Ludwig II of Bavaria

Names
	Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm

Ludwig II
Ludwig II
	Ludwig, c. 1874
King of Bavaria
Reign	10 March 1864 – 13 June 1886
Predecessor	Maximilian II
Successor	Otto
Prime Ministers	See list Baron Karl Schrenck von Notzing; Max Ritter von Neumayr; Baron Karl Ludwig von der Pfordten; Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst; Count Otto von Bray-Steinburg; Baron Friedrich von Hegnenberg-Dux; Adolph von Pfretzschner; Johann von Lutz;
Born	25 August 1845; Nymphenburg Palace, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Died	13 June 1886 (aged 40); Lake Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany
Burial	St. Michael's Church, Munich
Names
Names
	Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm
House	Wittelsbach
Father	Maximilian II of Bavaria
Mother	Marie of Prussia
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886),^[1] also called the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King (der Märchenkönig), was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Franconia, and Duke in Swabia.^[2] Outside Germany, he is at times called "the Mad King" or "Mad King Ludwig".^[3]

Ludwig ascended to the throne in 1864 at the age of 18 but increasingly withdrew from day-to-day affairs of state in favour of extravagant artistic and architectural projects. He commissioned the construction of lavish palaces: Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace, and Herrenchiemsee. He was also a devoted patron of the composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig spent all his own private royal revenues (although not state funds as is commonly thought) on these projects, borrowed extensively, and defied all attempts by his ministers to restrain him. This extravagance was used against him to declare him insane, an accusation that has since come under scrutiny.^[3]

Ludwig was taken into custody and effectively deposed on 12 June 1886, and he and his doctor were found dead on the following day. His death was ruled to be a suicide, a decision that has since been disputed.^[4] Today, his architectural and artistic legacy includes many of Bavaria's most important tourist attractions.

^ At 00.28 hours: J.G. Wolf 1922, p. 16. Compare Ludwig's remark to Anton Niggl on 11/12 June 1886 about being born and going to die at 12.30 (Hacker 1966, p. 363 quoting Gerold 1914, pp. 91–93)
^ Adreßbuch für München (in German). Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: Ackermann. 1876.
^ ^a ^b Thadeusz, Frank (31 January 2014). "Mad King Ludwig? Study claims Bavarian monarch was sane". Der Spiegel. Hamburg. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
^ Cite error: The named reference spiegel-07 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1] At 00.28 hours: J.G. Wolf 1922, p. 16. Compare Ludwig's remark to Anton Niggl on 11/12 June 1886 about being born and going to die at 12.30 (Hacker 1966, p. 363 quoting Gerold 1914, pp. 91–93)

[2] Adreßbuch für München (in German). Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: Ackermann. 1876.

[:Der_Spiegel-3] Thadeusz, Frank (31 January 2014). "Mad King Ludwig? Study claims Bavarian monarch was sane". Der Spiegel. Hamburg. Retrieved 1 February 2014.

[spiegel-07-4] Cite error: The named reference spiegel-07 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]