Born in Nymphenburg Castle Munich, Ludwig (1845-1886) was a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty. He became King Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1864 at 18 when his father died, but alas for the Bavarians, Ludwig had no interest in politics. He became a lonely, isolated man, with no wife and no friends. His diaries suggested this devout Roman Catholic king struggled with his sexual orientation during his adult life. He was either straight, gay, bisexual or celibate, worryingly eccentric and he built expensive mountain castles.
Wagner trained Ludwig's brother Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis in his opera Lohengrin, performed for the king's 20th birthday in Aug 1865 in Hohenschwangau. The opera was well staged with Prince Paul dressed as the hero Lohengrin in silver armour, drawn over the lake by an artificial swan. The King sat alone, enraptured with the music.
King Ludwig was possessed by the idea of a holy kingdom by the Grace of God. Yet he had only two passions in life: castle building and Richard Wagner's (1813-83) music. He financed almost all the older composer's projects, had Wagner stay in his castles and bailed Wagner out when he was in debt. When Wagner was forced to leave Munich for Switzerland, Ludwig retired heartbroken to Hohenschwangau.
Originally the king had intended to surround his kingdom with five castles. The first was Castle Neuschwanstein, started in 1869 on top of a craggy, isolated mountain. The rooms that were finished had Wagner’s operatic themes in their wall decoration. The great Singer's Hall, where private performances were held at huge costs, had heroic scenes from Lohengrin and Parsifal.
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Ludwig II (right) and brother Otto (centre) with their first cousin, Prince Wilhelm of Hesse
Munich, 1863
The second was Linderhof Castle, west of Oberammergau, a palace that was also completed. Isolated among the quiet rural landscape, Linderhof contained only ten rooms, mostly servants’ bed rooms and waiting rooms.
By 1885, Bavarian Cabinet saw that Ludwig's castle-building was continuing unabated. By then the King had 3 very expensive projects well under way. Although Ludwig paid for the castles and private performances out of his own pocket, it was still diverting his focus away from the affairs of state. And he refused to meet his government ministers.
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King Vs the Bavarian Cabinet.
Wagner trained Ludwig's brother Prince Paul von Thurn und Taxis in his opera Lohengrin, performed for the king's 20th birthday in Aug 1865 in Hohenschwangau. The opera was well staged with Prince Paul dressed as the hero Lohengrin in silver armour, drawn over the lake by an artificial swan. The King sat alone, enraptured with the music.
King Ludwig was possessed by the idea of a holy kingdom by the Grace of God. Yet he had only two passions in life: castle building and Richard Wagner's (1813-83) music. He financed almost all the older composer's projects, had Wagner stay in his castles and bailed Wagner out when he was in debt. When Wagner was forced to leave Munich for Switzerland, Ludwig retired heartbroken to Hohenschwangau.
Originally the king had intended to surround his kingdom with five castles. The first was Castle Neuschwanstein, started in 1869 on top of a craggy, isolated mountain. The rooms that were finished had Wagner’s operatic themes in their wall decoration. The great Singer's Hall, where private performances were held at huge costs, had heroic scenes from Lohengrin and Parsifal.
Munich, 1863
The second was Linderhof Castle, west of Oberammergau, a palace that was also completed. Isolated among the quiet rural landscape, Linderhof contained only ten rooms, mostly servants’ bed rooms and waiting rooms.
By 1885, Bavarian Cabinet saw that Ludwig's castle-building was continuing unabated. By then the King had 3 very expensive projects well under way. Although Ludwig paid for the castles and private performances out of his own pocket, it was still diverting his focus away from the affairs of state. And he refused to meet his government ministers.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Seven weeks after King Ludwig's death in 1886, the castle was opened to the public.
King Vs the Bavarian Cabinet.
In 1886 Ludwig was warned of danger by a servant and ordered the local police to protect him, which they did. Ludwig feared he might have been declared insane by psychiatrists and deposed. So to protect himself, he investigated the possibility of HIS ousting the Cabinet instead.
Cabinet got wind of Ludwig’s plan and had to strike first, to get rid of their unwanted King. So three eminent psychiatrists (who had never actually met the king) ruled that the king was permanently insane and Ludwig was declared unfit to rule. The king had the support of his Bavarian people, but that couldn’t protect him against a rabid Cabinet. When the king did decide to escape, it was too late.
Did Cabinet want to depose the reclusive Ludwig because he was squandering fortunes on bizarre building projects and driving his kingdom to ruin? Or because he was insane? In June 1886, psychiatrist Dr Bernhard von Gudden diagnosed him as having paranoia-schizophrenia; officials arrived to place the king under arrest. He was imprisoned in Castle Berg near Munich where it was officially announced that his brother Prince Otto was to rule as permanent Regent.
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The Bavarian government's official version was that it was forced to depose the reclusive Ludwig because he was squandering vast sums of money on his castles and driving Baravaria to ruination. Because his psychiatrist had diagnosed him as suffering from paranoia, they said, the ex-King must have reacted to losing his crown by drowning himself in a fit of paranoid anger.
