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Ludwig II, The Mad King of Bavaria
Ludwig II was born in 1845 and succeeded to the throne in 1864 and was king for just over twenty years. He was patron to Richard Wagner and built the theatre at Bayreuth where the first complete performance of "Der Ring des Nibelugen" was staged. In 1886 he was declared insane and soon after was found drowned in Lake Stainberg. Chapman-Huston brings us this story of his life; he was given complete freedom of the secret Archives of the Royal House of Wittelsbach with access to all documents, diaries, memoranda and letters to and from King Ludwig II and was allowed to use them as he wished. This is a definitive biography on Kind Ludwig II, based on first hand material
314 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 27, 2014
I read this book in its original 1955 version, under the title Bavarian Fantasy: Ludwig II. Chapman-Huston, in fact, seems to take care to avoid the phrase "Mad King Ludwig." I suppose this book has to be read in light of the fact that it was written by an Englishman, with the cooperation of the then current pretender to the Bavarian throne, Crown Prince Rupprecht. Chapman-Huston died before the book came out, and Rupprecht died shortly after. It also seems to be the first biography of Ludwig written with the benefit of the House of Wittelsbach's copious archives, opened for the first time for Chapman-Huston's perusal. Despite the author's fealty to the family, the book doesn't pull too many punches when it comes to Ludwig's mental decline or the embarrassingly mooning, self-absorbed, romantic, adolescent nature of his dissociation from the world. It also does a bit to put that tragedy in context, including pointing out that it was Ludwig's mental state that allowed Otto von Bismarck to wrest Bavaria's 50% interest in the German imperial crown and secure it entirely under Prussian control, thus preventing the looming possibility of Bavaria defecting to the French side in the Franco-Prussian War (Ludwig's infatuation with the Bourbons and Louis XVI in particular as well as his affection for his in-laws from the Bourbons then ruling Spain (for his Habsburg in-laws not so much) being particularly interesting in this light). Ludwig himself couldn't be bothered with any of this boring statesmanship stuff because he was too busy courting Richard Wagner, attending operas, holding command performances in his castle's lavishly designed rooftop glass-enclosed tropical Winter Garden, and--the implication here seems to be--getting naked and nasty with his cousin, Prince Paul of Thurn and Taxis (whose family, rather tellingly, destroyed everything of Paul's correspondence with Ludwig that they had, plus any other related records). Perhaps if Ludwig hadn't been simply phoning in his executive duties, he would have showed some backbone at the Versailles summit, prevented Bismarck's consolidation of the empire (it would have then been harder to keep Baden and Württemberg pro-Prussia--maybe even Westphalia) and thus undercut the possibility of Germany being the main aggressor and, in the second case, instigator of two world wars. The political world order as we know it would be entirely different today if Ludwig's uncle had stepped in earlier, sent Ludwig to the funny farm, and made himself Regent, as was later done with Ludwig's even crazier younger brother and successor King Otto. But alas, it was not to be.
But what WERE Ludwig's demons, precisely? He was spoiled, petulant, and too emotionally immature to be king, and was traumatized by his being thrust into power, that is sure: but Chapman-Huston is rather coy in his selections from and glosses on the diary and letter excerpts which are the real meat of this riveting story. Was he just a guilty, obsessive masturbator? Did he have homosexual desires? or did he act on them--first with Paul of Taxis (I would say yes; their letters are mushy and far beyond the excesses of bromance, EVEN by the standards of the age, which I am sufficiently versed in to avoid jumping to unwarranted conclusions) and then, rather pathetically, with a succession of members of his palace staff, moving downward sadly from his equerry to lowly footmen? Surely, there must be a more recent biography which explores all this more candidly. It's quite a story. Suggestions welcome.
As it was, the Bavarian royal family, during and after Hitler's war, had the most impeccably anti-Nazi credentials of any German royal dynasty, and one can see the seeds of it in the family as they were nearly a century earlier. Though some branches and twigs on the tree were barking mad (block that metaphor!), it was a constitutional monarchy that had provisions for passing over the wack-jobs to make sure the crown settled on cooler heads. The fact that the system failed with Ludwig is a tragedy. If not for that and bad-luck timing, these are the Germans who could have saved Europe. As it was, Mad King Ludwig has given us remarkable architecture and a huge body of Wagner's compositions which he financed. Sigh. I suppose I'm a monarchist at heart.
