludwig was likely the savior of Wagner's career; without Ludwig, Wagner's later operas are unlikely to have been composed, much less premiered at the prestigious Munich Royal Court Theatre, which went on to become theBavarian State Opera.

A year after meeting the King, Wagner presented his latest work,Tristan und Isolde,in Munich to great acclaim. The composer's perceived extravagant and scandalous behaviour in the capital was unsettling for the conservative people of Bavaria, and the King was forced to ask Wagner to leave the city six months later, in December 1865. Ludwig considered abdicating to follow Wagner, but Wagner persuaded him to stay. Ludwig provided theTribschenresidence for Wagner in Switzerland. Wagner completedDie Meistersingerthere; it was premiered in Munich in 1868. When Wagner returned to his "Ring Cycle",Ludwig demanded" special previews "of the first two works (Das RheingoldandDie Walküre) at Munich in 1869 and 1870.

Wagner was now planning his great personal opera house – theBayreuth Festspielhaus.Ludwig initially refused to support the grandiose project. When Wagner exhausted all other sources, he appealed to Ludwig, who loaned him 100,000 thalers to complete the work.Ludwig also paid for theWahnfriedvilla for Wagner and his family to reside in, constructed 1872–74. In 1876, Ludwig attended the dress rehearsal and third public performance of the complete Ring Cycle at the Festspielhaus.

Theatre

Ludwig's interest in theatre was by no means confined to Wagner. In 1867, he appointed Karl von Perfall as director of his new court theatre. Ludwig wished to introduce Munich theatre-goers to the best of European drama. Perfall, under Ludwig's supervision, introduced them toShakespeare,Calderón,Mozart,Gluck,Ibsen,Weber,and many others. He also raised the standard of interpretation ofSchiller,Molière,andCorneille.

Between 1872 and 1885, the King had 209Separatvorstellungen(private performances) given for himself alone or with a guest, in the two court theatres, comprising 44 operas (28 performances of Wagner's operas including eight ofParsifal), 11 ballets, and 154 plays (the principal theme being Bourbon France) at a cost of 97,300 marks.This was not due so much tomisanthropybut rather as the King complained to the theatre actor-manager Ernst Possart, "I can get no sense of illusion in the theatre so long as people keep staring at me, and follow my every expression through their opera-glasses. I want to look myself, not to be a spectacle for the masses."

Castles

Thecoat of armsof King Ludwig over the entrance toNeuschwanstein Castle

Ludwig used his personal fortune, which was supplemented annually from 1873 by 270,000 marks from theWelfenfonds,to fund the construction of a series of elaborate castles. In 1867, he visitedEugène Viollet-le-Duc's work at theChâteau de Pierrefondsand thePalace of Versaillesin France, as well as theWartburgnearEisenachinThuringia,which largely influenced the style of his construction. In his letters, Ludwig marvelled at how the French had magnificently built up and glorified their culture (e.g., architecture, art, and music) and how miserably lacking Bavaria was in comparison. His dream became to accomplish the same for Bavaria.

These projects provided employment for many hundreds of local labourers and artisans and brought a considerable flow of money to the relatively poor regions where his castles were built. Figures for the total costs between 1869 and 1886 for the building and equipping of each castle were published in 1968: Schloß Neuschwanstein 6,180,047 marks; Schloß Linderhof 8,460,937 marks (a large portion being expended on the Venus Grotto); and Schloß Herrenchiemsee (from 1873) 16,579,674 marks.In order to give an equivalent for the era, the Britishpound sterling,being themonetary hegemonof the time, had afixed exchange rate(based on thegold standard) at £1 = 20.43Goldmarks.In 1868, Ludwig commissioned the first drawings for his buildings, starting withNeuschwanstein CastleandHerrenchiemsee;work on the latter did not commence until 1878.

Neuschwanstein

An 1890sphotochromprint of Neuschwanstein Castle

Main article:Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle (New Swanstone Castle) is a dramaticRomanesquefortress with soaring fairy-tale towers. It is situated on an Alpine crag above Ludwig's childhood home,Hohenschwangau Castle.Ludwig reputedly had seen the location and conceived of building a castle there while still a boy.

In 1869, Ludwig oversaw the laying of the cornerstone for Neuschwanstein on a breathtaking mountaintop site. The walls of Neuschwanstein are decorated with frescoes depicting scenes from the legends used in Richard Wagner's operas, includingTannhäuser,Tristan und Isolde,Lohengrin,Parsifal,and the somewhat less than mysticDie Meistersinger.

