Fairy Tale King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Mad or Murdered?

Who Was Ludwig II of Bavaria?

King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886) was found dead in a lake on 13 June 1886. The death was officially declared a suicide, yet many believe that Ludwig was murdered, most likely on the orders of the Bavarian government, which had declared that Ludwig was mad and incapable of ruling only three days earlier.

This is the story of the life of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, one of the most intriguing, eccentric, infamous and tragic nineteenth-century kings.

Where Is Bavaria?

Bavaria is the English name for Bayern, one of the states that make up modern-day Germany. Bavaria used to be an independent kingdom. It joined with other German-speaking kingdoms, duchies and principalities to form Germany in 1871, although Bavaria had its own kings until 1918 and retains its own sense of identity.

Ludwig was born near Munich on 25 August 1845, the oldest son of Prince Maximilian II of Bavaria and Princess Marie of Prussia. His grandfather was King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

Accounts of his childhood suggest it was often an unhappy and withdrawn one. He was often reminded of his royal position and educated through a strict regime of exercise and study. He is thought to have spent his happiest times at Schloss Hohenschwangau near Füssen, a castle his father had built amongst the stunningly beautiful scenery of Southern Bavaria.

In 1864 Ludwig's father, Maximilian I, died, and the eighteen-year-old Ludwig became King of Bavaria.

The Fairy Tale King

Ludwig II became known as der Märchenkonig or, in English, "the fairy tale king." Throughout his reign, he embarked on a programme of building over-the-top ornate castles inspired by fairy tales, ancient Germanic sagas, and the works of the composer Richard Wagner who he greatly admired.

These castles include:

• Schloss Neuschwanstein, which was built near Castle Hohenschwangau, his childhood home
• Schloss Herrenchiemsee, modeled on the famous Palace of Versailles near Paris
• Schloss Linderhof, an ornate palace in Rococo style with its own grotto

He also extended the royal apartment in Residenz Palace in Munich, including a conservatory with an ornamental lake, and funded the construction of an opera house (Festspielhaus) in the town of Bayreuth.

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Sun King Versus the Moon King

Ludwig II saw himself as a "moon king," a shadow of King Louis XIV of France (1638-1715), who was famously known as the Sun King.

Louis XIV was an absolute monarch who believed in the divine rights of monarchs to govern with unrestricted powers over government and state. One of his most famous legacies is the great Palace of Versailles, just outside of Paris.

In contrast, King Ludwig II of Bavaria was a constitutional monarch, meaning there were constraints on his powers, and in terms of wealth and power, he did not come close to reaching that which had been held by Louis XIV in France.

Ludwig II does not seem to have desired the political power of a divine ruler like Louis XIV. He was not particularly interested in government affairs and avoided official functions as much as possible. He tended to ignore the government and focused his attention on building extremely grand, opulent and expensive castles.

In castle building, Ludwig certainly took some inspiration from Louis XIV. His famous Palace of Versailles inspired Ludwig, for example, and Ludwig built his own "Hall of Mirrors" in Schloss Linderhof, copying Louis XIV's famous version.

Ludwig vs Louis

Ludwig's Hall of Mirrors in Schloss Linderhof was modeled on one of the most famous rooms in the Palace of Versailles.

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Loss of Bavarian Independence

In the early years of his reign, Ludwig II played some part in politics. During the Seven Weeks War, Bavaria joined the side of Austria along with other German-speaking states, including Saxony, Wurttemburg, Hanover and Hesse-Darmstadt, against Prussia and its allies.

This war was settled by a peace treaty agreeing that Bavaria would support Prussia. This meant that Bavaria became involved in the Franco-Prussian war and eventually led to the creation of a new German state.

In 1870, in return for financial concessions, Ludwig II was forced to sign a letter declaring that Bavaria was no longer an independent state and was now part of the German empire that was just forming. Ludwig's uncle Wilhelm I was declared German emperor.

Expensive Castle Building

From this period onwards, Ludwig II's attention was increasingly focused on castle building, the arts and theatre, and away from government. The problem with this focus was that castle building was expensive and led to Ludwig borrowing a great deal of money to finance his plans. He used his personal money initially, then turned to borrowing more and more from his family.

Despite using personal money and borrowing, this was a problem for the Bavarian government, as having a king in debt to a significant proportion of the royal families in Europe was not helpful. By the time of his death, he was 14 million marks in debt and busy drawing up more plans for lavish castles. He had no intention of stopping.

In 1885, displeased by the government's unwillingness to assist in his castle-building plans, he threatened to sack the whole cabinet. The government reacted by moving to declare him insane.

Was Ludwig II Insane?

Whether he was insane is still hotly debated. He certainly was eccentric, reclusive, and perhaps not really in touch with reality, but this does not mean he was medically insane. He was also homosexual at a time when not all people were accepting of such things. This was a particular problem as a King was supposed to produce heirs. No doubt this contributed to the impression of insanity.

Inside Neuschwanstein

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Timeline Leading to Ludwig II's Death

Declaration of Insanity

On 10 June 1886, the government had had enough and declared that Ludwig's uncle Luitpold was the Prince Regent, with Ludwig II incapable of rule.

Ludwig II was popular with the Bavarian people. Some suggest if he had acted quicker, he may have got them to rally in his support. However, he dithered for a couple of days until, on 12 June, the Bavarian government seized him and took him to Castle Berg near Lake Starnberg. The castle had been redesigned in neo-gothic style by Ludwig's father, Maximilian I, and Ludwig II had stayed there some summers.

Death

On 13 June at 6 pm, Ludwig II asked to go for a walk around the lake. He set off along with one of the psychiatrists who had declared him insane, Dr Bernard Van Gudden. The men never returned and were eventually found dead. Ludwig's death was officially declared to be suicide by drowning, yet there are inconsistencies in the story.

The autopsy said that there was no water in Ludwig's lungs, making drowning as a cause of death seem unlikely. There was also evidence that Dr Van Gudden had been strangled and hit on the head. Notes found on the deathbed of a local fisherman who died in 1933 claimed that Ludwig had been shot. The fisherman, Jacob Lidl said he had witnessed this while hiding behind a bush waiting to help Ludwig II escape and that he had been forced to sign a statement swearing he would never tell this to anyone.