Der Märchenkönig | The mysterious Ludwig II of Bavaria

High in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps stands a castle, brash and alone. Its appearance is self indulgent, fanciful, and almost instantly recognizable. You, the reader, have most likely seen this castle before in posters, commercials, movies, and as the basis for the "Disney Castle."

Despite the commanding appearance and importance suggested by its posture, the castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein, was never the seat of power for a great empire nor a powerful ruler. It stands as an unfinished monument to one of Europe's most distinctive rulers, King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

Ludwig II is known by many as the "mad king," and popular belief holds that his penchant for building large and expensive castles led to his downfall.

This may be true, but was the "mad" king really crazy?

Many have marveled at the king's ostentatious castles, but the king's life, and especially his sudden death at age 40, remains shrouded in mystery.

Born on the August 25th, 1845 in Munich to King Maximilian II of Bavaria and Marie of Prussia, Ludwig had a comfortable childhood, if somewhat detached from his parents.

He was described by his mother as imaginative and enjoyed "play acting," as well as making his possessions "presents" to others. He showed little interest in his father's duties as king, and preferred to spend time alone or with his grandfather (Ludwig I) ruminating.


Ludwig (left), with his family in 1860

Early Rule

In 1864, Ludwig would succeed his father on the throne at the young age of 18, with little to no governing or strategic experience. Ludwig would later reflect on this time almost ten years later in 1873, saying,

I became king much too early. I had not learned enough. I had made such a good beginning … with the learning of state laws. Suddenly I was snatched away from my books and set on the throne. Well, I am still trying to learn … (source)

Ludwig shortly after becoming King

It is important to understand just what being the king of Bavaria means in 1864. Many readers today will be familiar with Bavaria as a state of Germany, but at the time of Ludwig's ascension, Germany was not yet unified, and was composed of independent states, loosely organized under the German Confederation.


The Kingdom of Bavaria

The reorganization of the Germanic kingdoms from the confederation into the new German Empire could warrant an article to itself. But here this article will cover the events as they pertain to King Ludwig.

After brewing tensions in the confederation, particularly between Austria and Prussia (another state that became part of the German Empire), a war known as the Seven Weeks War began in 1866. King Ludwig and Bavaria, along with other southern German states sided with Austria.

At this time Bavaria, Prussia, and Austria were arguably the most powerful states in the confederation, but it was Prussia who would win the Seven Weeks War. In defeat, King Ludwig signed an alliance with Prussia in 1867.

Prussia in 1914, shaded in blue

In late 1870, Ludwig would agree to joining a new German Empire, which was organized by Otto Von Bismark, the leader of Prussia.

In this new empire, Prussia was the leading power, but Ludwig and Bavaria were able to argue for special status, and retained relative independence and privileges. Bavarian military forces would not be under the command of Prussia, except in times of war.

Ludwig had tried to argue for the alternation of control of the "imperial" title, but was unable to gain that concession.

This loss of independence, and subsequent unification of Germanic states frustrated Ludwig, and interfered with the idealist notions he had long held in his head, as now he was both a constitutional monarch, and under the control of his kingdom's rival.

From this point on, Ludwig would become increasingly less interested in politics, and more interested in carving out a fictionalized existence for himself.

His Romantic Life

Immediately after becoming king, Ludwig faced pressure to get married and produce an heir. In 1867 Ludwig announced his engagement to Duchess Sophie Charlotte, a cousin of his and sister to the empress of Austria (who was to be his lifelong friend).


Ludwig and Sophie together after engagement

While the pair shared the same affinity for arts and culture, specifically the music of Richard Wagner, there was one big problem.

King Ludwig was a homosexual.

These homosexual desires would haunt him through the rest of his life, as he would never marry, or be able to carry out a public romantic relationship. His homosexuality was also at odds with his idealized view of what a king should be, and a devout catholic.

After postponing his marriage to Sophie Charlotte, Ludwig would ultimately cancel, and she would marry another prince.

Endless Artistic Pursuits

Richard Wagner is considered to be one of the greatest composers who ever lived, and he composed many famous operas throughout his life. Today most people will recognize the "here comes the bride" theme, which appears at the beginning of act three in Wagner's opera, Lohengrin.

At age 15, Ludwig attended a performance of Lohengrin, an event that would change the course of his life. Ludwig was drawn to the distinctive Wagnerian style, and appreciated his ideas regarding "complete" works of art.

Wagner was different from most other opera composers, as he wrote both the story (libretto), and the music for his monumental operas.

It is worth noting here that Wagner was considered to be particularly controversial in his time, as he is now, and made antisemitic comments throughout his life, sentiments that Ludwig did not agree with.

After becoming king, Ludwig summoned Wagner to Munich, where the two met, and where Wagner would later premier his opera Tristan and Isolde a year later.

Ludwig is often credited as the savior of Wagner's career, as he often helped to shield the composer from financial and political hardship. It is not an exaggeration to say that without Ludwig, we would be deprived of a significant portion of western music.

