History Daily - The Mysterious Death of King Ludwig II

Episode Date: June 13, 2025

June 13, 1886. after being declared medically insane and forcefully deposed, the eccentric king of Bavaria, Ludwig II, drowns in a lake under mysterious circumstances. This episode originally aired in 2023. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

It's June 13, 1886 in Bavaria, Germany. A young police officer tramps through the grounds of Berg Castle on the shores of Lake Starmberg near Munich. The officer holds a lantern aloft as he picks his way through the dense undergrowth, scanning the woods for any sign of the man he's looking for, Bavaria's recently deposed monarch, King Ludwig II. Just yesterday, Ludwig was declared insane by a royal commission and forcibly removed from power.

The king was institutionalized here at the castle, despite his claims that there's nothing wrong with him. Earlier this afternoon, Ludwig went for a walk in the grounds with his doctor. But the pair never came back, and the alarm was sounded. A team of police officers was called out to scour the grounds with sniffer dogs. But despite searching for hours, nobody's been able to find the missing men. So now the young police officer wanders down a slope toward the lake. Silver moonlight catches the waves, rippling the water's surface. The officer peers into the gloom, his lantern swinging from his extended hand.

He's about to turn away and continue the search elsewhere when he spots two dark shapes bobbing around in the shallow water. The officer squints, then gently steps into the water, his feet immediately sinking into the soft mud. He starts waiting deeper until he's in up to his waist. The floating shapes are just a few feet away now. The officer holds up his lantern and lets out a small gas as the light for the light falls across a human face, ghostly pale and lifeless, drifting on the surface of the lake. With trembling fingers, the officer raises his whistle to his lips and sounds the alarm that

King Ludwig has been found. The other floating body is soon identified as the doctor, and once both corpses are removed from the lake, the coroner will come up with the theory of what happened on that warm evening in June. According to his report, Ludwig tried to drown himself before the doctor intervened. The king then murdered the doctor. before committing suicide. But even after the official autopsy report is filed, many questions will remain unanswered. No water was found in Ludwig's lungs,

casting doubt over the theory that he drowned. The king was also a strong swimmer, ruling out the possibility that his death was an accident. Rumors will quickly emerge that the former monarch was murdered and that the men who forced him from the throne were the same men who arranged his assassination. Whatever the case, Ludwig's mysterious death will spark endless gossip and intrigue throughout 19th century Germany

as people debate exactly what happened to Mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria on June 13, 1886. From Noisor and Ayrship, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily. History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is June 13, 1886, the mysterious death of King Ludwig the second. It's June 10, 1865, inside an opera house in Munich, 21 years before King Ludwig's body will be discovered in the lake. The audience is taking their seats for the opening night of Tristan and Azolda,

a new opera by the composer Richard Wagner. Excited murmurs ripple through the hall as wealthy members of Munich High Society settle down for an evening of entertainment. Up in the royal balcony, a dashing young aristocrat with dark brooding eyes watches the empty stage. 19-year-old Ludwig II is one year into his reign as king of Bavaria, an autonomous kingdom within the German Confederation. Following the unexpected death of his father last year, Ludwig suddenly found himself on the throne, and as monarch of one of the largest German states, he's expected to play an active role in government.

But the young man is ill-suited to the demands of kingship. He's sensitive, whimsical, and introverted. He avoids large public functions and shies away from crowds. On the rare occasions, when he does attend ministerial meetings, he passes the time by daydreaming about his favorite artistic pursuits, like poetry and painting. Ludwig's real passion, though, is the opera. Watching love stories unfold on stage allows the young king

to retreat into his own fantasy world of medieval nights and dambles in distress. He adores the work of Richard Wagner, a composer whose left-wing political beliefs have led to his work being banned across the German confederation. So one of Ludwig's first acts as king was to help Wagner recover his tarnished reputation, becoming his patron and financing this production of Tristan and Azolbe, the composer's first new opera in 15 years. Now Ludwig watches from the balcony transfixed,

as the opening orchestral overtures reverberate through the packed opera house. Four hours later, when the curtain finally drops, Ludwig joins the rest of the audience in a standing ovation, clapping longer and louder than anyone else. After returning to his castle on the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, Ludwig writes a congratulatory letter to Wagner, gushing about the brilliance of his opera. Ludwig's heart flutters as he writes because his feelings for the composer go beyond mere admiration. Ever since meeting him in person last year, Ludwig has developed an infatuation with Wagner,

a sentiment he has expressed in his correspondence with the older man. But Ludwig knows he can never act on his feelings. As a devout Roman Catholic, the king is experienced. seeing a painful internal struggle. Despite pressure from his family to marry and produce an heir, Ludwig remains childless and single. Forced to suppress his emotions, the king retreats further into his fantasy world, spending hours on end locked inside his bedroom, humming his favorite arias and imagining an existence where he can be his true self. These first few years of Ludwig's reign coincide with several seismic political shifts in Germany. Two years after the opening night of Wagner's

war breaks out between the two most powerful German states, Prussia and Austria. After a series of bloody battles, Prussia emerges victorious, resulting in Austria's diminished status in Europe and the unification of the remaining German states into a cohesive German empire. For the rulers of smaller German kingdoms such as Bavaria, unification means a loss of autonomy as power shifts from state assemblies to a centralized parliament in Berlin. But for Ludwig, Bavaria's loss of independence, only allows his fantasies to escalate. Without any actual power, Ludwig turns to his imagination once more, picturing himself as a legendary king from Germanic folklore. He embarks on an ambitious

construction campaign, designing a series of breathtaking castles whose ivy-strewn turrets evoked magical fairy tales and give rise to Ludwig's nickname, the fairy-tale king. As the decades pass, Ludwig becomes increasingly withdrawn, rarely leaving the opulent confines of his castles. But meanwhile, discontent is brewing among Ludwig's ministers. The king's building projects have left the royal coffers empty. But rather than attempting to curb his spending and strengthen the Bavarian economy, Ludwig tries to borrow money to build even more castles. He dispatches envoys to foreign countries to beg for loans

or to source new architectural details for his next masterpiece. The situation is becoming desperate. So in January 1886, the ministers convened to work out how to remove Ludwig from the throne. They will decide the best course of action is to compile a report, claiming that the king's eccentric behavior is evidence of his insanity and that removing him from power is in the best interest of Bavaria. In June, the report will be examined and approved by a psychiatrist, giving the ministers the go-ahead to ride to Ludwig's castle and take the king into custody. It's June 1886 at a psychiatric hospital in Munich, a few months after the Bavarian minister

started plotting against King Ludwig. Dr. Berenhard von Guden sits behind his desk reading a report into King Ludwig's mental health. Bernhard is the director of the Munich District Mental Asylum, and he has been asked by a ministerial commission to provide his opinion on whether or not Ludwig is fit to rule. The 62-year-old doctor strokes his beard as he considers the papers before him. The report contains examples of Ludwig's eccentric behavior, his pathological shyness, his refusal to attend state occasions and his expensive flights of fancy.

There are also more specific details, such as the king's insistence on dining outside in cold weather, his poor table manners, and his occasional fits of rage directed at servants and footmen. Once many years ago, Bernard himself met King Ludwig and was struck then by the monarch's eccentricities, but he wouldn't go so far as to deem him insane. Bernhard pities the king, who he believes is demonstrating the childish behavior. exhibited by many who have led lives of exorbitant wealth and power. He also recognizes how unfortunate it is that someone like Ludwig, a man of artistic sensibilities, should find himself through an accident of birth as the leader of a sovereign state. Berenhard removes his

spectacles and rubs his eyes warily. The doctor is well aware that Ludwig is an irresponsible and feckless king, and he understands the minister's desire to depose him. But Berenhard is a man of principle. He has been practicing psychiatry for 40 years, and diagnosing a patient before a thorough examination goes against his most deeply held convictions. And yet Barenhard recognizes that deposing Ludwig seems in the best interest of Bavaria. So on this occasion, he decides to sacrifice his professional scruples for the sake of the greater good. With a sigh of regret, the doctor authorizes the psychiatric report, officially diagnosing Ludwig with paranoia and declaring him unfit to rule. A few days later, Berenhardt sits inside a horse-drawn carriage as it climbs a

winding alpine road. Beneath the brim of his top hat, the doctor's eyes are downcast and full of trepidation. Bernhardt has been asked to accompany the ministers on their journey to Ludwig's castle, where they intend to confront the king with a psychiatric report and escort him to a mental hospital. When the carriages left Munich, the ministers were bullish and confident, but as they approach their destination, the full gravity of their scheme starts to sink in. Now the minister's shifty looks betray their nerves. If Ludwig's deposition goes to plan, the ministers have made provisions for his replacement. They recently approached the king's uncle, Prince Louis Pole, and invited him to replace his nephew. The prince agreed, but only on the condition that the

ministers prove Ludwig's insanity. Now, armed with their authorized psychiatric report, the ministers do feel confident that their plan will go forward. At four o'clock in the morning, the carriages pull up outside the castle gates. But as soon as Berenhard and the ministers climb out, they are swarmed by barking police officers wielding rifles. Clearly, someone has tipped Ludwig off, giving the king time to double his security detail. Dernhardt puts his hands in the air as the officers march the conspirators

to a corner of the castle courtyard where they hold them at gunpoint. A short while later, Ludwig himself comes down. His jet black hair is unkempt and his eyes are bloodshot. and wild. The king exchanges some words with the chief of police before vanishing back inside the castle. The chief officer strides over to the detained ministers and informs them that they are free to go. The deposition committee travels back to Munich in silence. They underestimated the loyalty that many of his subjects still feel for Ludwig, and they must now come to terms with the fact that his ouster may not be as straightforward as first assumed. But over the next several days,

the minister's optimism returns. Rumors of Ludwig's declining mental health spread, and fearing a complete constitutional breakdown, the head of the Bavarian government announces Luit-Pold as Prince Regent. Support for Ludwig gradually wanes, and the local peasants who had flocked to the castle to protest a deposition are dispersed, and the security detail at the gates is reduced.

Ludwig's friends urge him to abdicate, but the king is stubborn. He remains in his castle awaiting the inevitable. On June 12th, the deposition committee returns. This time they pass through the gates unopposed. They seized Ludwig and march him outside to the waiting carriage. And when the king spots Bernhardt, he cries out, How can you declare me insane?

You have never examined me. But before Bairnhart can explain himself, Ludwig is pushed into the carriage and whisked away from the castle. But this is not the last Bernhardt will see of Ludwig. He will travel to the lakeside castle where the deposed king will be detained. feeling the need to provide medical advice, he will accompany Ludwig on a walk of the grounds. But when the pair does not return to the castle before nightfall, a search party will be sent out, and by the time morning arrives, both Ludwig and Berenhardt will be dead.

It's late afternoon on June 13, 1886, on the ground to Berg Castle near Munich. Jacob Liedle crouched behind a bush near the shores of a large lake. The water is perfectly calm and still. the surrounding snow-capped mountains are reflected in its glassy surface. But Jacob's heart pounds with anticipation as he prepares to enact the daring scheme that he hatched yesterday with his employer, King Ludwig II. Jacob is Ludwig's personal fisherman. Yesterday, mere moments before the king was seized, Ludwig pulled Jacob aside and hastily

came up with an escape plan. The monarch knew he would be taken here to Baird Castle, a former royal residence, which has been converted into his own personal insane asylum. According to the plan, Yaakov is to meet Ludwig by the lake at five o'clock. Jacob has moored his boat by the reeds a few feet where he's hiding. And once Ludwig is safely on board, Jakob will row across to the opposite shore,

where a group with Ludwig's friends are waiting to smuggle him out of Bavaria. It's a simple enough plan, but it depends on Ludwig slipping away from the castle unnoticed. Jacob glances up at the sun, dipping behind the mountains. It's getting late and Ludwig should be here by now. Something must be wrong. Hearing the sound of voices,

Yaakov peers from behind the bush. Two men are approaching the lake. One is King Ludwig. The other, Yaakov recognizes as Dr. Bernhardt von Gutten, the psychiatrist who diagnosed Ludwig's insanity. The doctor appears to be chasing after Ludwig, who is rushing toward the water. Jakob watches rooted to the spot

as the doctor tries to restrain Ludwig, who turns and then strives. strikes Bairnard around the head with some blunt instrument. The doctor falls, face down into the water, motionless. Ludwig spins around and wades toward the boat hidden in the reeds, but before he can get there, a gunshot rings out from somewhere unseen. Yacob recoils in horror as King Ludwig collapses forward with a bullet in the back. With fear pulsating through his body, Yaacob turns and flees into the gathering dusk. Later that night, the bodies of King Ludwig and Dr. Hernhard von Guden will be discovered face down in the water.

The official autopsy will declare Ludwig's death a suicide, while the doctor's demise will be chalked down to a freak accident. It will be only until 1933, when on his deathbed, the fisherman Yaakov Lidl will reveal what he witnessed, claiming that he was pressured into silence by the German government. But even today, questions swirl around the precise circumstances of the incident. No gunshot wounds were found on Ludwig's corpse, and nor was any water discovered in his lungs.

Ultimately, the truth of what happened that night will likely remain a mystery. Decades after the incident, a cross will be erected in the lake where the bodies were found, and every year, tourists and locals will flock to the site for the annual commemoration of the eccentric life and strange death of King Ludwig II of Bavaria on June 13, 1886. Next, on History Daily, June 16, 1963, the successful launch, of the Soviet spacecraft Vostok 6 wins a propaganda victory and puts the first woman in space. From Noisor and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham, audio editing by Mohamed Shazzy, sound design by Misha Stanton, music by Lindsay Graham. This episode is written and research by Joe Viner, produced by Alexandra Curry Buckner.

Executive producers are Stephen Walters for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.