HAVE GERMAN WILL TRAVEL Konig Ludwig 11 Was Bavaria's King Ludwig Mad?
HAVE GERMAN WILL TRAVEL BAYERN
Konig Ludwig 11
Was Bavaria's King Ludwig mad? servant handed the key over to Ludwig, who started through Meanwhile, the King was dining alone. After the meal, he the dining room towards the south tower. In the servants' remained standing at the window for a long time, surveying room, he was suddenly surrounded by a group of men who Starnberg Lake with a telescope. Late in the afternoon, the took hold of him in such a way that he could no longer move. monarch wished to take another walk. Having gained the Led back into his bedroom, Dr. von Gudden appeared and approval of Dr. von Gudden, the 2 men set out in the park s~id, "Your Ma}es.ty, this is the most unfortunate task of my shortly after 6 p. m. Just like that morning 2 keepers joined life. Four specialists for mental diseases have given their them, but Dr. von Gudden made a sign with his hand indicat opinions on Your Majesty and after their pronouncement ing them not to follow. It is inconcievable why Dr. von Gud Prince Luitpold has taken over the Regency. I have bee~ den eliminated this precaution. A secret that will never be ordered to escort His Majesty to Berg Castle this same even revealed to us. The king and Dr. von Gudden disappeared ing." into an arcade leading to the lake. !he King asked, "How can you declare me to be mentally When the two had not returned by 7 p. m., the physicians 111? You have never before examined me!", to which Dr. von and servants became restless, for by order of Dr. von Gudden, Gudden repli~d, "Your Majesty, that was not necessary. Our the walk was not supposed tq be very long. Several of the records contain a wealth of information and give overwhelm po~ice~en on duty. searched th~ park, however they returned ing evidence." Ludwig also wanted to know how long the some time later without success. N ow it had to be assumed proposed treatment would take. Dr. Gudden's reply: »At that something unusual had happened. The entire staff of least one year." Apparently resigned to his fate, the King's servants was sent to search the Park. A few minutes after last remark was, "Well, it will probably go faster; it can alw:ays be done as with the Sultan! (He was insinuating a 11 p.m., the 2 missing men were found; they were floating polmcal murder of that time.) How easy it is, to ·get a person in the water.- dead. out of the way!" The official records differ in their statesments of the events On the morning of June 12, 1886, around 4 o'clock, the that followed. The first telegram from Berg to Munich was group with the King, the physicians, and the keepers left sent on.June 13.' 1886 at 11:~5 p.m. and read: "His Majesty Neuschwanstein Castle. For 8 hours, they raced to Berg Castle ~nd Chief Public Health Officer Dr. von Gudden just found at Starnberg Lake, the journey being interrupted only to m .la~e. Bo~h s~ow weak signs of life. Dr. Muller giving change horses. The castle, having once been one of the favouri art1fic1al repirat1on. sgd. Washington." te residences of the unhappy King, had now been rebuilt to a prison - all windows were encased with a strong trellis, all The official announcement of the royal Police Administration doors could only be opened from the outside, and they were in Munich of June 14, 1886 mentioned that Ludwig as well equipped with peep-holes. as Dr. von Gudden had showed weak signs of life. A day later, however, it was officially declared that the King and his physician had already been dead when they were found. L~dwig II acted very calmly and composedly and regarded The bodies of the two men had been floating in the water his surroundings with rigid politeness. Then came Whitsun for at least 3 hours. 1886. ' They tried to explain this contr:adiction as follows: "The alterations in the position of the body mechanically brought On the morning cf Whitsunday (June 13, 1886), the King about by such attempts at resuscitation were conceived to be took a walk with Dr. von Gudden through the castle park. About 30 steps behind, 2 keepers followed the odd pair. signs of life by several amateur bystanders and thus gave During the midday meal, Dr. von Gudden spoke with the cause to a false report." ("Augsburg Evening Paper" of June other physicians, remarking that the King was very obedient 15, 1886) and that he believed this showed that Ludwig himself was feeling ill and was hoping to be cured. When Dr. Grashley After the Kings death, the activity of his opposers really had a chance to come into action. Nothing could be overlook explained that he didn't think the King's condition to be incurable, he received Dr. von Gudden's answer: "We'll talk ed if the people were to be calmed down and given proof that their King had really been mentally ill. In order to about that another time." confirm this illness, the press was swamped with "proofs". The government in Munich, usually not fri~ndly to the press,