Linderhof

Linderhof Palace

Main article:Linderhof Palace

In 1878, construction was completed on Ludwig's Linderhof Palace, an ornate palace in neo-FrenchRococostyle, with handsome formal gardens. The grounds contained a Venusgrottolit by electricity, where Ludwig was rowed in a boat shaped like a shell. After seeing the Bayreuth performances, Ludwig builtHundinghütte(Hunding's Hut, based on the stage set of the first act of Wagner'sDie Walküre) in the forest near Linderhof, complete with an artificial tree and a sword embedded in it; inDie Walküre,Siegmund pulls the sword from the tree. Hunding's Hut was destroyed in 1945, but a replica was constructed at Linderhof in 1990. In 1877, Ludwig hadEinsiedlei des Gurnemanz(a small hermitage, as seen in the third act ofParsifal) erected near Hunding's Hut, with a meadow of spring flowers; a replica made in 2000 can now be seen in the park at Linderhof. Nearby, a Moroccan House, purchased at theParis World Fairin 1878, was erected alongside the mountain road. Sold in 1891 and taken toOberammergau,it was purchased by the government in 1980 and re-erected in the park at Linderhof after extensive restoration.

Inside the palace, iconography reflected Ludwig's fascination with France's absolutist government of theAncien Régime.Ludwig saw himself as the "Moon King", a Romantic shadow of the earlier "Sun King",Louis XIV of France.From Linderhof, Ludwig enjoyed moonlit sleigh rides in an elaborate 18th-century sleigh, complete with footmen in 18th-centurylivery.

Herrenchiemsee

Herrenchiemsee Island

Main article:Herrenchiemsee

In 1878, construction began on Herrenchiemsee, a partial replica of the Palace of Versailles, sited on theHerreninselin theChiemsee.It was built as Ludwig's tribute to Louis XIV of France, the magnificent "Sun King". Only the central portion of the palace was built; all construction halted on Ludwig's death. What exists of Herrenchiemsee comprises 8,366 square metres (90,050 sq ft), a "copy in miniature" compared with Versailles' 551,112 ft².

Munich Residenz Palace royal apartment

The following year, Ludwig finished the construction of the royal apartment in the Residenz Palace in Munich, to which he had added an opulent conservatory orwinter gardenon the palace roof. It was started in 1867 as quite a small structure, but after extensions in 1868 and 1871, the dimensions reached 69.5 x 17.2 x 9.5 m. It featured an ornamental lake complete with skiff, a painted panorama of theHimalayasas a backdrop, an Indian fisher-hut of bamboo, a Moorish kiosk, and an exotic tent. The roof was a technically advanced metal and glass construction. The winter garden was closed in June 1886, partly dismantled the following year, and demolished in 1897.

Later projects

In 1883, Ludwig planned the construction of a new castle onFalkenstein(Falcon Rock) nearPfrontenin theAllgäu,a place he knew well: a diary entry for 16 October 1867 reads "Falkenstein wild, romantic".The first design was a sketch byChristian Jankin 1883 "very much like theTownhall of Liège".Subsequent designs showed a modest villa with a square tower,along with a small Gothic castle.By 1885, a road and water supply had been provided at Falkenstein, but the old ruins remained untouched.

Ludwig proposed a Byzantine palace in the Graswangtal, and a Chinese summer palace by thePlanseeinTyrol.These projects never got beyond initial plans. ForBerg Castle,Ludwig had a fifth tower constructed for it called Isolde and used the castle frequently as his summer residence. WhenMaria Alexandrovna,Empress of Russia,visited Berg in 1868, he had the castle magnificently decorated for the duration of her stay there; the castle otherwise, by his standards, was modestly furnished.

Controversy and struggle for power

Although Ludwig had paid for his pet projects out of his own funds and not the state coffers, that did not necessarily spare Bavaria from financial fallout.By 1885, he was 14 million marks in debt and had borrowed heavily from his family. Rather than economizing, as his financial ministers advised him, he planned further opulent designs without pause. He demanded that loans be sought from all of Europe's royalty and remained aloof from matters of state. Feeling harassed and irritated by his ministers, he considered dismissing the entire cabinet and replacing them with fresh faces. The cabinet decided to act first.

Seeking a cause to depose Ludwig by constitutional means, the rebelling ministers decided on the rationale that he was mentally ill and unable to rule. They asked Ludwig's uncle,Prince Luitpold,to step into the royal vacancy once Ludwig was deposed. Luitpold agreed on condition the conspirators produced reliable proof that the king was in fact helplessly insane. Between January and March 1886, the conspirators assembled theÄrztliches Gutachten(Medical Report), on Ludwig's fitness to rule. Most of the details in the report were compiled by CountMaximilian von Holnstein,who was disillusioned with Ludwig and actively sought his downfall. Holnstein used bribery and his high rank to extract a long list of complaints, accounts, and gossip about Ludwig from among the king's servants. The litany of supposed bizarre behavior included his pathological shyness, his avoidance of state business, his complex and expensive flights of fancy, dining outdoors in cold weather and wearing heavy overcoats in summer, sloppy and childish table manners, dispatching servants on lengthy and expensive voyages to research architectural details in foreign lands, and violent threats of abuse to his servants.

