Munich : King Ludwig II

Previous post.

Munich : Oberammergau

Inside the couch. Continue our journey  to Linderhof Castle and Park.

Before we actually reach Linderhof, let me introduce you to  King Ludwig II. His passion and his untimely dying.

Like no other king, Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886) has been remembered by later generations, especially through his spectacular building projects. His death remains unresolved, and the story of his life continues to pose new mysteries.

The Linderhof Castle

King Ludwig 11 fond of Swan

King Ludwig II

King Ludwig II and Richard Wagner

Ala-ala gossip picisan ni I nak tulis in Malay.... some of it only hearsay albeit a very disturbing rumours.

Komposer Richard Wagner memainkan peranan penting dalam hidup King Ludwig 11. Baginda telah menjadi patron kepada Wagner, dan istana Neuschwanstein  dibina homage to him and his art.

Betul atau bohong?

Disyaki sebagai gay. King Ludwig II lahir pada 25 August 1846 dan meninggal di usia 40 tahun. Never been married. Baginda bagaimanapun telah ditunangkan dengan Princess Sophie dari Austria (adik kepada Empress "Sisi" of Austria. Sepatutnya mereka akan kahwin bila King Ludwig II mencapai usia 22 tahun tetapi seminggu sebelum tarikh perkahwinan, beliau memutuskannya dengan alasan perkahwinan antara mereka diatur dan dia sayang Sophie hanya seperti adik dan berharap remain as a friend (surat ludwig II kepada Princess Sophie).

Walau bagaimanapun, dikatakan keputusan Ludwig membatalkan perkahwinan adalah kerana kehadiran seorang jejaka kacak bermata biru rambut perang dari Prussia, bernama Richard Hornig yang bekerja di stable kudanya.   Amboi! Very the pink lah you.

Teman anak-anak muda King Ludwig II dikatakan ramai, antaranya Hungarian theater star Josef Kainz dan courtier Alfons Weber. Dia membawa teman2 lelakinya itu bercuti bersama ke Switzerland dan memberikan mereka hadiah-hadiah mewah.

King Ludwig II & Josef Kainz

Ludwig II & Fiancee Princess Sophie

Richard Hornig

 The letters of Ludwig - Hornig ~ Another Richard in his life

29 Ottobre 1871
La mattina oggi è limpida, rispetto al filo di pioggia che è caduta ieri, sia di giorno che di notte. Accolgo con favore la vista dei prati coperti con la rugiada del mattino e il sole caldo caldo che entra dalla mia finestra. Gli altri servi scappano alle loro faccende, ma io  mi sono attardato solo così potevo scirverVi per pochi minuti. Le stanze sono vuote senza di Voi, e io non riesco a parlare, perché le mie labbra hanno sete di Voi. Quando saremo in grado di essere  di nuovo insieme?  Mi mancano le tranquille serate  quando eravamo soliti a condividere insieme e il Vostro  temperamento inquieto. Prego che  quando avrò chiuso la lettera e inviata, Voi abbiate finito con i Vostri affari, e  stiate contemplando il Vostro ritorno. Devo lasciarvi ora, già bussano alla mia porta, e devo tendere i cavalli. Nell'attesa

                                                                                            Richard Hornig

31 Ottobre 1871
Mio carissimo amico,
come ho sorriso quando ho ricevuto la tua lettera, e come il mio cuore si sentì in pace come se fossi in un campo fresco. Per primo, devo ammetterlo, mi sono trovato con la lettera, non volendola aprire né leggere. Mi vergognavo, credo, di avere come un piccolo pezzo di te, e come un segreto, ordinatamente piegai il piccolo pezzo di carta. Oh, ma il dolce profumo delle rose e la morbidezza delle tua lettera fanno scomparire i miei pensieri, e mi sdraiai sul letto, godendo la tua lettera come se stessi mangiando bacche deliziose. Sono terribilmente dispiaciuto che ci sia stato un tale tempo. Sembra che non abbiamo nulla, ma il sole, e le strade di Berlino sono così chiuse con il calore,io spesso prego per la pioggia, che sembri essere abbracciato da tutti per te. Ma, canto nell'essere matto, perché mi hai sollevato, amico mio, e credevo di impazzire con la tua piccola lettera. L'ho nascosta sotto il cassetto di legno che si trova nella mia camera, sotto la Bibbia, dove nessuno guarderà. Sembra che viaggeremo verso ovest domani, per  incontrare una certa Frau Vogl, sembra che trascorreremo due notti intere al suo maniero, contro la mia volontà, in quanto conosca la donna. Eppure, sembra che il tempo stringa anche me adesso, e che sarà lunga fino a quando ci incontreremo ancora, carissimo. Farò scorrere le mie dita sulla tua firma, come se fossero le tue labbra, fino ad allora   
                                                                                                      -   Ludwig