But what WERE Ludwig's demons, precisely? He was spoiled, petulant, and too emotionally immature to be king, and was traumatized by his being thrust into power, that is sure: but Chapman-Huston is rather coy in his selections from and glosses on the diary and letter excerpts which are the real meat of this riveting story. Was he just a guilty, obsessive masturbator? Did he have homosexual desires? or did he act on them--first with Paul of Taxis (I would say yes; their letters are mushy and far beyond the excesses of bromance, EVEN by the standards of the age, which I am sufficiently versed in to avoid jumping to unwarranted conclusions) and then, rather pathetically, with a succession of members of his palace staff, moving downward sadly from his equerry to lowly footmen? Surely, there must be a more recent biography which explores all this more candidly. It's quite a story. Suggestions welcome.
As it was, the Bavarian royal family, during and after Hitler's war, had the most impeccably anti-Nazi credentials of any German royal dynasty, and one can see the seeds of it in the family as they were nearly a century earlier. Though some branches and twigs on the tree were barking mad (block that metaphor!), it was a constitutional monarchy that had provisions for passing over the wack-jobs to make sure the crown settled on cooler heads. The fact that the system failed with Ludwig is a tragedy. If not for that and bad-luck timing, these are the Germans who could have saved Europe. As it was, Mad King Ludwig has given us remarkable architecture and a huge body of Wagner's compositions which he financed. Sigh. I suppose I'm a monarchist at heart.
April 30, 2023
Ah Ludwig. You beautiful, sensitive, tortured, repressed man.
Reading your letters and secret diary... I felt I understood you. How I wish you could have told someone how much you suffered and that your eccentricities and volatile moods were symptoms of a personality disorder. And that your aloof nature or misanthropy were only defense mechanisms against the severe, stiff and constricting heterosexual norms of your time.
Fairy King, they called you.
But there was not much fairy dust in your life. Only clandestine love affairs to hold onto for a while as you drifted in an ocean of loneliness.
In your beloved Bavaria, you built the most romantic castles but as they went up, your mental health declined. Still, those castles stand today.
You were not noble. You were not a great King. You were a lover of beauty. A benefactor and admirer of Wagner, who without your financial support, could not have continued to compose his impressive music and operas.
The love you needed was a dark and sinful secret that threatened your kingdom and heritage. There was no coming out for you. Only caving in night after night.
In your diary, you wrote of last "falls", swearing there would be no more kisses, no more secret pleasures. But the rapturous month of May would come every year, showering the Bavarian hills in golden light, waking nature from her slumber, and the flowers would bloom...
How could you resist the new stableman or the new young actor cast to play Tristan in your Great Friend's new opera?
A secret carriage ride under the Bavarian full moon and you were no longer the mad Ludwig sneaking away with another man in the night... You were Eros and he was Apollo. Then in the morning, the toothaches, the pounding in your brain. The pain and suffering...
Your brother Otto had it. Your aunt Alexandra had it. You knew you were going down that path too. You knew the rotting tooth could be taken out but the illness in your brain was something no one could help you with.
In the end, you could not endure people anymore. You sought relief from their pettiness and small minds.
The inevitable had to happen. They declared you insane and kidnapped you. You managed to get away for a walk... Accompanied by a man who had betrayed you.
On June 13th 1886, you removed your hat and discarded your coat and umbrella and walked into the lake. He must have tried to stop you but you were 6 feet and 3 inches. 39 years old. Strong.
They found both of your bodies in less than three feet of water. Drowned.
You always loved the water. Swan king.
Reading your letters and secret diary... I felt I understood you. How I wish you could have told someone how much you suffered and that your eccentricities and volatile moods were symptoms of a personality disorder. And that your aloof nature or misanthropy were only defense mechanisms against the severe, stiff and constricting heterosexual norms of your time.
Fairy King, they called you.
But there was not much fairy dust in your life. Only clandestine love affairs to hold onto for a while as you drifted in an ocean of loneliness.
In your beloved Bavaria, you built the most romantic castles but as they went up, your mental health declined. Still, those castles stand today.
You were not noble. You were not a great King. You were a lover of beauty. A benefactor and admirer of Wagner, who without your financial support, could not have continued to compose his impressive music and operas.
The love you needed was a dark and sinful secret that threatened your kingdom and heritage. There was no coming out for you. Only caving in night after night.
