The Life of King Ludwig II of Bavaria
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Interest in the Dramas of Richard Wagner
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From a young age, Ludwig expressed interest in a German composer named Richard Wagner. When Ludwig was thirteen years old, he received a copy of Wagner’s “Opera and Drama” for Christmas. From this point on, Ludwig was obsessed with Wagner. He adored the fantasy world evoked by Wagner’s work and his ability to connect with and understand the composer. In May 1861, Ludwig heard his first Wagner opera titled “Lohengrin”. A month after being crowned king, Ludwig invited Wagner to reside in Munich. Wagner, who owed money to innumerable debtors, gladly took Ludwig’s offer. Ludwig paid off all of Wagner’s debt, bought him a house in Munich, and financed performances of Wagner’s operas at the Court Theatre (Blunt).
Ludwig and Wagner Meet
On May 5, 1864, Ludwig and Wagner met for the first time. After their meeting Ludwig wrote to his Duchess Sophie, “He bent low over my hand and seems moved by what was so natural; he remained a long time thus, without saying a word I had the impression that our roles were reversed. I stooped down to him and took him to my heart with the feeling that I was pledging myself to be true to him to the end of time.” .(Blunt 24). Though their meeting only lasted about an hour and a half, it was one of the most important moments in Ludwig’s life. It was evident that the meeting was equally important to Wagner because after the meeting he wrote, “… 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!" ("King Ludwig II of Bavaria.").
Schloss Berg
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Infatuated with Wagner, Ludwig wished to get away from the rest of the world. Therefore he moved to a castle named Schloss Berg Castle in Upper Bavaria. To ensure that Wagner was close to him, Ludwig rented the Villa Pellet at Starnberg, which was three miles away from Ludwig’s castle, for Wagner. Everyday Ludwig would send the carriage to pick up Wagner and bring him to the castle. The two men worked together to synthesize ideas for operas. With new operas being written, Wagner would need the money to finance the production of his shows. Ludwig not only agreed to pay all expenses associated with Wagner’s shows but also to furnish his home. It was obvious that Wagner was appreciative of Ludwig's generous donations and love when reading his letters. In one letter written in September of 1865, Wagner wrote, "This is made possible for me by the love of an unimaginably beautiful and thoughtful being: it seems that it had to be even so greatly gifted a man and one so destined for me, as this young King of Bavaria. What he is to me no one can imagine. My guardian! In his love I completely rest and fortify myself towards the completion of my task." (Ludwig II Letter)
The Decline of Ludwig and Wagner's Relationship
Over the next year, the government and the people of Munich grew to dislike Wagner. Ludwig was aware of the Bavarian people’s dislike of Wagner and avoided thinking about it as often as possible. However he could not disregard the problem forever. By December 1865 Ludwig made the difficult decision of addressing a letter to Wagner that banished him from Bavaria. Despite Wagner leaving Bavaria, Ludwig remained good friends with him. In 1871, Wagner relocated with his wife Cosima von Bülow to Switzerland. A year later he had completed an opera by the name of “Seigfried”. He feared that if he told Ludwig of the piece’s completion, Ludwig would want it performed in Munich. Therefore Wagner was untruthful with Ludwig and wrote in his letters that he was still working on it. On March 1, 1871, Wagner wrote Ludwig telling him that he wanted to perform “Seigfried” at another location. By May 12, 1871, Wagner publicly announced that he intended on building his own theater (Blunt).
Ludwig finally realized that Wagner used him for money on several occasions and that Wagner had completely abandoned him. From this point on, the friendship deteriorated. They rarely visited or wrote to each other. In 1881, they saw “Lohengrin” and dined together. Little did they know that it would be the last time they would see each other. On February 13, 1883, Wagner died of a heart attack. Though Ludwig was no longer that close to Wagner, it was evident that he was deeply effected by his death (Blunt). Some people believed that he took the loss so harshly because they were not just friends but rather intimate lovers.
SECRET RELATIONSHIP WITH WAGNER: WAS THERE SOMETHING MORE GOING ON?
Ludwig’s obsession with Wagner led many historians to believe that Ludwig was homosexual. When analyzing the letters written between the men, it often appeared as if they were intimate partners. It is believed that in the beginning they were in a relationship. However, this relationship dwindled when Ludwig traveled to Bad Kissingen. While there, he visited with his cousin Elisabeth, the Empress of Austria. Since Ludwig had not seen her in such a long time, he extended his stay for a month. Preoccupied with other things, Ludwig did not write to Wagner during that month. Wagner, who was extremely lonely, began spending more time with a woman named Cosima. For about a week, Cosima’s husband was absent and she spent her time with Wagner. During this time Wagner and Cosima grew close. Nine months later, Cosima gave birth to Wagner’s child. The couple eventually married and when Wagner was banished from Bavaria, Cosima went with him.
If there was a relationship between Wagner and Ludwig, it certainly ended during Ludwig’s trip to Kisningen. However, the end of their relationship did not put to rest the question of Ludwig’s sexuality. When Ludwig was twenty-one years old, his family kept trying to convince him to get married. Since he loved Elisabeth so much, it was only common sense to marry her younger sister, Sophie. On New Years Day 1867, it was announced to the Bavarian people that Ludwig and Sophie were engaged. The wedding was originally scheduled for Ludwig’s twenty-second birthday on August 25th. However, a few weeks before the wedding, an announcement went out stating that the wedding and been postponed until October of the following year. In July of 1868 Ludwig met Richard Horning. Horning, with blond hair and blue eyes, was an attractive and skilled horseman. Ludwig shared a mutual love for horses and therefore the two men began spending a lot of time together. A week before the wedding, Ludwig called off the engagement to Sophie. He apologized saying that the wedding was forced upon him and that he loved her more like a sister than a love interest. It is believed that the relationship between Ludwig and Horning was the cause of Ludwig’s decision to end the engagement. Though Ludwig never admitted to being homosexual, the conclusion that he was interested in men was reasonable. Though his sexuality was a part of his life, there were much more important characteristics of Ludwig that should be admired and remembered (Blunt).