3 Novembre 1871
É davvero triste, carissimo, che non riesco a tornare a Linderhof, o meglio, facci nelle Alpi, e via da tutti questi ridicoli viaggi d'affari. Sicuramente devi essere stanco di aspettarmi, Richard, e maledici il giorno in cui sono partito. Lo so, in quanto sembra le persone di questo paese hanno una mania nella balordagine. Piuttosto imbarazzante, se così posso dire. Già sono stato fermato da una persona che poteva essere del villaggio, che  intendo bene, ma può essere così faticoso. La compagnia di Frau Vogl è molto strana e mi sento come un prigioniero in questa casa. Tiene venti o più cani e gatti intorno a sé, e li tratta come dei re. Sicuramente, questo mi da una grande idea, dovrei curare i miei cavalli così. Lei mostra una natura gentile verso di loro, e verso di me, troppa attenzione per il mio bene. È davvero un miracolo che sia riuscito a prendere la penna e scriverti, perché non mi permette di avere tempo per me stesso. È successo che mi sono dovuto nascondere in bagno e chiudere la porta. Perdonami carissimo, per averti fatto aspettare e questo ritardo. È davvero contro la mia volontà.

                                                                                   Ludwig

7 Novembre 1871

Come siete crudele Maestà, lasciarmi solo così a lungo, e senza neanche la benedizione delle Vostre lettere. Andrei con Voi nei Vostri viaggi, anche se dovessi servire tanto come faccio qui. La lettera che mi avete inviato mi ha  retto, sperando che condividiate lo stesso destino come faccio io. Come il destino è stato crudele con me, così sarà verso di Voi, e rende questa Frau Vogl un bello spettacolo. Mio, come la mia mente mi tradisce, Ludwig, spero sinceramente che il viaggio stia andando splendidamente. Ho  sentito che la periferia di Berlino è un spettacolo. Godetevela, forse un giorno possiamo andarci insieme, se volete. Come per la compagnia di Frau Vogl, posso dire,  fate il meglio. Sono sicuro che è uno spettacolo. Ha le stalle? Forse no.

Per quanto riguarda il castello, va tutto bene, signore, salvo per qualche bocche che tendono a scommettere su loro stesse. Sembra che Wagner ritornerà dal suo viaggio in Austria questa Domenica seguente, e prego che lui non voglia incontrare con le loro lingue cattive. Oh, Ludwig, fate ritorno presto, prima che il castello mi mangi. Conte Berlioz ha invitato di nuovo a Linderhof il Conte Varicourt, e sembra che desideri rimanervi per settimane. So che difficilmente accoglieva più, e da i comandi più duri. Farò ciò che dice, visto che è il mio dovere, come sempre. Ma, sembra che entrambi siano piuttosto impossibili, a quanto pare. Dicono che starete a Berlino per un mese! E io impazzirò se devo stare lontano da Voi così a lungo. Oh, devo rovinare la giornata di sole con il mio balbettare?  I richiami di un uomo che Vi ama, se queste parole Vi facciano più leggero. Perdonate  il mio ardire, e i miei incessanti piagnistei, Ludwig. Per favore perdonatemi. Vi auguro un buon tempo a Berlino, e possiate godere tutti i suoi piaceri.

                                                                                               Richard Hornig

Hmmmm... romantic gila. The calls of a  man who love you! And I 'll go crazy if I have to stay away from you for so long.

Wallahualam.

The way it should have been.

Short biography

Born on 25th August 1845 in Schloss Nymphenburg
King of Bavaria 1864–1886
Died on 13th June 1886 in Lake Starnberg

An eternal mystery

Even before he died, the king had already become something of a legend. "I want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others", Ludwig once told his governess, and it is this mysterious element that still fascinates people today.  

                 

                                                          Ludwig II (G. Schachinger)

The poet Paul Verlaine called Ludwig II the "only true king of this century". The shy dreamer, who had none of the typical characteristics of a popular king, lives on, still idolized, as "the Kini".

His palaces, which were barred to strangers, have been visited by over 50 million people since his death. They are records in stone of the ideal fantasy world which the king built as a refuge from reality. His historic, poetic and ideal interpretation of his role as king was finally his downfall. It is possible that he preferred to die rather than return to reality. 

The prince was born on the name day of the canonized Louis IX, King of France and founder of the House of Bourbon. His grandfather and godfather Ludwig I of Bavaria, had Louis XVI of France as his godfather. This relationship with the House of Bourbon had an important influence on the way the prince saw himself throughout his life.

Ludwig and his brother Otto were strictly brought up with an emphasis on duty. Their parents Maximilian II of Bavaria and Marie of Prussia kept themselves at a distance.

"Ludwig enjoyed dressing up … took pleasure in play acting, loved pictures and the like … and liked … making presents of his property, money and other possessions", said his mother. 