The drowning theory sounded ridiculous to the many who knew the king. Firstly Ludwig II was a very good swimmer. Secondly the lake was too shallow to drown. Thirdly in his original autopsy, there was no water found in Ludwig's lungs.
Modern Evidence
Now, c130 years after the king's death, new details have emerged. In a sworn affidavit, a 60-year-old Munich banker called Detlev Utermöhle recalled a scene from childhood. He and his mother were invited for afternoon tea by a Countess Josephine von Wrba-Kaunitz, who looked after some of the Wittelsbach family's assets. The countess said "Now you will find out the truth about Ludwig's death without his family knowing. I will show you all the coat he wore on the day he died." The countess opened a chest and pulled out a grey Loden coat. Utermöhle saw two bullet holes in its back and saw his late mother’s written account.
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Unfortunately for Mr Utermöhle, the king's coat was lost after a fire at Countess Wrba-Kaunitz's home in 1973 in which both she and her husband perished.
And there was evidence from Siegfried Wichmann, a Bavarian historian of C19th art who published an unknown photograph of the king's post-mortem portrait. The portrait showed blood oozing from Ludwig's mouth from the lungs, and not from drowning.
The details are convincing enough to increase calls for the House of Wittelsbach, King Ludwig's family, to allow his body to be exhumed from its tomb in St Michael's Church in Munich. Swiss scientists could scientifically examine the corpse by giving it a CT/computer tomography. While the procedure would not touch the body, it would show any gunshot wounds. But over the many decades since, no medical reports were ever re-opened for experts to analyse. The disbelief continues.
Did Cabinet want to depose the reclusive Ludwig because he was squandering fortunes on bizarre building projects and driving his kingdom to ruin? Or because he was insane? In June 1886, psychiatrist Dr Bernhard von Gudden diagnosed him as having paranoia-schizophrenia; officials arrived to place the king under arrest. He was imprisoned in Castle Berg near Munich where it was officially announced that his brother Prince Otto was to rule as permanent Regent.
Three days later Ludwig II asked his psychiatrist to walk to the local Munich lake with him; the two men were never seen alive again. Their bodies were found floating in the shallow lake waters. Given that Ludwig was doing everything he could to get his crown back, did anyone believe this devout young (41) Catholic king murdered the von Gudden and committed suicide himself? Or was it a double murder by a stranger? or perhaps a double accidental drowning?
Ex-king Ludwig and psychiatrist Dr Bernhard von Gudden
walk around the Munich lake
walk around the Munich lake
The Bavarian government's official version was that it was forced to depose the reclusive Ludwig because he was squandering vast sums of money on his castles and driving Baravaria to ruination. Because his psychiatrist had diagnosed him as suffering from paranoia, they said, the ex-King must have reacted to losing his crown by drowning himself in a fit of paranoid anger.
The drowning theory sounded ridiculous to the many who knew the king. Firstly Ludwig II was a very good swimmer. Secondly the lake was too shallow to drown. Thirdly in his original autopsy, there was no water found in Ludwig's lungs.
Modern Evidence
Now, c130 years after the king's death, new details have emerged. In a sworn affidavit, a 60-year-old Munich banker called Detlev Utermöhle recalled a scene from childhood. He and his mother were invited for afternoon tea by a Countess Josephine von Wrba-Kaunitz, who looked after some of the Wittelsbach family's assets. The countess said "Now you will find out the truth about Ludwig's death without his family knowing. I will show you all the coat he wore on the day he died." The countess opened a chest and pulled out a grey Loden coat. Utermöhle saw two bullet holes in its back and saw his late mother’s written account.
Ex-King Ludwig lies in state
1886
Additionally Jakob Lidl, the king's personal fisherman, left notes concerning the death of King Ludwig II. He was hiding in the bushes when a boat arrived to rescue the king. Shots suddenly rang out from the shore, from assassins hired by the Bavarian government to kill the king. Lidl said that Dr Von Gudden was shot as a witness. This I can believe!
1886
Additionally Jakob Lidl, the king's personal fisherman, left notes concerning the death of King Ludwig II. He was hiding in the bushes when a boat arrived to rescue the king. Shots suddenly rang out from the shore, from assassins hired by the Bavarian government to kill the king. Lidl said that Dr Von Gudden was shot as a witness. This I can believe!
Unfortunately for Mr Utermöhle, the king's coat was lost after a fire at Countess Wrba-Kaunitz's home in 1973 in which both she and her husband perished.
And there was evidence from Siegfried Wichmann, a Bavarian historian of C19th art who published an unknown photograph of the king's post-mortem portrait. The portrait showed blood oozing from Ludwig's mouth from the lungs, and not from drowning.
The details are convincing enough to increase calls for the House of Wittelsbach, King Ludwig's family, to allow his body to be exhumed from its tomb in St Michael's Church in Munich. Swiss scientists could scientifically examine the corpse by giving it a CT/computer tomography. While the procedure would not touch the body, it would show any gunshot wounds. But over the many decades since, no medical reports were ever re-opened for experts to analyse. The disbelief continues.