Person

Ludwig II of Bavaria

1845–1886 · 19th century · Also known as Mad King Ludwig

Ludwig II was king of Bavaria from 1864 to 1886. He was a patron of Richard Wagner and built the romantic castles of Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. Bavaria fought on Austria's side in 1866 and then joined the German Empire in 1871. In 1886 his ministers had him declared insane and deposed, and days later he was found dead in Lake Starnberg.

Ludwig II of Bavaria
Image: Josef Albert · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Bavaria

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ludwig II of Bavaria. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ludwig-ii-of-bavaria
MLA
“Ludwig II of Bavaria.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ludwig-ii-of-bavaria. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ludwig II of Bavaria.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ludwig-ii-of-bavaria.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ludwig II of Bavaria’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ludwig-ii-of-bavaria (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