In your diary, you wrote of last "falls", swearing there would be no more kisses, no more secret pleasures. But the rapturous month of May would come every year, showering the Bavarian hills in golden light, waking nature from her slumber, and the flowers would bloom...
How could you resist the new stableman or the new young actor cast to play Tristan in your Great Friend's new opera?
A secret carriage ride under the Bavarian full moon and you were no longer the mad Ludwig sneaking away with another man in the night... You were Eros and he was Apollo. Then in the morning, the toothaches, the pounding in your brain. The pain and suffering...
Your brother Otto had it. Your aunt Alexandra had it. You knew you were going down that path too. You knew the rotting tooth could be taken out but the illness in your brain was something no one could help you with.
In the end, you could not endure people anymore. You sought relief from their pettiness and small minds.
The inevitable had to happen. They declared you insane and kidnapped you. You managed to get away for a walk... Accompanied by a man who had betrayed you.
On June 13th 1886, you removed your hat and discarded your coat and umbrella and walked into the lake. He must have tried to stop you but you were 6 feet and 3 inches. 39 years old. Strong.
They found both of your bodies in less than three feet of water. Drowned.
You always loved the water. Swan king.
September 27, 2017
For anyone researching the life and death of Ludwig II of Bavaria, there are two essential biographies in English. "The Swan King" by Christopher McIntosh, and this one by Desmond Chapman-Huston. McIntosh's biography is a more traditional telling of Ludwig's life. Chapman-Huston's bio is unique in that he is the only biographer to have been given access to the private records and diaries of Ludwig. Many of Ludwig's letters are quoted directly in this book.
The main issue I took with McIntosh's biography was his dated view of homosexuality. Unfortunately, Chapman-Huston's take on Ludwig's sexual orientation is even more laughable and will leave most modern readers gagging. I realize this was published in the 1950s, but still. I suppose the book has value as time capsule in its own right. There has been as much time passed between Ludgwig's death and the publication of this book as there has from the publication of the book until now. Chapman-Huston's take on general psychology is simply wrong in most instances, and outrageous in others. It is all presented as enlightened and a bit condescending towards those barbarians in the 19th Century. Fascinating, but also frustrating.
But I digress. There is insight to be gained from Ludwig's personal letters and diary, even if you have to slog through Chapman-Huston's opinions. If you are really just interested in a traditional biography of Ludwig, I think McIntosh is a more enjoyable read.
The main issue I took with McIntosh's biography was his dated view of homosexuality. Unfortunately, Chapman-Huston's take on Ludwig's sexual orientation is even more laughable and will leave most modern readers gagging. I realize this was published in the 1950s, but still. I suppose the book has value as time capsule in its own right. There has been as much time passed between Ludgwig's death and the publication of this book as there has from the publication of the book until now. Chapman-Huston's take on general psychology is simply wrong in most instances, and outrageous in others. It is all presented as enlightened and a bit condescending towards those barbarians in the 19th Century. Fascinating, but also frustrating.
But I digress. There is insight to be gained from Ludwig's personal letters and diary, even if you have to slog through Chapman-Huston's opinions. If you are really just interested in a traditional biography of Ludwig, I think McIntosh is a more enjoyable read.
April 13, 2020
Sûrement mon douzième livres sur Louis II de Bavière lu :D L’auteur aurait eu accès aux archives secrètes de la maison royale des wittelsbach, ce qui fait que nous retrouvons toutes les lettres que Louis II envoyait ou recevait. Bijoux.
Je regrette juste de ne pas avoir plus de passages sur la « folie » de ce roi. Ce livre ne m’aura pas permis de me sentir proche du roi comme d’autres livres mais j’ai trouvé les informations très intéressantes et surtout toutes ces lettres !
Je regrette juste de ne pas avoir plus de passages sur la « folie » de ce roi. Ce livre ne m’aura pas permis de me sentir proche du roi comme d’autres livres mais j’ai trouvé les informations très intéressantes et surtout toutes ces lettres !
January 20, 2012
Loved the excerpts from letters and the diary. However, this book was very confusing. While it focused on his relationships with Wagner, Hornig, etc, I would have been interested in more information about his role as King.
January 24, 2024
A little hard to read/follow at times, but so interesting. A story better than fiction!
March 29, 2025
Really enjoyed this
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews