LOUIS II, King of Bavaria. - B. 25 Aug. 1845 at Nymphenburg, d. 13 June 1886 in Lake Starnberg. Son of Maximilian II of Bavaria and of Marie of Prussia, he succeeded his father on the throne in 1864. He discovered the genius of Richard Wagner and facilitated the performance of his works.

An artistic temperament, he had no interest in politics and allowed the government of the State to be directed by his ministers, who adopted measures gravely contrary to the Catholic Church, among other things supporting the heretical and schismatic machinations of Döllinger. On Bismarck's advice, though reluctant and jealous of the autonomy of his kingdom also for dynastic reasons, L. offered in Dec. 1870 the German imperial dignity to the King of Prussia. Owing to the great expenses for constructions and the eccentricities of his character, he was interdicted from the exercise of sovereign powers. He died a few days after this dethronement, together with the psychiatrist Dudden, who had drawn up the report on his madness. The circumstances of the double death are still shrouded in mystery.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: A. Döberl, Ludwig II., in LThK, VI, coll. 685-86 (with bibl.); A. Oberdorfer, Il re folle. L. II di Baviera, Milano 1935; W. Richter, Ludwig II., König von Bayern, Zurich-Leipzig 1939.

Silvio Furlani

@incollection{ec7_luigi_ii_re_di_baviera, author = {Furlani, Silvio}, title = {Luigi II, re di baviera}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VII}, pages = {1655}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/luigi-ii-re-di-baviera} }

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Louis II, King of Bavaria

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