The degree to which these accusations were accurate may never be known. The conspirators approached ChancellorOtto von Bismarck,who doubted the report's veracity, calling it "rakings from the King's wastepaper-basket and cupboards".Bismarck commented after reading the report that "the Ministers wish to sacrifice the King, otherwise they have no chance of saving themselves". He suggested that the matter be brought before the BavarianDietand discussed there but did not stop the ministers from carrying out their plan.

In early June, the report was finalized and signed by a panel of four psychiatrists:Bernhard von Gudden,chief of the Munich Asylum;Hubert von Grashey(who was Gudden's son-in-law); and their colleagues,Friedrich Wilhelm Hagenand Max Hubrich. The report declared in its final sentences that the king suffered fromparanoiaand concluded, "Suffering from such a disorder, freedom of action can no longer be allowed and Your Majesty is declared incapable of ruling, which incapacity will be not only for a year's duration, but for the length of Your Majesty's life." The men had never met the king, except for Gudden, only once, 12 years earlier, and none had ever examined him.Questions about the lack of medical diagnosis make the legality of the deposition controversial. Adding to the controversy are the mysterious circumstances under which King Ludwig died. Today, the claim of paranoia is not considered correct; Ludwig's behavior is rather interpreted as aschizotypal personality disorder,and he may also have suffered fromPick's diseaseduring his last years, an assumption supported by afrontotemporal lobar degenerationmentioned in the autopsy report.

Ludwig's only younger brother and successor, Otto, was considered insane,providing a convenient basis for the claim of hereditary insanity.

Deposition

Ludwig II of Bavaria towards the end of his life around 1882

At 4 am on 10 June 1886, a government commission including Holnstein and Gudden arrived at Neuschwanstein to deliver the document of deposition to King Ludwig formally and to place him in custody. Tipped off an hour or two earlier by a faithful servant, his coachman Fritz Osterholzer, Ludwig ordered the local police to protect him, and the commissioners were turned back from the castle gate at gunpoint. In an infamous sideshow, the commissioners were attacked by the 47-year-old baronessSpera von Truchseß,out of loyalty to the king, who flailed at the men with her umbrella and then rushed to the king's apartments to identify the conspirators.Ludwig then had the commissioners arrested, but after holding them captive for several hours, released them.

Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavariawas the only member of the royal family who always remained on friendly terms with his cousin (with the exception of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria), so Ludwig II wrote him a telegram; the latter immediately intended to follow this call but was prevented from leaving his home atNymphenburg Palaceby his uncle Luitpold, who was about to take over government as the ruling Prince Regent. That same day, the government under Minister-PresidentJohann von Lutzpublicly proclaimed Luitpold as Prince Regent. Ludwig's friends and allies urged him to flee, or to show himself in Munich, and thus regain the support of the people. Ludwig hesitated, instead issuing a statement, allegedly drafted by his aide-de-camp, CountAlfred Dürckheim,which was published by aBambergnewspaper on 11 June:

"The Prince Luitpold intends, against my will, to ascend to the regency of my land, and my erstwhile ministry has, through false allegations regarding the state of my health, deceived my beloved people, and is preparing to commit acts of high treason.... I call upon every loyal Bavarian to rally around my loyal supporters to thwart the planned treason against the King and the fatherland."

The government succeeded in suppressing the statement by seizing most copies of the newspaper and handbills. Anton Sailer's pictorial biography of Ludwig contains a photograph of this rare document. The authenticity of the Royal Proclamation is doubted, as it is dated 9 June, before the commission arrived, it usesIinstead of the royalWe,and orthographic errors are included. As Ludwig dithered, his support waned. Peasants who rallied to his cause were dispersed, and the police who guarded his castle were replaced by a police detachment of 36 men who sealed off all entrances to the castle. Eventually, Ludwig decided he would try to escape, but he was too late. In the early hours of 12 June, a second commission arrived. Ludwig was seized just after midnight and at 4 am was taken to a waiting carriage. He asked Gudden, "How can you declare me insane? After all, you have never seen or examined me before", only to be told that "it was unnecessary; the documentary evidence [the servants' reports] is very copious and completely substantiated. It is overwhelming."Ludwig was transported toBerg Castleon the shores ofLake Starnberg,south of Munich.

Death

Memorial Cross at the site where the body of Ludwig II was found in Lake Starnberg

Participants of the yearly commemoration at the memorial Cross

On the afternoon of the next day, 13 June 1886, Gudden accompanied Ludwig on a stroll in the grounds of Berg Castle. They were escorted by two attendants. On their return, Gudden expressed optimism to other doctors concerning the treatment of his royal patient.