This was not to change. His vivid imagination, his tendency to isolate himself, and his pronounced sense of sovereignty were also already evident when Ludwig was a child.

The Young King

In 1864 Ludwig II acceded to the throne at the age of 18 without any experience of life or politics, but adored by women.

Looking back in 1873, he described it thus:

"I became king much too early. I had not learned enough. I had made such a good beginning … with the learning of state laws. Suddenly I was snatched away from my books and set on the throne. Well, I am still trying to learn …"

 

In 1866 Ludwig II suffered the biggest defeat of his life: in1866, the expanding state of Prussia conquered Austria and Bavaria in the "German War". From then on, Bavaria's foreign policy was dictated by Prussia and the king was only a "vassal" of his Prussian uncle.

Wagner

Crown Prince Ludwig was already fascinated by the music dramas and writings of Richard Wagner. He wanted to bring the composer to Munich as soon as he became king, and realize his dream of an opera festival. In 1864 he summoned Wagner to him and thus rescued him from a serious financial crisis.

"… Today I was brought to him. He is unfortunately so beautiful and wise, soulful and lordly, that I fear his life must fade away like a divine dream in this base world … You cannot imagine the magic of his regard: if he remains alive it will be a great miracle!" 

Wrote the composer after his first meeting. 

                                       Portrait photograph of  Richard Wagner (F. Hanfstaengl)

In the following years, Munich became the music capital of Europe with the premieres of "Tristan und Isolde" (1865), "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" (1868), "Das Rheingold" (1869) and "Die Walküre" (1870). Ludwig II thus continued the patronage tradition of the House of Wittelsbach in grand style.

Wagner was however forced to leave Munich by the end of 1865 because of conflict with the government. Later Ludwig II also protested against the anti-Semitic sentiments expressed by his friend. He nevertheless continued with his lavish support for Wagner's work. The monumental festival theatre planned for Munich was built in a vastly simplified form in Bayreuth and inaugurated in 1876 with the cycle "Der Ring des Nibelungen". In 1882 "Parsifal" was premiered here. Without Ludwig II's commitment, there would never have been a Bayreuth Festival.

Fantasy world

Ludwig II was possessed by the idea of a holy kingdom by the Grace of God. In reality he was a constitutional monarch, a head of state with rights and duties and little freedom of action. For this reason he built a fantasy world around him in which – far removed from reality – he could feel he was a real king. From 1875 on he lived at night and slept during the day. Eh! apasal macam  I ni?

Idealized designs by scene painters for a "New Hohenschwangau Castle" high above the tranquil Hohenschwangau of Ludwig II's father, a "Byzantine Palace" and a copy of Versailles were already in existence by 1868. From the beginning, Ludwig's fantasy world embraced several different epochs. The "New Castle" (subsequently Neuschwanstein), was based on Christian kingship in the Middle Ages, and the new Versailles, built from 1878 on the Herreninsel, recalls the baroque absolutism of the Bourbon King of France. Linderhof in the Graswangtal, built from 1869, imitates a variety of styles, with the help of the latest technology.

                                      Ludwig II on a night-time sleigh ride (R. Wenig)

The latest technology was also used for the highly elaborate coaches and sleighs in which the king travelled at night, sometimes in historic costume.

Ludwig spent more and more time in the mountains and correspondingly less time in Munich. His fantasy world was further maintained by "private performances" in the Hoftheater: operas and plays performed for the king alone.

Grail King

Ludwig II increasingly identified himself with Parzival, the legendary medieval figure who became Grail King through his purity and faith and thereby redeemed his sinladen uncle. The inner battle for freedom from sin and purity is distressingly evident in the diaries of the extremely pious king. This particular legend is the subject of Richard Wagner's last work "Parsifal", which he began in 1877. Wagner and his circle privately referred to the king as "Parsifal", and his problems were incorporated into the drama of the Grail. Neuschwanstein, originally a monument to the minnesingers of medieval times, was reinterpreted as the Castle of the Holy Grail and the Throne Room was redesigned as the Hall of the Holy Grail – dedicated to the mystery of salvation for the world.

 "The recluse" 

The "ideal monarchical poetic solitude" which the king chose for himself was not in the long run compatible with his duties as a head of state. The new settings he was constantly devising for himself were equally beyond the private means of a king. Ludwig failed through his desire to anchor his illusions and dreams in reality. 

From 1885 on foreign banks threatened to seize his property. The king's refusal to react rationally led the government to declare him insane and depose him in 1886 – a procedure not provided for in the Bavarian constitution. Ludwig II was interned in Berg Palace. The next day he died in mysterious circumstances in Lake Starnberg, together with the psychiatrist who had certified him as insane.

Conspiracy?

Next : Linderhof Castle