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Achievements in political career
Ludwig II succeeded to the throne at the age of 1864. His young and handsome appearance makes him very popular in Bavaria and abroad. Although his first question after he ascended the throne was the expectations of the court and people for bearing royal heirs, Ludwig II never married. He was engaged to his cousin, Princess Sophie of Austria (Sissi's sister), but the wedding date was postponed again and again, and finally the engagement was cancelled by Ludwig II. Sophie married Ferdinand Philip Marie, Duke of Arancon.
Ludwig II supported Austria in the Puo-Austrian War, which put him in a passive position against Prussia, the first German power, after Austria's defeat. 1867, like many other German princes who realized that the balance of power had changed forever, he joined the Prussian-led alliance. According to the treaty signed by both sides, Bavaria joined the Prussian side in the Franco-Prussian War. At Bismarck's behest, Ludwig II wrote to King William I of Prussia in February 1870, requesting him to ascend to the throne of the German Empire. As a result of this play, William I became the emperor of unified Germany, and Bavaria's independent status ended.
During the reign of Ludwig II, he was always considered gay. It is said that his lovers include Richard Honegger, a royal bodyguard, Joseph Bernd Kaintz, a Hungarian playwright, and alfons Weber, a courtier. From 1869, he wrote down his distress about his abnormal sexual orientation in his diary, hoping to curb this evil desire and "return to Catholicism".
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achievements of art
summary
Ludwig was obsessed with music culture and was keen on building castles and palaces. The construction of these castles not only exhausted Ludwig's private wealth, but also swallowed up a lot of national budget. Due to more and more debts, Ludwig's ministers and relatives arranged a hasty mental test for him in June +0886+10/October 65438. As a result, Ludwig was diagnosed as mentally ill and no longer fit to govern the country. So the lonely and autocratic king moved to a mental hospital, which was transformed from a castle by Steinberg Lake. 1886 One night in June, Ludwig and his doctor went for a walk by the lake, but neither of them came back. There were only a few footprints with water where he fell into the water and drowned.
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Neuschwanstein
Neuschwanstein Castle has always been the embodiment of the romantic and elegant middle ages in this fairy tale king's heart. The charm of the castle itself and the sad story of the king add a touch of sadness and romance to this exquisite castle. As the cousin of Austrian Queen Cece, Ludwig II of Bavaria, Germany, his unusual romance with Wagner has also been told by more and more people.
The most famous luxury building built by Ludwig II is Neuschwanstein Castle. This romantic castle combines the characteristics of Byzantine architecture and Gothic architecture, which can only appear in the fairy tale world. Before Ludwig's death, Neuschwanstein Castle was not completed. The modeling of Neuschwanstein Castle inspired the design of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland.
Lindhoff Palace (Lindhoff)
From 1869 to 1879, Rococo's architectural style combines his fabulous passion. It mainly imitates the architecture of Little Trianon Palace in Versailles, the golden fountain in the garden, and takes Greek mythology as the painting theme. Here Ludwig II compared himself to the "King of the Moon", which is equivalent to the "King of the Sun" of Louis XIV of France. Among them, the dining table in the dining room can be raised and lowered, so that Ludwig II doesn't need to let the servants see his face when eating. This shows his withdrawn personality.
Heron Kimsey
Located in Kimsey, it is an imitation of the Palace of Versailles in France, built between 1878 and 1885. After Ludwig II bought the island in 1873, he cut down forests in a planned way. /kloc-visited Versailles in 0/867 and wanted to replicate it on the island. The facade is baroque, but there is a mirror hall more gorgeous than Versailles. Ludwig II spent 200 million marks to complete the construction of the Kimze Palace in Heron, almost emptying the national treasury, but he only lived in the Kimze Palace in Heron for a week and then died suddenly.
Support for playwrights
/kloc-When he was 0/5 years old, Ludwig went to see Wagner's opera lohengrin and was deeply shocked when he came out of the theater. This character became the darling of the heir to the throne, and perhaps at this time, he had a vague feeling of comparing himself to a swan knight for the first time.
In the process of growing up, Ludwig discovered another kingdom, just behind the castle-the beautiful Bavarian Alps. He walks and rides horses here, feels a kind of tranquility in the communication with nature, and also likes ordinary farmers. Influenced by the romantic nature and the legend of heroic knight, Ludwig also wanted to do something big, and he was waiting for the day when he ascended the throne. At this time, he met composer and playwright Richard Wagner and got all the works of this artist: all the works of Wagner accompanied him to Ludwig II's life.
