King Ludwig II

King Ludwig II was born to the House of Wittlesbach in Nymphenburg Schloß (Munich) on August 25, 1845. As the first son of King Maximillain II of Bavaria, Ludwig was the heir to the throne of Bavaria.

Ludwig was only 18-years-old when he ascended to the throne of Bavaria after the death of his father. Although he was very young, he took his role as king very seriously. However, his shy personality and sheltered up-bringing probably led him to be out of touch with his subjects. His lonely lifestyle and his romantic castles earned him the name Fairy Tale King.

One of the most influencial persons in Ludwig’s life was the opera composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig met Wagner in May 1864. After this meeting, Wagner wrote of King Ludwig, “He is so unfortunately brilliant, so magnificent and soulful that I fear his life must vanish like a fleeting stream in this coarse world...” (Of course, Wagner wrote this in German, and I copied it from the book I’m reading. I just wanted to point that out.)

Composer Richard Wagner With Ludwig as his patron, Wagner was able to work in Munich without the pressure of financial cares. Wagner was not well-loved in Munich, however, and eventually Ludwig had to let Wagner leave Munich. Events such as these led Ludwig to dislike Munich and its people. He even thought of moving the Royal Residence from Munich to Nürnberg, a plan he later abandoned. He also began to spend more time in his beloved Alps, often riding late at night to avoid being seen.

Although Ludwig never married, he was briefly engaged in 1867 to his cousin Princess Sophie, a sister of Empress Elizabeth of Austria (I think this explains a lot about monarchies). He broke off the engagement later that year, and never thought of marriage again.

Ludwig began to build his castles in 1869, starting with Neuschwanstein. In 1874, he began construction of Linderhof Castle near Oberammergau, the only castle he was able to complete. A third castle, Herrenchiemsee Castle, was started in 1878. He had planned to build other castles as well. By 1886, with an annual income of 5.5 million Marks, he had accumulated 13 million Marks in debts because of his castles. (By the time of his death, he owed 21 million Marks.) The Wittlesbach family was in danger of losing its wealth accumulated over 800 years of rule.

Eventually, the political turmoil within Bavaria brought about a plan to remove Ludwig from the throne. A commission of doctors was formed to evaluate the mental health of the king. Although none of the doctors had examined the king directly, they declared him insane nonetheless. On June 12, 1886, a government delegation (including the doctors) forced its way into Neuschwanstein Castle where the King was staying. There they declared him insane and took him away to Berg Castle at Starnberg Lake, a few hours away.

On June 13, Ludwig went for a walk with Dr. von Gudden, the head doctor of the commission. The doctor had sent the keepers away that would normally walk with them. When the two never returned from their walk, a search was formed to look for them. They were found floating in the lake, both dead. Up until today, the circumstances surrounding their deaths are a mystery, a strange end for the Fairy Tale King.

Of course, if you want EMan’s conspiracy theories on this subject, feel free to me.

Source: King Ludwig II His Life - His End, Julius Desing

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Neuschwanstein Pics	Hohenschwangau Pics	Herrenchiemsee Pics
Ludwig’s Castles		About Ludwig II

Neuschwanstein Pics	Hohenschwangau Pics	Herrenchiemsee Pics
Ludwig’s Castles		About Ludwig II