Following dinner, at around 6 pm, Ludwig asked Gudden to accompany him on a further walk, this time through the Schloß Berg parkland along the shore of Lake Starnberg. Gudden agreed; the walk may even have been his suggestion, and he told the aides not to join them. His words were ambiguous (Es darf kein Pfleger mitgehen,"No attendant may walk with [us]" ). Whether they were meant to follow at a discreet distance is not clear. The two men were last seen at about 6:30 pm; they were due back at 8 pm but never returned.

After searches were made for more than two hours by the entire castle staff in a gale with heavy rain, at 10:30 pm that night, the bodies of both Ludwig and Gudden were found, head and shoulders above the shallow water near the shore. Ludwig's watch had stopped at 6:54. Gendarmes patrolling the park had neither seen nor heard anything unusual.

Ludwig's death was officially ruled a suicide by drowning; the officialautopsyreport indicated that no water was found in his lungs.Ludwig was a very strong swimmer in his youth, the water was approximately waist deep where his body was found, and he had not expressed suicidal feelings during the crisis.Gudden's body showed blows to the head and neck and signs of strangulation, leading to the suspicion that he was strangled, although no other evidence was found to support this.Another theory suggests that Ludwig died of natural causes, such as aheart attackorstroke,brought on by the cool water (12 °C) of the lake during an escape attempt.

Murder theory

Speculation exists that Ludwig was murdered by his enemies while attempting to escape from Berg. One account suggests that Ludwig was shot.His personal fisherman, Jakob Lidl (1864–1933), stated, "Three years after the king's death I was made to swear an oath that I would never say certain things – not to my wife, not on my deathbed, and not to any priest… The state has undertaken to look after my family if anything should happen to me in either peacetime or war." Lidl kept his oath, at least orally, but left behind notes that were found after his death. According to Lidl, he had hidden behind bushes with his boat, waiting to meet Ludwig, to row him out into the lake, where loyalists were waiting to help him escape. Lidl wrote, "As the king stepped up to his boat and put one foot in it, a shot rang out from the bank, apparently killing him on the spot, for the king fell across the bow of the boat."The autopsy report indicates that no scars or wounds were found on the body of the dead king. Many years later, CountessJosephine von Wrbna-Kaunitzwould show her afternoon tea guests a grey Loden coat with two bullet holes in the back, asserting it was the one Ludwig had been wearing.

Funeral

Ludwig's remains were dressed in the regalia of theOrder of Saint Hubert,and lay in state in the royal chapel at the Munich Residenz. In his right hand, he held a posy of white jasmine picked for him by his cousin the Empress Elisabeth of Austria.After an elaborate funeral on 19 June 1886, Ludwig's remains were interred in the crypt ofSt. Michael's Church, Munich.His heart does not lie with the rest of his body. Bavarian tradition called for the heart of the king to be placed in a silver urn and sent toShrine of Our Lady of Altötting,where it was placed beside those of his father and grandfather. Three years after his death, a small memorial chapel was built overlooking the site and a cross was erected in the lake. A remembrance ceremony is held inAltöttingeach year on 13 June.

Succession

Ludwig was succeeded by his brother Otto. Since Otto was considered incapacitated by mental illness due to a diagnosis by Gudden and had been under medical supervision since 1883; the king's uncle Luitpold remainedregent.Luitpold maintained the regency until his own death in 1912 at the age of 91. He was succeeded as regent by his eldest son, also namedLudwig.The regency lasted for 13 more months until November 1913, when Regent Ludwig deposed the still-living but still-institutionalized King Otto, and declared himself King Ludwig III of Bavaria. His reign lasted until the end ofWorld War I,when monarchy in all of Germany came to an end.

Legacy

Although many considered Ludwig peculiar, the question of clinicalinsanityremains unresolved.The prominent German brain researcher Heinz Häfner disagreed with the contention that clear evidence existed for Ludwig's insanity.Others believe he may have suffered from the effects ofchloroformused in an effort to control chronic toothache rather than any psychological disorder. His cousin and friend, Empress Elisabeth, held that, "The King was not mad; he was just an eccentric living in a world of dreams. They might have treated him more gently, and thus perhaps spared him so terrible an end."One of Ludwig's most quoted sayings was, "I wish to remain an eternal Enigma to myself and to others."

Today, visitors pay tribute to Ludwig by visiting his grave as well as his castles. The very castles that were causing the king's financial ruin have today become extremely profitable tourist attractions for theBavarianstate. The palaces, given to Bavaria by Ludwig III's sonCrown Prince Rupprechtin 1923,have paid for themselves many times over and attract millions of tourists from all over the world to Germany each year.