Ludwig 18 years old ascended the throne, holding great power in his hands. His first national act was to invite Wagner to Munich and give him a villa in the suburbs. Now, with power and money, he became Wagner's protector. He paid off all the debts for the playwright and promised to pay all his expenses in order to let Wagner "spread his wings and fly in the beautiful and pure artistic sky." In addition, Ludwig II founded the Bayreuther Theatre to perform Wagner's works. Here, the latter put German legends and fairy tales on the stage heartily, and he wanted to attract the audience with the eternal struggle between good and evil. So there was a friendship between the 20-year-old king and the mature playwright.
"I don't love women, parents, brothers and relatives. Nobody cares about me but you! " This heartbreaking outpouring is not a show of love for the opposite sex, nor a courtship for the same sex, but Ludwig's sincere admiration for Wagner. It is precisely because of various speculations about whether Ludwig fell in love with Princess Cece or Wagner that a beautiful castle stands quietly by the Blue Mountain Lake in the charming Bavarian forest and becomes the fairy tale palace that tourists want.
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Ludwig and Wagner
1858, when Ludwig II 13 years old, his governess told him Wagner's upcoming opera "Lohengreen", mainly telling the story of the medieval swan knight Lohengreen. Since then, Ludwig and Wagner have forged an inseparable friendship and become Wagner's biggest fans. Shortly after Ludwig ascended the throne, he invited Wagner to his palace, and the king became the artist's patron. Soon, Bavarian public opinion was tired of Wagner's arrogance, and at the same time, it was jealous of his influence on Ludwig, fearing that he would affect Ludwig's political stance, so Wagner was forced to leave Bavaria for Switzerland, where Ludwig provided him with what he needed. 1876, Ludwig built the Barrett Music Festival Theater for Wagner as the performance venue of the Barrett Music Festival, which specially staged Wagner's operas.
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The death of the king
1June 886 10, Ludwig II was declared insane by the Bavarian government and could no longer handle official duties; Prince Ludbold was appointed Regent. Some historians believe that Ludwig II was not crazy, but became the victim of a conspiracy against him.
Ludwig II, who lives in Neuschwanstein Castle, tried to convey the following message to the public: Prince Lü bold is the Regent against my will, and he tried to usurp power. My ministers listened to the false report about my health and prepared to tyrannize the people I love. I need the help of every loyal Bavarian ... These words were published in a newspaper in Bamberg on June 1886+0 1 day; But the government intercepted the newspaper and banned its distribution. Most of the telegrams that Ludwig II sent to other newspapers and friends were also intercepted. Interestingly, Ludwig II did receive Bismarck's proposal. Bismarck suggested that Ludwig return to Munich and appear in public, but he refused. On the morning of June 12, an army arrived at Neuschwanstein Castle where Ludwig II was hiding and arrested him. He was transferred to a castle in Berger, a southern suburb of Munich.
The cause of Ludwig II's death remains a mystery. He drowned in Steinberg Lake, and the official report said it was suicide, but the water where the body was found was only waist deep. The autopsy report showed that there was no water in his lungs. Many people suspect that Ludwig II was murdered.
Ludwig II's body was buried in Michael's Church in Munich.
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The legend of Ludwig II
Ludwig II became the most extraordinary and popular monarch in Germany. He built many famous and beautiful palaces and castles; During his reign, although Bavaria's national strength declined, it still maintained a peaceful state far from war. Bavarians still call Ludwig II "our dear king" (unser Kini). The palaces and castles he built are also an important source of income for Bavarian tourism.
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New technology solves the mystery of Ludwig II
summary
For Germans, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who died more than 20 years ago, is still a mystery: he is not good at managing state affairs, but he is deeply loved by the people; He is handsome, but he has no interest in other women around him except his cousin, Princess Sissi, the queen of Austria. He devoted himself to the country and built a beautiful "Neuschwanstein Castle", but he was declared a "madman" and deposed. His ending was mysterious and sad, and people still don't know whether he committed suicide or died of murder. According to a recent report in The Times, some scientists hope to use the latest science and technology to solve the mystery of Ludwig II's death.
"His life is like a beautiful dream."