Throughout the rest of his life, Ludwig would aid Wagner financially, helping him to build his now famed Bayreuth Festspielhaus, where the genre bending Ring Cycle of operas first appeared in totality, and are still performed every year. Ludwig also financed Wagner's villa, Wahnfried.

Ludwig was not a vapid patron, and artistic works had a great affect on him throughout his adult life.

Things Fall Apart

Ludwig's retreat from his outward duties and politics which began after the unification would continue as time went on, as he instead concentrated his efforts on building monumental castles as a means to bring both meaning to his life, and notable architecture to Bavaria.

Ludwig began building his first castle, Linderhof, in 1874 (after he had already begun altering a building on the property in 1869). Linderhof was to be the only castle Ludwig actually completed and was able to actually live in.

Built in the rococo style, Linderhof was inspired by Versailles, and is known today for its expansive gardens with in-depth theming. The gardens include many pavilions that draw from cultures Ludwig was intrigued by.

Linderhof

Most interestingly perhaps, is the "Venus Grotto," which was an artificial cave Ludwig had made for him on the property, which included theming from Wagner's opera Tannhauser, and his very own swan boat that he could paddle around while musicians played for him.

Most impressively, Ludwig did not stop there, as he decided that he would also like colored electric lighting for the space, and had the first electricity plant in Bavaria (and supposedly the first permanent one in the world) installed.

Venus Grotto

Ludwig continued making refinements to Linderhof until his death, and would embark on two other architectural projects, neither of which were completed at the time of his death in 1886.

Neuschwanstein castle, (mentioned earlier) is the most famous of Ludwig's three castles, and by far the most grand in idea. Despite the fact that the king laid the cornerstone in 1869, a significant portion of the castle remained unfinished at the time of Ludwig's death in 1886.

Neuschwanstein as seen in the 1890s

The Net Closes In

The lavish spending of the king grew as his life progressed, and while he was granted a generous amount per year as his allowance, he began to outspend.

A popular misconception is that Ludwig was bankrupting Bavaria with his manic castle building, but this is actually untrue. It was not the country's finances that were in danger, but Ludwig's. And while he did receive a generous allowance from the kingdom, he began to take on a large amount of debt in the 1880s.

Despite this climb in debt, King Ludwig continued his construction projects and even planned a fourth castle at the site of an old ruins.

By 1885 he had taken on 14 million marks of debt. This concerned his advisors, who had already helped to secure hasty loans to settle some of his debt. Ludwig threatened to dismiss his advisors as they were hostile about his spending.

The king's ministers decided to act first however.

The conspirators decided the best way to put a stop to Ludwig's runaway spending was to have him declared insane, and replaced with his uncle Prince Luitpold.

While Luitpold, who acted as prince regent following the deposition of Ludwig, is remembered fondly today, the report which had Ludwig declared insane is not.

The report was finished in March of 1886, and was composed mostly of complaints and gossip regarding Ludwig and his extreme shyness, irritability, and expensive taste. Some of the statements may have been coerced through bribery by Count von Holnstein.

In June of that year several medical professionals, who had never met King Ludwig, except prominent psychiatrist Bernhard von Gudden, signed the report declaring Ludwig paranoid and unfit for his continued service as king.

Showdown

On June 10, 1886 at 4am, a commission arrived to show King Ludwig their document of deposition and remove him from Neuschwanstein (where he had been staying for a short period).

Ludwig had been tipped off by a loyal servant, and ordered the local police to protect him. The King proceeded to have the commissioners arrested and detained for several hours, they were then sent away.

The King reportedly retained a good amount of public support, but remained indecisive, and those who rallied in support of him were dispersed.

On June 12, a second commission arrived and escorted Ludwig to a carriage around 4am.

The End

For Ludwig, a nightmare had begun. The King was transported as a prisoner to Berg Castle, on the shores of Lake Starnberg, not far from Munich. He knew the castle and lake well, as he had frequently retreated there throughout his life for peace and solitude.

But the villa he had once loved, was to become his prison with barred windows and observation holes.

Berg Castle circa 1886

On his first full day in captivity, Ludwig was visited by Dr. Gudden, the leading psychiatrist that had helped to depose him. Gudden had remarked positively regarding Ludwig and his potential for treatment after the pair had gone for a walk that morning, accompanied by a psychiatric attendant who followed behind them.

After dinner, at around 6pm, Ludwig suggested to Gudden that they go on a further walk, and Gudden obliged, ordering attendants to stay behind.

The two men ventured out into the evening, and were last seen around 6:30.

Upon not returning from their walk, the castle staff began a search, which would not end until 10:30pm, when both bodies were found floating in the lake.

Exactly what transpired on that stormy night in 1886 may never be known, but shortly after it was named a murder-suicide.

The "accepted" version events, put forward after investigations and autopsies were made in 1886 goes as follows.