Architecture

Ludwig had a great interest in architecture. His paternal grandfather, King Ludwig I, had largely rebuilt Munich. It was known as the Athens on the Isar. His father, King Maximilian II, had also continued with more construction in Munich, as well as the construction of Hohenschwangau Castle, the childhood home of Ludwig II, near the future Neuschwanstein Castle of Ludwig II. Ludwig II had planned to build a large opera house on the banks of the Isar River in Munich. This plan was vetoed by the Bavarian government.Using similar plans, a festival theatre was built later in his reign from Ludwig's personal finances at Bayreuth.

• Winter Garden,Residenz Palace,Munich,an elaboratewinter gardenbuilt on the roof of the Residenz Palace in Munich. It featured an ornamental lake with gardens and painted frescos. It was roofed over using a technically advanced metal and glass construction.After the death of Ludwig II, it was dismantled in 1897 due to water leaking from the ornamental lake through the ceiling of the rooms below. Photographs and sketches still record this incredible creation which included a grotto, a Moorish kiosk, an Indian royal tent, an artificially illuminated rainbow and intermittent moonlight.

Neuschwanstein Castle

• Neuschwanstein Castle,or New Swan Stone Castle, a dramaticRomanesquefortress withByzantine,Romanesque, andGothicinteriors, which was built high above his father's castle:Hohenschwangau.Numerous wall paintings depict scenes from the legends Wagner used in his operas. Christian glory and chaste love figure predominantly in the iconography and may have been intended to help Ludwig live up to his religious ideals, but the bedroom decoration depicts the illicit love of Tristan and Isolde (afterGottfried von Strassburg's poem). The castle was not finished at Ludwig's death; the Kemenate was completed in 1892, but the watch-tower and chapel were only at the foundation stage in 1886 and were never built.The residence quarters of the king, which he first occupied in May 1884,can be visited along with the servant's rooms, the kitchens, and the monumental throne room. The throne was never completed, although sketches show how it might have looked on completion.Neuschwanstein Castle is a landmark well known by many non-Germans and was used by Walt Disney in the 20th century as the inspiration for theSleeping Beauty CastlesatDisney Parksaround the world. The castle has had over 50 million visitors since it was opened to the public on 1 August 1886, including 1.3 million in 2008 alone.

Linderhof Palace

• LinderhofCastle, an ornate palace in neo-FrenchRococostyle, with handsome formal gardens. Just north of the palace, at the foot of the Hennenkopf, the park contains a Venusgrottowhere Ludwig was rowed in a shell-like boat on an underground lake lit with red, green or "Capri" blue effects by electricity, a novelty at that time, provided by one of the first generating plants in Bavaria.Stories of private musical performances here are probably apocryphal; nothing is known for certain.In the forest nearby, a Romantic wooded hut was also built around an artificial tree. Inside the palace, iconography reflects Ludwig's fascination with the absolutist government of theAncien Régime.Ludwig saw himself as the "Moon King", a Romantic shadow of the earlier "Sun King", Louis XIV of France. From Linderhof, Ludwig enjoyed moonlit sleigh rides in an elaborate eighteenth-century sleigh, complete with footmen in 18th-centurylivery.He was known to stop and visit with rural peasants while on rides, adding to his legend and popularity. The sleigh can today be viewed with other royal carriages and sleds at the Carriage Museum (Marstallmusem) at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich. Its lantern was illuminated by electricity supplied by a battery.There is also a Moorish Pavilion in the park of Schloß Linderhof.

Herrenchiemsee

• Herrenchiemsee,a replica (although only the central section was ever built) ofLouis XIV of France'sPalace of Versailles,which was meant to outdo its predecessor in scale and opulence – for instance, at 98 meters the Hall of Mirrors and its adjoining Halls of War and Peace is slightly longer than the original. The palace is located on the Herren Island in the middle of theChiemseelake. Most of the palace was never completed once the king ran out of money, and Ludwig lived there for only 10 days in October 1885, less than a year before his mysterious death.Tourists come from France to view the recreation of the famous Ambassadors' Staircase. The original Ambassadors' Staircase at Versailles was demolished in 1752.
• Ludwig outfittedKing's House on Schachenwith an overwhelmingly decorativeOrientalstyle interior, including a replica of the famousPeacock Throne.
• TheBayreuth Festspielhauswas built for and under the supervision ofRichard Wagner,with funding provided by King Ludwig, as a showcase for Wagner's operas.
• Falkenstein,a planned but never executed "robber baron's castle "in the Gothic style. A painting byChristian Jankshows the proposed building as an even more fairytale version of Neuschwanstein, perched on a rocky cliff high above Castle Neuschwanstein.

Ludwig II left behind a large collection of plans and designs for other castles that were never built, as well as plans for further rooms in his completed buildings. Many of these designs are housed today in the King Ludwig II Museum atHerrenchiemseeCastle. These building designs date from the latter part of Ludwig's reign, beginning around 1883. As money was starting to run out, the artists knew that their designs would never be executed. The designs became more extravagant and numerous as the artists realized that there was no need to concern themselves with economy or practicality.