"Today, I was led to see him. He is so hopelessly handsome, intelligent, passionate and elegant. I'm afraid that in this world, his life will pass away like a beautiful dream ... you can't imagine the charm of irrelevant film and television works. If he can live forever, it will be a miracle! "
The above passage was written by Richard Wagner, a famous German playwright in the19th century, after meeting King Ludwig II of Bavaria for the first time.
Ludwig II was born in 1845. His father is King Maximilian II of Bavaria and his mother is Princesse Marie of Prussia. His childhood was spent in the "Old Swan Castle" built by his father. In the castle, murals reflecting medieval legends and German history deeply shocked Ludwig's heart, enriched his romantic emotional world and aroused his love for all noble things. He doesn't like or even get tired of the boring royal life. He likes to walk between the forests and canyons in Nande, and he is full of love for the mountains, rivers and simple farmers there.
As he grew older, Ludwig II became more and more fascinated with art, obsessed with poetry, painting and music. 186 1 In February, he first enjoyed Wagner's opera "lohengrin" at the Royal Opera House in Munich. Since then, he has developed a strong interest in opera art, which almost determines his future fate.
A young and emotional king
1864 In March, Maximilian II died, and the young Ludwig succeeded to the throne and became the king of Bavaria. At that time, he had not finished his college studies, and the old king lacked political training for his son before his death. "I became king too early and haven't learned enough." Ludwig II later recalled.
At that time, the power of the Bavarian kingdom was in the hands of the two houses of parliament, and the medieval kingdom dreamed by Ludwig II no longer existed. In Munich, the complicated court etiquette and the power struggle of intrigue made the young and emotional king unbearable. Only the smell of the Alps can refresh him. Looking at the rolling mountains and the green lake, listening to the swan in the lake, he seems to have entered the fairy tale world that has existed in his heart since he was a child. ...
Shortly after Ludwig II ascended the throne, he invited Wagner, a playwright he had admired for a long time, to Munich to fund his music creation. Starting from 1865, Wagner's famous operas Tristan, isolde and the famous singer of Nuremberg appeared one after another. Munich became the music city of Europe, and Ludwig II gained a reputation for loving art. Unlike many arty European aristocrats at that time, his love for art, especially opera, came from the heart.
As Wagner described, Ludwig II was handsome and tall, but he was not interested in women at all. 1in the summer of 864, he spent four weeks in the northern Bavarian city of Batkisingen. Despite being surrounded by women all day, and even rumors that he wants to marry the daughter of the Russian czar, he has never been seduced by any woman. He maintained a lifelong friendship with his cousin, Princess Sisi, the queen of Austria. Some people speculate that Ludwig II may have always had a crush on Princess Cece, so that he would rather have a crush on her all his life. However, some researchers pointed out that Ludwig II was probably a homosexual, which can be seen from his extraordinary "love" for Wagner.
Unwilling to be a "pawn" of a big country
During the 65438-60s, under the impetus of Bismarck, the bloody prime minister, Prussia, a powerful country in northern Germany, began aggressive external expansion, hoping to complete the great cause of reunification. As the king of Bavaria, a small country in southern Germany, Ludwig II didn't like war and didn't want to be a pawn in the hands of big countries. Therefore, in the face of Prussia's threat of war, he soon had the idea of abdicating. However, at the request of parliament, he signed a military mobilization order against Prussia.
Facts have proved that Bavaria can't stop the Prussian chariot at all. 1August, 866, the two sides signed a peace treaty. In addition to giving up sovereignty in foreign policy, Bavaria also paid huge war reparations to Prussia. A few weeks after the war, Ludwig II decided to visit the war-damaged areas to boost people's morale. In his letter to Wagner, he wrote: "The purpose of my visit is to let my subjects know who I am and let them know their monarch!" Everywhere he went, the people warmly welcomed Ludwig II like winners, as if he had never been devastated by the Prussian army.
At the beginning of 1870, the situation in Europe became more and more serious, the relationship between Prussia and France deteriorated extremely, and the war between the two countries was inevitable. Bavaria and Prussia signed a mutual assistance agreement, and naturally they were involved in the war. The German army won one victory after another in France. Although the Bavarian army was not equipped as the Prussian army, the soldiers fought bravely.
In September of that year, Prime Minister Blaine Steinberg of the Kingdom of Bavaria suggested that the king elect the Prussian monarch as the emperor of the German Empire, because the unification of Germany into one country is the general trend, and Bavaria can gain certain benefits through this election. Ludwig II disapproved of the idea, but was finally persuaded. 187 1 year 1 month 18, King William I of Prussia ascended the throne at Versailles. Almost all German nobles attended the enthronement ceremony, except Ludwig II. Perhaps the reason is that he is still dissatisfied with the complete loss of independence of the kingdom.
Build a dream castle
The reality is not satisfactory, which makes Ludwig II hate court life even more. The more he felt that he was difficult to understand, the more he became silent and began to build a closed world, a fairytale world. There is no evil in this world, even if there is, it will be wiped out by the "Holy Grail Knight", who is himself.
The main means for Ludwig II to build this fairy tale world is to build palaces, especially Ludwig II's castle is located in Neuschwanstein Castle on Lake Fahlge. The design of this castle was inspired by the playwright Wagner's famous opera Swan Knight. In Ludwig II's view, the significance of this play to Neuschwanstein Castle is unparalleled.
At the beginning of drawing the blueprint of this castle, Ludwig II made a detailed investigation and calculation according to the surrounding scenery, and even thought about the changes of the four seasons and the color matching of mountains and plants in the sky in advance. Therefore, in the design and construction of Neuschwanstein Castle, it is the painters and stage designers of the opera house who play a greater role than the architects. Someone described it this way: "Such a dream castle miraculously brings the beauty of each season to the extreme and is charming enough. It is superfluous to describe it in words, because it doesn't belong to this real world at all. As long as you are there, you can grasp it at will. It is pure poetry without a trace of fireworks. "
Neuschwanstein Castle was built 17 years ago. From the colonnade of the castle to the faucet of the toilet, the shape of a swan is adopted. At first, Ludwig II only used his personal assets to build castles. Later, I couldn't make ends meet and began to seek loans from the state treasury. "Neuschwanstein Castle" tends to be perfect step by step, and Ludwig II's national debt is getting heavier and heavier. At the age of 4 1 (1886), his uncle, Prince Luibo, finally made a scene, conspired with the minister, bribed all the members of the doctor team, announced that Ludwig II was suffering from serious mental illness and needed recuperation and observation for one year, and then sent troops to escort him to Munich for house arrest.
Unexpectedly, Ludwig II, full of passion, romance and vitality, died on the fifth day after leaving Neuschwanstein Castle. The bodies of Ludwig II and his psychiatrist bernhard van Gooden were found on Lake Steinbain in Munich. In this regard, the official statement is that Ludwig II killed Gooden and drowned himself. But the autopsy report showed that Ludwig II had no water in his lungs. There are also rumors that he was shot and killed.
Can you be excused from murder?
Neuschwanstein Castle built by Ludwig II is known as "the most beautiful castle in Europe". His achievements in art, architecture and machinery have also aroused great interest.
The British "Observer" reported in August 2006 that Ludwig II had designed an aircraft before his death. If put into practice, he may have invented the plane decades earlier than the Wright brothers in the United States, thus becoming a world pioneer in flight. The sketch drawn by Ludwig II shows that the flying machine looks like a modern subway car, driven by steam and decorated with peacock patterns. Ludwig II hopes to drive this "Chitty Sticky Stick" across the Alps.
German aviation expert Dalibor Kalacic believes that Ludwig II's aircraft is not a castle in the air. "Technically, this is reasonable and may become a reality. This king is just ahead of the times. " Ludwig II's idea of flying machine was not only not recognized at that time, but was regarded as another example of serious mental illness.
The mysterious death of Ludwig II has always attracted people's attention. His body is currently preserved in the sarcophagus of St. Michel's church in Munich. Scientists believe that it is entirely possible to determine the real cause of death of the king with the help of modern cutting-edge medical technologies such as "virtual anatomy".
"Virtual anatomy" technology, which comprehensively uses computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, makes the image stereoscopic and can clearly display the electronic image of the corpse. In this way, pathologists can fully observe Ludwig II's "digital corpse". Michael Tully, the inventor of "virtual anatomy" technology and head of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Bern, Switzerland, believes that although Ludwig II has been dead for more than 120 years, this new technology is still applicable.
However, the descendants of Ludwig II family members are firmly opposed to any analysis of Ludwig II's remains by scientists, even though such analysis may make the king get rid of the notoriety of "murderer".