Figure 1.--Ludwig II had 13 children. Seven of them are pictured here in a portrait taken about 1881. His oldest son Rupprecht is standing at the left. He would have been about 12 years old. Note how plainly the children are dressed in comparison to how Rupprecht's chldren were dressed.

Ludwig III was proclaimed King of Bavaria in l913. Ludig had quite a large family, 13 children. King Ludwig III, Prinzregent Luitpold's son, was already an old man and in poor health when he came to the throne. He was the last Bavarian monarch. The Wittelsbach dynasty was deposed by a Socialist revolution in Munich on November 8, 1918. Public outrage of the deprivation and tragic consequences of the War resulted in the overthrow of royal families throughout Germany. The outbreak of this German revolution helped quicken the end of World War I. The Bavarian Government was taken over by a cabinet under the left-wing socialist, Kurt Eisner, who had led the revolt against the monarchy. In 1919, however, Eisner was assassinated. Led by Count Arco-Vally of the Germany army. After a resulting communist revolution which lasted only a few weeks a democratic government within the new German republic was formed. In the upheavals that followed Germany's defeat in the First World War, Bavaria was declared a worker's republic and the royal family fled Munich on the advice of the new government, which said it could not guarantee their safety. After 783 years in power the rule of the Wittelsbach family in Bavaria was at an end.

Parents

Father

King Ludwig III's father was the Prinzregent Luitpold. Prince Luitpold was the fourth child of King Ludwid I. Older brothers Ludwig and Otto reigned as king, although Prince Luitpold acted as regent (1886-1913) during the reign of Otto I.

Mother

Ludwig's mother was Archduchess Augusta of Tuscany/Habsburg-Lotharingen (1825- ). Her father was Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany/Tuscany-Hapsburg-Lotharingen (1797- ). Her mother was Marie Anna of Saxony (1799- ). She married Prince Luitpolt in 1844.

Childhood

Childhood Clothing

Reign

Ludwig III was proclaimed King of Bavaria in l913. One report suggests that Ludwig insisted on being crowned king of Bavaria despite the fact that Otto was still alive. Ludwig was, however, already an elderly man and in poor health when he came to the throne. He was to be the last Bavarian monarch.

Wife

Ludwig married Maria Theresa of Habsburg-Lotharingen. Her father was Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este (1821- ) and Archduchess Elisabeth Habsburg-Lotharingen (1831- ). She married Ludwig in 1868 well before his father had become Prince Regeant and there was no reason to believe that Ludwig would become king.

Children

Ludwig and Maria Theresa had a large family. The oldest child, Rupprecht was the crown prince, but never reigned as the dynasty was deposed at the end of World War I. The available images are notable for how plainly the children were dressed. The boys until about age 3 or 4 years wore dresses and then were breeched and began wearing plain dark suits. Their sisters also wore plain dresses. We do not yet know a great deal about the children, except for Crown Prince Rupprecht. In a group portrait, Rupprecht is the only boy wearing a uniform. Unlike the Prussian prrinces, the Bavarian pinces do not seem t have been all sent to military academies.

Children's Clothes

We have no information on the children's clothes at this time. The numerous chilren born over an extended period, however, suggest that they would have worn wide range of late 19th century styles. The limited information we have at this time suggest that the children were rather plainly dressed. The boys all wear knee pants suits with long stockings. We do not know any fancy suits or lace collars. The kneepants all have buttons at the hem--either two or three buttons. We are unsure just when the boys in the family were breeched, but it looks that by at last age 4.

Children's Hair Styles

The boys apparently wore long hair cuts, although not in long ringlets like many American boys wore. Boys at about age 5 or 6 wear their hair in bangs to about ear length.

Deposed

The Wittelsbach dynasty was deposed by a Socialist revolution in Munich on November 8, 1918. Public outrage of the deprivation and tragic consequences of the War resulted in the overthrow of royal families throughout Germany. The outbreak of this German revolution helped quicken the end of World War I. The public blamed the Kaisser and other heridetary families for the dissaster although the public was very enthusiastic in 1914. The Bavarian Government was taken over by a cabinet under the left-wing socialist, Kurt Eisner, who had led the revolt against the monarchy. In 1919, however, Eisner was assassinated. Led by Count Arco-Vally of the Germany army. After a resulting communist revolution which lasted only a few weeks a democratic government within the new Geerman republic was formed. In the upheavals that followed Germany's defeat in the First World War, Bavaria was declared a worker's republic and the royal family fled Munich on the advice of the new government, which said it could not guarantee their safety. After 783 years in power the rule of the Wittelsbach family in Bavaria was at an end.

Schloss Wildenwart

Mary Theresa and her family left Munich in order to escape from the Bolshevik revolutionaries. They headed for at Schloss Wildenwart on the Chiemsee. Mary Theresa had purchased this castle many years earlier as a vacaion retreat from her brother-in-law King Alfonso XII of Spain (1857-85). Mary Theresa died not soon afterwards in 1919.

Created: May 4, 2002
Last updated: 7:41 PM 7/26/2008