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Description
My personal favorit of german history!

LUDWIG II, king of Bavaria (* 1845 -† 1886) and so called "Märchenprinz"!

Starring:
Germany as Ludwig (same name, a coincidence?!)
Austria as Wagner
Prussia as...Prussia xD

Some facts:
Ludwig II life was a very short and tragic one.
Born into the royal house of Wittelsbacher, which are said to have been infected with insanity, he was the successor of his father for the crown of Bavaria and became king when he was 18 years old in the year 1864.
His life was a controversy in every possible aspect.
Even though he signed the military contract against prussia in 1966 and made Bavaria go into war with austria, he was absolutly indifferent to this. He gave all responsibilities for the war to his ministers and went on a journey to switzerland, to meet Wagner (a famous german musician). Bavaria and Austria lost the war and had to pay huge repayment fees, but Ludwig wasn't interested and instead traveled through Bavaria, looking at it's architecture and visiting theatres and operas.
Just, to avoid misunderstandings, he didn't ignore his royal responsibilities. He read every contract and worked on the daily papers on time till his death. It was just that what he did in itself was never nearly interesting enough.
Ludwig engaged himself suddenly with countess Sophie from Bavaria, empress Elizabeth of Austria's younger sister and both countrys were thrilled and spend great amounts of money to get everything ready. But Ludwig delayed the marriage more and more and finally broke it, to everyones great frustration.
IN FACT, it is highly possible that Ludwig II had been homosexual, because of his secret diary entries are even theories about him becoming intimate with the count of Thurn and Taxis as well as his subordinates (to the point where some people even accuse him of raping members of the horseman troops). He also told his close friends more then just once about his disinterest in the female gender. And - in a more weirdly funny way - the "childrens room" of Schloss Neuschwanstein has painted walls, depicting HUNDRETS of naked young men, making male visitors uncomfortable ever since it became accessible for visitors in 1886.
He was forced to sign the emperor letter in 1870, with which he declared that he would like to see the prussian king, Wilhelm I, as emperor of Germany. He started traveling again, but became depressed and frustrated and many of his friendships with artists broke.
In 1886, a group of doctors declared him insane without closer inspection, leading to his discharge and his uncle Luitpolds and later his brother Ottos reign. He tried to ask for help from the bavarian population, but he ignored Bismarcks (prussias leader) advice to show himself to his people. Ludwig also ignored offered help, leading to his downfall.
He was kept imprisoned inside his beloved Schloss Neuschwanstein and wasn't even allowed to leave for the whitsunday mess on 13th June, but was allowed to take a walk with his doctor and two subordinates in the morning. A second walk was made in the evening, without the subordinates. Despite wanting to return for dinner at eight, neither the doctor nor the king came back and soon people started searching for them. At around 10pm, they found the corpses of both the king and doctor, floating in the Starnberger lake.
Up to this day, nobody knows why and how exactly both died.
Theories go from Ludwig trying to commit suicide and the doctor trying to stop him, resulting in both of them drowning to the doctor trying to kill the king and dying, too and even goes as far as believing that a third person killed the king and that the doctor was killed, since he had been a witness.
He died in the early age of 41 years, staying unmarried and without children.

Some more facts:
Ludwig II was hated and loved at his time, depending on who to ask.
The military and many people in his country hated him, because he "wasted" money in great ammounts, ignoring the wars and the poverties that the wars brought. They saw him as a mad man, that was in a powerful position to hunt dreams instead of behaving true to his position. Especially since Ludwig didn't even react to any of Prussias regular threats, he was considered a coward and seen as unfit for the position of king.
But he was also loved by artists far and wide. He spend unbelievable ammounts of money in art, especially in Wagner and many architects and gardeners. Artists all over europe came and presented him their works, some dedicated him art (for example Bruckner with his 7th symphony). He build three of the most famous castles of Germany (and one of them is surely the most famous german castle in the world): Schloss Herrenchiemsee (after designs from Versailles), Schloss Linderhof (which became his favorite stay) and the undoubtly famous Schloss Neuschwanstein (which later inspired Disney for Sleeping Beautys Castle and is seen on most german advertisment). But his true love always stayed with the music, making it possible for Wagner alone to compose 9 operas and 8 symphonies in twenty years, containing the famous opera series "The Ring of the Nibelung".
Today, his reception is purely positive. People are obsessed with his life and grateful to his dedication for art, which made Germany stand on the same step as Austria and italy on the topic of operas and stand on the same step as France in Architecture. He was a peaceful king with a exquisite taste for beauty.
He was also greatly interested in technology.
He founded the later Technology University München, had a personal photography studio in his castle as early as 1867, his castles had telephone, electricity, toilets with water, elevators, central heating and his grotto in Schloss Linderhof even had a swimming pool with artificial waves. He also built the first electric power station worldwide when he put a big dynamo machine to Schloss Linderberg. His "Nymphenschlitten", a sleigh, was probably the first vehicle that had electric light. And he was finally the one that ordered the invention of the color Indigo Blue through chemicals, making this color accessible through artificial processes for the very first time.

_________________________________

In case, somebody still wonders, why he should know about this king, he was the one paying a man called Wilhelm Richard Wagner to compose a song that surely almost EVERYONE of you has heard at least once:
Flight of the Valkyries"

And be sure to visit the beautiful Schloss Neuschwanstein, in case you visit Germany

Description
My personal favorit of german history!

