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| Maximilian II | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_(Zeno_Fotografie).jpg) Portrait byFranz Hanfstaengl,c. 1860 | |||||
| King of Bavaria | |||||
| Reign | 20 March 1848 –10 March 1864 | ||||
| Predecessor | Ludwig I | ||||
| Successor | Ludwig II | ||||
| Prime Ministers | |||||
| Born | (1811-11-28)28 November 1811 Munich,Bavaria,Confederation of the Rhine | ||||
| Died | 10 March 1864(1864-03-10) (aged 52) Munich, Bavaria,German Confederation | ||||
| Burial | Theatinerkirche, Munich | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Ludwig II Otto | ||||
| |||||
| House | Wittelsbach | ||||
| Father | Ludwig I of Bavaria | ||||
| Mother | Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
Maximilian II (28 November 1811 – 10 March 1864) reigned asKing of Bavaria between 1848 and 1864.
Ascending the throne during theGerman Revolution of 1848, King Maximilian restored stability in his kingdom. The rest of his reign was characterized by attempts to maintain Bavarian independence during the wars of German Unification and to transform his capital city ofMunich into a cultural and educational city. He was very popular and took a greater interest in the business of government than in personal extravagance.
He was born in Munich and was the eldest son of the Crown Prince of Bavaria (later King Ludwig I) and his wifeTherese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
After studying atGöttingen and Berlin and travelling in Germany, Italy and Greece, he was introduced by his father into the council of state (1836). From the first, he showed a studious disposition and declared on one occasion that had he not been born in a royal cradle, his choice would have been to become a professor. As crown prince, in the chateau ofHohenschwangau nearFüssen, which he had rebuilt, he gathered about him an intimate society of artists and men of learning and devoted his time to scientific and historical study.[1] TheWittelsbacher Palais was built for Maximilian as a Crown Prince Palace in Munich but was completed only when he ascended the throne.
When the abdication of Ludwig I (20 March 1848) called him suddenly to the throne, his choice of ministers promised a liberal regime.[1]
In 1849 an uprising in the BavarianPalatinate was broken down with the support of thePrussian Army.
Though from 1850 onwards his government tended in the direction ofabsolute monarchy,[1] King Maximilian steered a moderate course between the extremes ofclassical liberalism, Prussian-inspired Pan-Germanism, and the so-called "Ultramontanes".
In his attempts to transform Bavaria into a centre of culture, education, and the arts, he enraged conservative Catholics and Protestants by inviting a number of celebrated men of learning (such asGeibel,Liebig,Heyse andSybel) toMunich, regardless of their religious views.[1]
Devoted to his family and his people, the King also financed studies of the art, costumes, dialects and customs of the Bavarian peasantry. That was done to promote a separate national identity against Prussian-inspired Pan-Germanism.
The King was assisted in that by his Personal Private Secretary,Franz Xaver von Schönwerth. A native of theOberpfalz region of the Bavarian Kingdom, Schonwerth's work collecting the folklore and traditions of his native district won him the admiration of theBrothers Grimm and made him a model for future folklore collectors.
Maximilian II responded also to the demands of the people for a united German state by attending theFrankfurt Assembly which intended to create such a state. The progress of the 1848 Revolution, however, gave him pause. The king strenuously opposed the unionist plans of theFrankfurt Parliament, refused to recognize the imperial constitution devised by it and assistedAustria in restoring thefederal diet and in carrying out the federal execution inHesse-Kassel andHolstein.[1] In the aftermath of the failure of theFrankfurt Assembly,Prussia andAustria continued to debate which monarchy had the inherent right to rule Germany.
The dispute between Austria and theElectoral Prince of Hesse-Kassel was used by Austria and its allies, including Bavaria, to promote the isolation of Prussia in German political affairs. This almost led to war when Austria, Bavaria and other allies moved troops through Bavaria towards Hesse-Kassel in 1850. However, the Prussian Army backed down and accepted the principle of dual leadership. The event was known as thePunctation of Olmütz, considered a "humiliation" by Prussia. The event solidified the Bavarian kingdom's alliance with Austria against Prussia.
In his German policy, Maximilian was guided by the desire to maintain the union of the princes.[1] During thecold warfare between Austria and Prussia, King Maximilian and his ministers favoured the former, which was a policy enthusiastically supported in Bavaria by both Catholics and Protestants. Simultaneously, however, the King and his Ministers also attempted to preserve Bavaria's independence by trying to play both powers against each other. That policy continued under his son, King Ludwig II.[2]
In 1863, however, the King supported the project of reform proposed by Austria at theFrankfurt Fürstentag [de].[1]
Attempts by Austria to reorganise the looseGerman Confederation were opposed by Prussia and therefore the other German princes did not act on the reform proposals. The failure of those plans and the attitude of the Austrian Court towards the Confederation and theSchleswig-Holstein Question disillusioned King Maximilian. The last days of his reign were spent attempting to deal with the new situation created by the outbreak of the war with Denmark.[3]
In the summers of 1849 and 1855, King Maximilian travelled his kingdom. Between 24 June and 27 July 1858, he undertook a journey on foot through his country, which began inLindau. However, because of frequent rain, he repeatedly had to be carried physically.
In government policy, the King repeatedly requested the advice of his ministers and scholarly experts before making a decision, which led to long delays. In addition, King Maximilian often traveled to Italy and Greece, which also led to long delays.
After a brief and unexpected illness, King Maximilian died at Munich on 10 March 1864. He is buried in theTheatinerkirche there.
Maximilian offeredPaul Heyse and other writers from North Germany large stipends.Hans Christian Andersen visited "King Max" (as he called him) in his castleStarnberg, and wrote of him as a young, highly amiable man. The King, having read his novels andfairy tales, let Andersen know that he was deeply impressed byThe Improvisatore,En Digters Bazar,The Little Mermaid andParadisets Have. During the visit Andersen also readThe Ugly Duckling.[4]Later Andersen visited the King at theSchloss Hohenschwangau.
Next to Hohenschwangau Castle also theHambach Castle was reconstructed from 1844 for Crown Prince Maximilian byAugust von Voit. In 1849 King Maximilian II instructed the architectEduard Riedel to redesignBerg Castle in neo-gothic style with several towers and a crenellate.
Maximilian II was the principal of theMaximilianstrasse and theBavarian National Museum in Munich. Compared to his father, Maximilian preferred a new architectural style with strong reference to theGothic Revival architecture which would combine the best features of historical models combined with then modern building technology. The neo-gothicRoyal Mansion inRegensburg was built for Maximilian 1854–1856, theRoyal Mansion inBerchtesgaden and theRoyal Villa onRose Island already in 1853. The hiking path inUpper Bavaria calledMaximiliansweg is named after him, as he made a longer hike in the Bavaria alps in the summer of 1858.[5]TheBavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art was first established on 28 November 1853 by King Maximilian II.
While king, Maximilian was hampered by constant ill health which often compelled him to travel abroad and, when at home, to live much of the time in the countryside. The relationship with his father, who had persisted in his architectural projects even after his abdication, was mostly tense. By his wife,Marie Friederike Franziska Hedwig, daughter ofPrince William of Prussia, who he married in 1842, he had two sons:[3]
Both of his sons became king, were declared insane, and were later deposed.
Kingdom of Bavaria:[6]
Württemberg: Grand Cross of theOrder of the Württemberg Crown,1828[7]
Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of theOrder of the Black Eagle,23 January 1831[8]
Two Sicilies: Knight of theOrder of St. Januarius,1833[9]
Grand Duchy of Hesse: Grand Cross of theLudwig Order,18 December 1833[10]
Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of theSaxe-Ernestine House Order,March 1838[11]
Baden:[12]
Sweden-Norway: Knight of theRoyal Order of the Seraphim,17 December 1846[13]
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of theOrder of the White Falcon,5 October 1847[14]
Kingdom of Hanover:[15]
Austrian Empire:
Belgium: Grand Cordon of theOrder of Leopold (military),28 July 1850[18]
Electorate of Hesse: Knight of theOrder of the Golden Lion,18 October 1852[19]
Oldenburg: Grand Cross with Golden Crown of theHouse and Merit Order of Peter Frederick Louis,24 August 1853[20]
Duchy of Modena and Reggio: Grand Cross of theOrder of the Eagle of Este,1856[21]
Grand Duchy of Tuscany: Grand Cross of theOrder of St. Joseph[22]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Maximilian II., king of Bavaria".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 921–922.
Maximilian II of Bavaria Born: 28 November 1811 Died: 10 March 1864 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Bavaria 1848–1864 | Succeeded by |