King Ludwig, acting out of mental instability decided to make a break for the water in an attempt to drown himself. Dr. Gudden tried to stop him, but Ludwig overpowered him, possibly strangling the doctor, and then wading out slightly further to drown himself.

Some evidence does support this version of events, as the doctor's face showed signs of several blows and scratches, and the lake-bed was covered in overlapping footsteps showing signs of a struggle.

This theory however, fails to answer some questions.

Why was Ludwig's watch stopped just before 7, and the doctor's stopped around 8?

Wouldn't it be difficult for Ludwig to drown himself in such shallow water?

Don't most drowning victims sink?

No explanation, official or otherwise, can accurately determine what motivations there were in those moments.

It is possible that the King could have been so disillusioned by his newfound circumstances that he did have the motivation to take his own life (no matter how difficult the method), and stop whomever stood in his way.

Naturally the mysterious circumstances of King Ludwig's death have captivated many for over one hundred years, including some historians and enthusiasts who have dedicated years of their lives to investigating and theorizing the possibility of the king's murder.

Speculation as to how exactly the king may have been murdered has lead to many differing theories based upon different scraps of evidence.

The most common murder theory belief is that the king had gotten into contact with supporters and arranged for a boat to wait for him off shore. In the process of making for the boat, he had either taken out Gudden and then ran to the boat, but upon reaching the bow, been shot and fallen back into the water. Or perhaps more commonly, it is believed that Gudden trailed behind, witnessed the shooting, and was therefore shot because he witnessed the crime.

There are some anecdotal pieces of evidence to support this story, as Jakob Lidl, a local fisherman, and supposed acquaintance (some sources say "personal fisherman") of King Ludwig, who stated in personal writings, a story similar to the one above, with Ludwig being struck down just as he boarded the boat.

In a more recently published story, another German man claims that as a child he and his mother paid a social visit to countess Josephine Gräfin von Wrbna-Kaunitz who claimed that Ludwig was actually shot, and showed them an old coat with bullet holes that she asserted belonged to the famed king. Unfortunately this can never be verified as both the countess and the coat perished in a house fire in 1973.

The pocket watch evidence is also spotty, as Ludwig may have set his watch earlier than the correct time, or Doctor Gudden simply had a more water-tight watch, making that evidence non-consequential.

At every turn researchers are met with missing or incomplete evidence and difficulties created simply through the passage of time. All of the gunshot based murder theories would have required several medical doctors present to falsify the King's autopsy, which is possible, but would have been difficult.

Unfortunately we really may never know how the King and the Doctor died. Suicide? Political motivations? A hasty escape plan?

All are possible, but not necessarily the truth.

Remembrance

After being brought to Munich, an autopsy was performed on King Ludwig's body, his remains were then transported to the court chapel and laid in state for two days. Crowds of people came to view the fallen king and expressed their sympathies.

The King lying in state

He was dressed in the official regalia of the Wittelsbach family, and in his right hand was placed a bouquet of jasmine that had been picked for him by his lifelong friend Empress Elisabeth of Austria.

King Ludwig's legacy has often been discussed by Bavarians, and to this day he has remained a popular and iconic monarch, whose rigorous spending brought prosperity to the areas in which his castles were constructed.

In fact his castles have paid for themselves many times over through admission fees charged by the Bavarian Palace Administration (that is a real thing).

While the circumstances of Ludwig's death can never be fully proven, many experts now agree that the King was not 'mad,' or at the very least the report declaring him so was unjust, instead finding that he was rather eccentric, and possibly suffering from a form of early onset dementia.

Today at the site of the indecent, a cross stands in the water, marking where the king was found. On the shore a memorial chapel was constructed, in which supporters gather every year in a service to King Ludwig.

Memorial cross for King Ludwig II

What Remains

The story of King Ludwig is an unfortunate one.

Perhaps in another time or another life, he would have excelled, as an architect, designer, or cultural luminary, but unfortunately it was never to be.

There are many theories regarding the King's behavior, perhaps he was agoraphobic?

Perhaps his mother was right in saying that Ludwig, introverted and sensitive, was ill-suited to be the monarch of a leading state.

Try as he might, fantasy filled castle after another, it seemed that the King failed to build a world for himself that brought peace, stability, and most importantly fulfillment and happiness.

In his wake however, a magnificent legacy has formed, one that Bavarians are proud of, from architecture to opera, his mark can still be found, its just a pity he wasn't able to enjoy it in his lifetime. Some recent reports have even asserted that Ludwig was a more effective monarch than previously believed, working through clerical work quickly.

Recollecting her friend, Empress Elisabeth lovingly stated,

"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."

The King who claimed he wished to remembered as an "eternal enigma," certainly did so.

In the end, King Ludwig died as mysteriously as he lived, and it is up to you, the reader, to decided whether you will remember him as "mad" King Ludwig or Der Märchenkönig, The Fairy-tale King.