Who Was Mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria?
Who was King Ludwig II of Bavaria?And Why Was He “Mad”?
Mad King Ludwig II is so much a part of the identity of Bavaria. His image and name are everywhere. His enigmatic character is indelibly associated with Bavaria.
The Bavarian people today regard mad King Ludwig as the “mascot” of Bavaria, or maybe the spokesperson for all that is considered uniquely Bavarian.
King Ludwig II, who reigned from 1845 to 1886 was one of the last rulers of the Wittelsbach dynasty (1180 to 1918).
After reading about and contemplating King Ludwig II’s life and his mysterious death, I don’t consider him crazy or “mad” at all, but rather a lonely and eccentric person who had access to a lot of money to satisfy his fantasies and combat his loneliness.
Unfortunately, his eccentric behavior and his extravagant spending created enemies who plotted to remove him from power which led to his mysterious death.
“Mad” King Ludwig II of Bavaria is a fascinating character to learn about. My visits to his castles and the surrounding areas he loved so much have more meaning and makes the trips much more enjoyable.
Ludwig’s Childhood
Ludwig II of Bavaria was born in Nymphenburg Castle outside Munich on August 25, 1845. He was the eldest son of King Maximillian II and Queen Marie, and was named after his grandfather, King Ludwig I.
His childhood was lonely. His father was indifferent toward him and often beat him. He was treated harshly and was attended to mostly by servants.
His favorite times of the year were the summer holidays the family spent at Hohenschwangau Castle which King Max had restored between 1832 and 1836 in a romantic medieval style.
During the summers, the Queen often took Ludwig and his younger brother Otto on long hikes in the Alps and Ludwig developed his love of the mountains and their solitude, as well as his lifelong devotion to the Schwangau region.
Prince Ludwig and Richard Wagner
In 1858, when Ludwig was thirteen years old, he learned of Richard Wagner's opera “Lohengrin”, the story of the heroic medieval swan-knight.
Since the walls of Hohenschwangau were covered in frescoes featuring Lohengrin, Ludwig was curious and read the opera's libretto. Ludwig learned the entire libretto by heart, as well as the libretto of another Wagner opera, “Tannhäuser”. He became obsessed and soon read every book written by Wagner.
On February 2nd, 1861, Ludwig heard his first Wagner opera, Lohengrin. The experience left a huge impression on the Prince. In 1863 he acquired Wagner's recently published “Ring Cycle”.
The preface contained a comment about the poor state of the German theater. In order for the Ring Cycle to be produced,Wagner wrote, "a German Prince would need to be found to provide the required funds." To Ludwig, this was a direct message. He would be that Prince.
Ludwig Becomes King
On March 10th, 1864, King Max died at the age of 53. Ludwig assumed the throne at 18 years of age.
Soon, the young King ordered his ministers to find Wagner and bring him to Munich. Wagner had a bad reputation and was running from his creditors. He was located in Vienna and was brought to the King.
The 18 year old King idolized Wagner. To the 51 year old composer, Ludwig was a bountiful source of funds for his art. Ludwig settled his debts, and provided him a villa. The two were always together and Ludwig was planning the construction of a large festival theater in Munich.
But, many in Munich government were growing tired of Wagner's arrogance and were jealous of his influence on the young King. The ministers were concerned Wagner would try to influence Ludwig in political matters.
A year and a half later, Wagner was forced to leave Bavaria and went to Switzerland. Ludwig lost the only thing that made him happy and fled to Hohenschwangau.
The Reign of Mad King Ludwig II
The first few years of King Ludwig II’s reign brought many tragedies and disappointments.
In 1866, war broke out between Austria and Prussia, also known as The Seven Weeks War. Bavaria's strong ties to Austria drew Bavaria in to the conflict.
Unfortunately for Bavaria, Prussia won. In a secret treaty, Ludwig placed the Bavarian army at the disposal of the Prussian General. Bavaria lost some of its independence.
King Ludwig II was also expected to marry. He had spent a lot of time with Sophie, the youngest sister of the Austrian Empress. Sophie was also a Wagner enthusiast and they would spend hours discussing his works.
Within a few months of their first meeting, the couple announced their engagement in January 1867.
The date for the wedding was first set for August, 1867. It was then changed to October 12th, the date both Ludwig I and Max II had married. But it was becoming obvious that things were not well. Ludwig was avoiding Sophie and was becoming agitated. Ludwig was very anxious about the wedding.
He stated to the Court Secretary that he would rather drown himself in the Alpsee than to marry. He wrote to Wagner:
"Oh, if only I could be carried on a magic carpet to you . . . at dear, peaceful Tribschen (Wagner's house in Lucerne, Switzerland.), even for an hour or two. What I would give to be able to do that!"
Sophie was also miserable. She knew that the King didn't love her. After months of rumors and postponements, the wedding was called off.
Ludwig escaped to his beloved Alps. He wrote to Wagner from Hohenschwangau on 21 November, 1867:
"I write these lines sitting in my cozy gothic bow-window, by the light of my lonely lamp, while outside the blizzard rages. It is so peaceful here, this silence is stimulating, whereas in the clamor of the world I feel absolutely miserable. Thank God I am alone at last. My mother is far away, as is my former bride, who would have made me unspeakably unhappy. Before me stands a bust of the one, true friend whom I shall love until death. . . If only I had the opportunity to die for you."
The responsibility of being king was probably too much for Ludwig. At the age of 20 he mobilized the army to the Seven Weeks War, ordering thousands into battle. The traumatic episode of his failed engagement occurred when he was 21. But tragedy was still about to descend on the young King.
Prussia went to war with France, and since Prussia controlled Bavaria's army, Ludwig ordered his troops into battle once again into what became known as the Franco-Prussian War. During this war Ludwig withdrew from the real world and into a world of fantasy.
In 1869 the plans were drawn for both Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Castle, and the foundation stone for Neuschwanstein was laid.
Ludwig’s appearance also changed dramatically from a slender youth to a huge man in just a few years. He began to spend all his time in the mountains, at Hohenschwangau, at Linderhof, and at his castle at Berg, beside Lake Starnberg.
He refused to see his ministers and preferred the company of the mountain people. In fact, the only time he stayed in Munich was during the annual investiture and banquet given in the Residenz for the Knights of the Order of St. George, Bavaria's highest Order of Chivalry. Ludwig was the Grand Master of this Order.
The famous "Private Performances" also date from around this time. Sitting alone in the Residenz Theater or the Court Theater in Munich, mad King Ludwig would attend plays, concerts and operas put on for him alone. Plays were commissioned by the King to take place in exotic settings designated by him, such as the Himalayas, the Court of Louis XIV, Tibet and Imperial China.
The next troubling event for Ludwig occurred shortly after Prussia's victory in the Franco-Prussian War. Bismark requested Ludwig's approval for Bavaria's entry in a unified German Empire led by Prussia. After several days procrastinating, Ludwig agreed and asked Wilhelm II to become Emperor of a united Germany.
Bavarian sovereignty was no longer a reality, and Ludwig became a figurehead in a constitutional monarchy.
These incidences contributed to his reclusive existence, and his alleged "madness” as he withdrew into a world of his own making.
While mad King Ludwig II reigned, he avoided political duties whenever possible. By 1878 he had completed Schloss Linderhof and immediately began Schloss Herrenchiemsee, a tribute to Versailles and Louis XIV, another of Ludwig’s idols.
Though his family created extravagant architecture in Munich, Ludwig II disliked the city and preferred isolation in the countryside, where he constructed his fantasy castles and went deeply in to debt in order to finance them.
Ludwig is Declared Insane
The Bavarian Cabinet realized by 1885 that Ludwig's building was not going to stop. Mad King Ludwig had a number of very expensive building projects under way, and was spending huge amounts of money.
Mad King Ludwig continued with his extravagant spending and construction plans. This, combined with his loathing of Affairs of State, and refusing to see his ministers, led to an unstable political situation.
Ludwig received a royal annual income of about 4.5 million Marks. By 1884 he was 7 million Marks in debt. He then secured loans from the Bavarian State Bank and his debt soon reached 14 million Marks. The Cabinet refused to allow more loans to him.
He was desperate for more money. Servants were sent to ask for loans from the kings, emperors and sultans of other countries. However, the servants secretly did not obey the orders. As a last resort, a plan was devised to hire men to break into the banks in Berlin, Frankfurt and Paris.
By 1886 the relationship between King Ludwig and his ministers had deteriorated and rumors spread that King Ludwig was planning to dissolve the Cabinet. In order to protect their positions, they conspired to remove him from the throne by having him declared insane.
A long and detailed report of Ludwig's insanity was compiled by top psychiatrists, led by Dr. Berhard von Gudden. However, not one psychiatrist ever examined or interviewed Ludwig himself. Instead, the "evidence" was obtained by interviews mainly from disgruntled servants. This was done in secrecy and possibly by intimidation.
Mad King Ludwig's Reign Ends
King Ludwig was arrested at Neuschwanstein and taken to Berg Castle. On June 13th, 1886, within two days of incarceration in the Berg Castle on Starnbergersee, Ludwig and the doctor who declared him insane were found drowned in the lake’s shallow waters.
The death of Mad King Ludwig II is still a mystery. Some say he was suicidal and the doctor was killed while trying to save him.
Others say Ludwig tried to escape by swimming across the lake and had a heart attack.
Still, others say he was assassinated and the doctor had to be killed as well because he was a witness.
Many theories exists about the death of mad King Ludwig and the secrecy and inconsistencies surrounding the circumstances of his death add to the mystery.
While some consider Ludwig II a crazy monarch, and others call him a "Fairy Tale King", the name “Mad King Ludwig” stuck.
What is true is he left a magnificent and lasting impression on the Bavarian landscape as well as on the minds of the people.
