"Perhaps Mama is wrong when she says the king was no fool, but rather a loner who lived in (different) ideal worlds..."
(Marie Valérie, daughter of Empress Elisabeth of Austria)
"He doesn't want to; he would rather live in his dream land, in Wagnerism..."
(Eduard von Bomhard)
"I only long for freedom, freedom, for freedom I thirst..."
(Ludwig II, 1867)
"I have always understood Your Majesty's poetical inclination for the mountains, with their crevices, tumbling streams, waterfalls, moss-covered rocks, and narrow animal trails, but only now do I appreciate it completely. Here (in the mountains), one is truly closer to nature and farther from people"
(Lila von Bulyorszky)
"...wandered at the banquet and that he remembered only occasionally to come back to a conversation which did not surpass the ordinary courtly small talk (...)...I have to admit with slight disappointment that my attempt to involve him in an interesting conversation remained unsuccessful..."
(Otto von Bismarck)
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Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886), has certainly been remembered like no other king, specially due to his extraordinary building projects. During the last period of his life, the matter of whether the King was mentally ill or just had an eccentric and perhaps visionary personality arose among the royalty and government. The fact is that the "Swan King" had truly ideas and perceptions not from his time, but a greater view of the world and the functioning (or non-functioning, for that matter) of the society as a whole.
Born in Nymphenburg and proclaimed king at a very early age, Ludwig showed signs of a possible social phobia ever since the first mandatory duties to the court and events where the King's presence was officially requested. On the other hand, he showed great interest in the technical developments that marked the start of the industrial revolution in the second half of the 19th century, in particular regarding flying machines, becoming fascinated with the idea of flight. Later, during the last years of his life, this inner desire of being "removed from the earth through air" would serve as a possible evidence of mental illness and "excessive imagination", beyond limits of reality.
During his journeys , a greater part of the time Ludwig spent in a failed attempt to excuse himself from royal duties, causing disappointment and misconception from a political point of view. However, during many of these travels, the King gathered ideas for his beloved constructions, in special the palace of Versailles, later inspiration for Linderhof, the only one whose completion Ludwig lived to see.
The King's friendships with liberal artists might have been one of his means to get away from the society he so despised. Beyond his devoted relation with composer Richard Wagner, actors and actresses were the king's favourite companions, among them Lila von Bulyorszky, Marie Dahn-Hausmann and Josef Kainz. His constructions, in special Neuschwanstein, illustrate the passion for works such as Tannhäuser, Lohengrin and Parsifal, being the perfect refuge in a fairytale land of hopes and dreams where he never had a chance to live.
Could Ludwig II have longed for an alternative world to his tumulted reality and created a dimension only he knew how to be a part of? During the last years of his life, the King had withdrawn from the real world to such a degree that he was unable to perform his tasks in the government. The more his fantastic ideas grew, the more his relationship with the cabinet sank. Immersed in debts, even when Ludwig was declared officially mad by authorities, his only joy was to seek a way to continue financing his constructions.
In a time where what was normally expected form a King was to rule its people, Ludwig II chose to go beyond social duties. When technology consisted of aspiring ideas for the future, Ludwig II dreamt of flying and constructing outstanding buildings. While the public concern went towards wars and alliances, Ludwig II valued artistic expressions and potential works from upcoming personalities. Above all, he was a tormented figure that was victim of his own internal world and of a royal burden carried on from generations.
Ludwig's tragic death on the waters of lake Starnberg still intrigues admirors nowadays. The loving memory of a fascinating mind leaves nothing but fairytale dreams to be discovered by many, but comprehended by few.
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"A charming King, blessed with all of God's gifts! From his forefathers he inherited the passionate love for beauty and greatness, and a kindness that delighted his people...Of ideal beauty, open-hearted for everything that was uplifting and moving, he ascended to the throne, adored by his people. He was the most popular King."
(Pope Leo XIII)
References:
Schad, M. (2001). Ludwig II. Munich: DTV Portrait.
Merkle, L. (2011). Ludwig II and his dream castles: The fantasy world of a Storybook King. Munich:Stiebner
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