LUDWIG II, king of Bavaria (* 1845 -† 1886) and so called "Märchenprinz"!

Starring:
Germany as Ludwig (same name, a coincidence?!)
Austria as Wagner
Prussia as...Prussia xD

Some facts:
Ludwig II life was a very short and tragic one.
Born into the royal house of Wittelsbacher, which are said to have been infected with insanity, he was the successor of his father for the crown of Bavaria and became king when he was 18 years old in the year 1864.
His life was a controversy in every possible aspect.
Even though he signed the military contract against prussia in 1966 and made Bavaria go into war with austria, he was absolutly indifferent to this. He gave all responsibilities for the war to his ministers and went on a journey to switzerland, to meet Wagner (a famous german musician). Bavaria and Austria lost the war and had to pay huge repayment fees, but Ludwig wasn't interested and instead traveled through Bavaria, looking at it's architecture and visiting theatres and operas.
Just, to avoid misunderstandings, he didn't ignore his royal responsibilities. He read every contract and worked on the daily papers on time till his death. It was just that what he did in itself was never nearly interesting enough.
Ludwig engaged himself suddenly with countess Sophie from Bavaria, empress Elizabeth of Austria's younger sister and both countrys were thrilled and spend great amounts of money to get everything ready. But Ludwig delayed the marriage more and more and finally broke it, to everyones great frustration.
IN FACT, it is highly possible that Ludwig II had been homosexual, because of his secret diary entries are even theories about him becoming intimate with the count of Thurn and Taxis as well as his subordinates (to the point where some people even accuse him of raping members of the horseman troops). He also told his close friends more then just once about his disinterest in the female gender. And - in a more weirdly funny way - the "childrens room" of Schloss Neuschwanstein has painted walls, depicting HUNDRETS of naked young men, making male visitors uncomfortable ever since it became accessible for visitors in 1886.
He was forced to sign the emperor letter in 1870, with which he declared that he would like to see the prussian king, Wilhelm I, as emperor of Germany. He started traveling again, but became depressed and frustrated and many of his friendships with artists broke.
In 1886, a group of doctors declared him insane without closer inspection, leading to his discharge and his uncle Luitpolds and later his brother Ottos reign. He tried to ask for help from the bavarian population, but he ignored Bismarcks (prussias leader) advice to show himself to his people. Ludwig also ignored offered help, leading to his downfall.
He was kept imprisoned inside his beloved Schloss Neuschwanstein and wasn't even allowed to leave for the whitsunday mess on 13th June, but was allowed to take a walk with his doctor and two subordinates in the morning. A second walk was made in the evening, without the subordinates. Despite wanting to return for dinner at eight, neither the doctor nor the king came back and soon people started searching for them. At around 10pm, they found the corpses of both the king and doctor, floating in the Starnberger lake.
Up to this day, nobody knows why and how exactly both died.
Theories go from Ludwig trying to commit suicide and the doctor trying to stop him, resulting in both of them drowning to the doctor trying to kill the king and dying, too and even goes as far as believing that a third person killed the king and that the doctor was killed, since he had been a witness.
He died in the early age of 41 years, staying unmarried and without children.

Some more facts:
Ludwig II was hated and loved at his time, depending on who to ask.
The military and many people in his country hated him, because he "wasted" money in great ammounts, ignoring the wars and the poverties that the wars brought. They saw him as a mad man, that was in a powerful position to hunt dreams instead of behaving true to his position. Especially since Ludwig didn't even react to any of Prussias regular threats, he was considered a coward and seen as unfit for the position of king.
But he was also loved by artists far and wide. He spend unbelievable ammounts of money in art, especially in Wagner and many architects and gardeners. Artists all over europe came and presented him their works, some dedicated him art (for example Bruckner with his 7th symphony). He build three of the most famous castles of Germany (and one of them is surely the most famous german castle in the world): Schloss Herrenchiemsee (after designs from Versailles), Schloss Linderhof (which became his favorite stay) and the undoubtly famous Schloss Neuschwanstein (which later inspired Disney for Sleeping Beautys Castle and is seen on most german advertisment). But his true love always stayed with the music, making it possible for Wagner alone to compose 9 operas and 8 symphonies in twenty years, containing the famous opera series "The Ring of the Nibelung".
Today, his reception is purely positive. People are obsessed with his life and grateful to his dedication for art, which made Germany stand on the same step as Austria and italy on the topic of operas and stand on the same step as France in Architecture. He was a peaceful king with a exquisite taste for beauty.
He was also greatly interested in technology.
He founded the later Technology University München, had a personal photography studio in his castle as early as 1867, his castles had telephone, electricity, toilets with water, elevators, central heating and his grotto in Schloss Linderhof even had a swimming pool with artificial waves. He also built the first electric power station worldwide when he put a big dynamo machine to Schloss Linderberg. His "Nymphenschlitten", a sleigh, was probably the first vehicle that had electric light. And he was finally the one that ordered the invention of the color Indigo Blue through chemicals, making this color accessible through artificial processes for the very first time.

_________________________________

In case, somebody still wonders, why he should know about this king, he was the one paying a man called Wilhelm Richard Wagner to compose a song that surely almost EVERYONE of you has heard at least once:
Flight of the Valkyries"

And be sure to visit the beautiful Schloss Neuschwanstein, in case you visit Germany