Arts

Further information:Le Roi Lune

Ludwig II with Richard Wagner at the piano

It has been said thatRichard Wagner's late career is part of Ludwig's legacy, since he almost certainly would have been unable to complete his opera cycleDer Ring des Nibelungenor to write his final opera,Parsifal,without the king's support. Ludwig also sponsored the premieres ofTristan und Isolde,Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,and, through his financial support of theBayreuth Festival,those ofDer Ring des NibelungenandParsifal.Ludwig provided Munich with its opera house,Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz,establishing a lasting tradition of comic and romantic musical theatre known asSingspieleas well asoperettasproduced for the Bavarian public.

Cultural references

As the "Swan King", Ludwig is said to have inspired the story behind the classical balletSwan Lakeby Russian composerPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.This could be referenced to the days of his childhood when he spent much of his youth in a castle namedHohenschwangau('high region of the swan') in theBavarian Alps.Ludwig grew up there among swan images and icons, and the nearbySchwansee('Swan Lake').

Film portrayals of Ludwig include the German productionsLudwig II(1955), directed byHelmut Käutner,andLudwig: Requiem for a Virgin King(1972), directed byHans-Jürgen Syberberg,as well as Italian directorLuchino Visconti'sLudwig(1973). He also appears as a character in an Americanbiographical filmof Wagner,Magic Fire(1955), directed byWilliam Dieterle,and inWagner(1983), a British televisionminiseriesdirected byTony Palmer.The plot of the 1995 computer mystery gameThe Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mysteryis centered on Ludwig II and Richard Wagner.

Historical novels presenting the reign and death of Ludwig include Clarissa Lohde'sAlone in the Purple: A Story of the Last Days of King Ludwig of Bavaria(1912), andDavid Stacton'sRemember Me(Faber, 1957). Ludwig and his legacy are also relevant to the plots ofThe Ludgwig ConspiracybyOliver Potszch,andSteve Berry'sThe Last Kingdom.The 2010 thriller novelThe Secret CrownbyChris Kuzneskiis based on the antics of Ludwig II, weaving fiction with known facts about the monarch.

Two board games,Castles of Mad King Ludwig(2014) andThe Palace of Mad King Ludwig(2017), are named for Ludwig II and inspired by his penchant for elaborate and whimsical castles; Neuschwanstein Castle is pictured on the box ofCastles.The 2022 collector's edition of the game features a Towers expansion that incorporates new tiles and miniatures based on eight of the king's castles. Both games were designed byTed Alspach.

On 15 March 2023, Ludwig II was included asdownloadable contentin theturn-based strategyvideo gameCivilization VI.When playing as Ludwig, the player is incentivised to build as many great architectural and cultural feats as they can, to mirror his legacy of lavish projects and patronage.

Honours and arms

Coat of arms of King Ludwig II and of the Kingdom of Bavaria

• Kingdom of Bavaria:Knight of theOrder of St. Hubert
• Austrian Empire:
  • Knight of theOrder of the Golden Fleece,1864
  • Grand Cross of theOrder of St. Stephen,1868
• Baden:
  • Knight of theHouse Order of Fidelity,1864
  • Grand Cross of theOrder of the Zähringer Lion,1864
• Ernestine duchies:Grand Cross of theSaxe-Ernestine House Order,September 1865
• French Empire:Grand Cross of theLegion of Honour,August 1867
• Kingdom of Hawaii:Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of Kamehameha I,1865
• Grand Duchy of Hesse:Grand Cross of theLudwig Order,7 September 1863
• Kingdom of Italy:Knight of theOrder of the Annunciation,31 May 1869
• Mexican Empire:Grand Cross of theOrder of the Mexican Eagle,with Collar, 1865
• Oldenburg:Grand Cross with Golden Crown of theHouse and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis,4 November 1862
• Kingdom of Prussia:Knight of theOrder of the Black Eagle,24 August 1863; with Collar, 1872
• Russian Empire:Knight of theOrder of St. Andrew,September 1863
• Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach:Grand Cross of theOrder of the White Falcon,14 September 1864
• Kingdom of Saxony:Knight of theOrder of the Rue Crown,1864
• Spain:Grand Cross of theOrder of Charles III,with Collar, 5 April 1864
• Sweden-Norway:Knight of theOrder of the Seraphim,9 April 1864
• Württemberg:Grand Cross of theOrder of the Württemberg Crown,1864

Ancestors

Ancestors of Ludwig II of Bavaria

8.Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria 4.Ludwig I of Bavaria 9.Princess Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt 2.Maximilian II of Bavaria 10.Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg 5.Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen 11.Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1.Ludwig II of Bavaria 12.Frederick William II of Prussia 6.Prince Wilhelm of Prussia 13.Princess Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt 3.Princess Marie of Prussia 14.Frederick V, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg 7.Princess Maria Anna of Hesse-Homburg 15.Princess Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt

References

Sources

English-language biographies and related information on Ludwig II

• Blunt, Wilfrid; Petzet, Michael (1 December 1970).Dream King: Ludwig II of Bavaria.The Viking Press, Inc. p.216.ISBN978-0-670-28456-6.
• von Burg, Katerina (1989).Ludwig II of Bavaria: the man and the mystery.Windsor Publications.ISBN9781870417020.
• Calore, Paola (1998).Past and Present Castles of Bavaria.Tiger Books International.ISBN1-84056-019-3.
• Chapman-Huston, Desmond.Bavarian Fantasy: The Story of Ludwig II.(1955) (Much reprinted but not entirely reliable; the author died before completing the biography.)
• Collas, Philippe.Louis II de Bavière et Elisabeth d'Autriche, âmes sœurs,Éditions du Rocher, Paris/Monaco 2001)ISBN9782268038841
• Hashagen, Justus (1911)."Louis II. of Bavaria".InChisholm, Hugh(ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 33, 34.
• King, Greg.The Mad King: The Life and Times of Ludwig II of Bavaria.(1996)ISBN1-55972-362-9.
• Krückmann, Peter O.:The Land of Ludwig II: the Royal Castles and Residences in Upper Bavaria and Swabia(Prestel Verlag, Munich, 2000; 64 pages, 96 colour illus, 23 x 30 cm)ISBN3-7913-2386-5.
• McIntosh, Christopher (1982).The Swan King: Ludwig II of Bavaria.I. B. Tauris.ISBN1-86064-892-4.
• Merkle, Ludwig:Ludwig II and his Dream Castles(Stiebner Verlag, Munich, 2nd edition 2000; 112 pages, 27 colour & 35 monochrome illus., 28.5 x 24.5 cm)ISBN978-3-8307-1019-6.
• Nöhbauer, Hans F. (1998).Ludwig II.: Ludwig II of Bavaria = Louis II de Bavière.Taschen.ISBN9783822874301.
• Rall, Hans; Petzet, Michael; Merta, Franz.King Ludwig II. Reality and Mystery.(Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg, 2001).ISBN3-7954-1427-X.(This English translation ofKönig Ludwig II. Wirklichkeit und Rätselis based on the 1980 German edition, despite revisions contained in the 1986 and subsequent German editions. Includes an itinerary by Merta of Ludwig's travels 1864–86. Rall [1912–98] was formerly Chief Archivist of the Geheimes Hausarchiv in Munich.)
• Richter, Werner.The Mad Monarch: The Life and Times of Ludwig II of Bavaria.(Chicago, 1954; 280 pages; abridged translation of German biography)
• Spangenberg, Marcus:Ludwig II – A Different Kind of King(Regensburg, 2015; 175 pages; translation Margaret Hiley, Oakham, Rutland)ISBN978-3-7917-2744-8.
• Spangenberg, Marcus:The Throne Room in Schloss Neuschwanstein: Ludwig II of Bavaria and his vision of Divine Right(1999)ISBN978-3-7954-1233-3.
• Till, Wolfgang (2010).Ludwig II King of Bavaria: Myth and Truth.Vienna: Christian Brandstätter Verlag.ISBN978-3-85033-458-7.:112 pages, 132 illus., 21 cm: Engl. edition ofLudwig II König von Bayern: Mythos und Wahrheit[2010]. The author was formerly Director of the Munich Civic Museum.
• Wrba, Ernst (photos) & Kühler, Michael (text).The Castles of King Ludwig II.(Verlagshaus Würzburg, 2008; 128 richly illustrated pages.)ISBN978-3-8003-1868-1.

German-language biographies and related information on Ludwig II

• Botzenhart, Christof:Die Regierungstätigkeit König Ludwig II. von Bayern – "ein Schattenkönig ohne Macht will ich nicht sein"(München, Verlag Beck, 2004, 234 S.)ISBN3-406-10737-0.
• Design, Julius:Wahnsinn oder Verrat – war König Ludwig II. von Bayern geisteskrank?(Lechbruck, Verlag Kienberger, 1996)
• Evers, Hans Gerhard (1986).Ludwig II. von Bayern. Theaterfürst-König-Bauherr.Munich.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Hojer, Gerhard; Schmid, Elmar Dionys; Petzet, Michael (1986).König Ludwig II.-Museum, Herrenchiemsee: Katalog(in German). Hirmer.ISBN3-7774-4160-0.
• Petzet, Michael:König Ludwig und die Kunst(Prestel Verlag, München, 1968) (Exhibition catalogue)
• Petzet, Detta und Michael:Die Richard Wagner-Bühne Ludwigs II.(München, Prestel-Verlag, 1970: 840 pages, over 800 illus., 24.5x23cm) (Even for the non-German reader this is an important source of illustrations of designs, stage settings & singers in the early productions of Wagner's operas at Munich & Bayreuth.)
• Petzet, Michael; Neumeister, Werner (1995).Ludwig II. und seine Schlösser: Die Welt des Bayerischen Märchenkönigs.München: Prestel Verlag.ISBN3-7913-1471-8..New edition of 1980 book.
• Reichold, Klaus:König Ludwig II. von Bayern – zwischen Mythos und Wirklichkeit, Märchen und Alptraum; Stationen eines schlaflosen Lebens(München, Süddeutsche Verlag, 1996)
• Richter, Werner:Ludwig II., König von Bayern(1939; frequently reprinted: 14. Aufl.; München, Stiebner, 2001, 335 S.)ISBN3-8307-1021-6.(See above for English translation. Richter 1888–1969 was a professional biographer of great integrity.)
• Schäffler, Anita; Borkowsky, Sandra; Adami, Erich:König Ludwig II. von Bayern und seine Reisen in die Schweiz – 20. Oktober – 2. November 1865, 22. Mai – 24. Mai 1866, 27. Juni – 14. Juli 1881; eine Dokumentation(Füssen, 2005)
• Wolf, Georg Jacob (1882–1936):König Ludwig II. und seine Welt(München, Franz Hanfstaengl, 1922; 248 pages, many monochrome illus., 24 cm)
• Spangenberg, Marcus:Ludwig II. – Der andere König(Regensburg,³2015; 175 pages)ISBN978-3-7917-2308-2
• Spangenberg, Marcus:Der Thronsaal von Schloss Neuschwanstein: König Ludwig II. und sein Verständnis vom Gottesgnadentum(1999)ISBN978-3-7954-1225-8.
• Hacker, Rupert:Ludwig II. von Bayern in Augenzeugenberichten.(1966, 471 pages) (A valuable anthology of published & archival material, compiled by the Director of the Bavarian Civil Service College)
• Wöbking, Wilhelm:Der Tod König Ludwigs II. von Bayern.(Rosenheimer Verlagshaus, 1986, 414 pages) (Includes many documents from the Bavarian State Archives.)
• Schlimm, Jean Louis:König Ludwig II. Sein leben in Bildern und Memorabilien(Nymphenburger, München, 2005; 96 pages, many illus., 24 x 24 cm)ISBN3-485-01066-9.
• Rall, Hans; Petzet, Michael; & Merta, Franz:König Ludwig II. Wirklichkeit und Rätsel(Regensburg, Schnell & Steiner, 3rd edition 2005: 192 pages, 22 colour & 52 monochrome illus., 22.5x17cm)ISBN3-7954-1426-1.
• Nöhbauer, Hans F.:Auf den Spuren König Ludwigs II. Ein Führer zu Schlössern und Museen, Lebens- und Errinerungsstätten des Märchenkönigs.(München, Prestel Verlag, 3rd edition 2007: 240 pages, 348 illus, with plans & maps, 24x12cm)ISBN978-3-7913-4008-1.
• Baumgartner, Georg:Königliche Träume: Ludwig II. und seine Bauten.(München, Hugendubel, 1981: 260 pages, lavishly illustrated with 440 designs, plans, paintings & historic photos.; 30.5 x 26 cm)ISBN3-88034-105-2.
• Hilmes, Oliver:Ludwig II. Der unzeitgemäße König,(Siedler Verlag, München), 1st edition October 2013: 447 pages (the first biographer with exclusive access to the private archives of the House of Wittelsbach),ISBN978-3-88680-898-4.

External links

• The romance of King Ludwig II. of Bavaria; his relations with Wagner and his Bavarian fairy placesby Frances A Gerard 1901 English
• Ludwig the Second, king of BavariabyClara Tschudi1908 English
• A royal recluse; memories of Ludwig II. of Bavariaby Werner Bertram b. 1900 English
• BBC R4Great Lives programme on Ludwig – listen online:BBC Radio 4 – Great Lives, Series 26, Ludwig II of Bavaria
• The 125th Anniversary of the Death of King Ludwig II,photo essay by Alan Taylor, "In Focus",The Atlantic,13 June 2011
• Ludwig II of Bavaria: Life and Castles
• New theory about the possible murder of Ludwig II
• History Course – The Flamboyant Bavarian King Ludwig IIHistory & Culture Academy of Latgale, 2020
• VideoonYouTubeof the balletIllusions – like "Swan Lake"
• Virtual exhibition:King Ludwig II of Bavaria – Life, Legacy, Legend,in the culture portal bavarikon