The Kingdom of Bavaria (Königreich Bayern) is a kingdom that briefly existed in German history for more than a hundred years. The kingdom was elevated from an electorate of Bavaria to a kingdom in 1805 until its demise in 1918, under the rule of the Wittelsbach family. Combining relevant historical documents, this paper sorts out the historical context of the Kingdom of Bavaria by sorting out the development clues and cultural and artistic achievements of the Kingdom of Bavaria in various periods, in order to make a certain supplement to the research on German history.
1 Historical Background
of the Kingdom of Bavaria 1.1 Kingdom History The Kingdom of
Bavaria refers to a kingdom that existed for more than 100 years in German history from 1805 to 1918 and was ruled by the Wittelsbach dynasty. Around the 9th century, the Carolingian dynasty also ruled Bavaria for decades. In 1805, Maximilian Joseph became the first king of the Kingdom of Bavaria from the Elector of Bavaria of the Wittelsbach family, Maximilian I Joseph (Maximilian I Joseph), the Kingdom of Bavaria was born.
In 1871, the German Empire was established, and the German nation achieved its first grand unification. Bavaria changed from an independent kingdom to a member state under the German Empire, but Bavaria was given relatively broad autonomy, the king still enjoyed his title, and retained the management of the country's army, diplomacy, postal service and railways. Bavaria's position in the empire is second only to the Kingdom of Prussia [1]. In 1918, with the end of the German Empire, the history of the Kingdom of Bavaria also ended. Since then, Bavaria has become an important part of Germany.
1.2 Geographical location
Bavaria has a very special geographical location. Mountains, forests and lakes are typical Bavarian landforms. The Alps stretch across its borders, the terrain is towering, there are countless peaks over 2,000 meters, and there are many lakes.
In addition to a series of natural geographical elements of topography and landforms, Bavaria is also located in a very advantageous geographical location. It is located in the most central and prosperous area in the whole of Europe. Starting from Bavaria, the surrounding traffic network is very convenient and smooth, and vehicles and goods can go directly to all major economic centers.
1.3 History
of the Wittelsbach family The Wittelsbach family is one of several ancient aristocratic lineages in Germany[2]. ). In 1119, Otto V. von Scheyern, the count of Scheyern, moved the family's headquarters from Scheyern Castle to Wittelsbach Castle, and the family was named after it.
In 1156, Otto VI, Count of Schein, became a lord of the lands of Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria[3]. Henry the Lion was in irreconcilable conflict with the then Emperor Frederick I. Otto VI was firmly on the Emperor's side and thus became the Emperor's most reliable knight. In 1180, Frederick I suppressed Henry the lion and gave Bavaria to Otto VI. Since then, Otto VI, Count of Schein, has been renamed Otto I. von Bayern, Duke of Bavaria, and the Wittelsbach family has also embarked on the road of monopoly Bavaria for 700 years.
2 Kings of the Kingdom of Bavaria 2.1
Succession to the throne The succession to the throne of the Kingdom of Bavaria is determined according to the Salic Law of Succession.
That is, the throne should go to the eldest son of the current king, then the sons of the eldest son, then the other sons of the current king, and then the younger brother of the current king, and other men of the Wittelsbach family. Members, women have no right to inherit the throne.
2.2 List of Kings
(1) Maximilian I (1805-1825);
(2) Ludwig I (1825-1848);
(3) Maximilian II (1848-1864);
(4) Ludwig II (1864-1886);
(5) Otto I (1886-1913) Prince Luitpold (regent) ( 1886-1912) Ludwig III (Regent) (1912-1913);
(6) Ludwig III (1913-1918).
2.3 Maximilian I
On May 27, 1756, Maximilian Joseph was born in Schwetzingen, Germany, his father was Frederick Micha, Count of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld Palace El's mother was Princess Maria Francesca of Palatinate-Sulzbach.
When Maximilian was 11, his father died and his uncle, Christian IV, Duke of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, became his guardian. In 1777, Maximilian served in the French army, serving as colonel and major general. In 1782 he was stationed in Strasbourg for seven years. In 1789, when the French Revolution broke out, he went to serve in the Austrian army and participated in several early campaigns.
In 1795, Charles II, Duke of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, died. Since he had no children, Maximilian inherited the title of his eldest brother. In 1799, Karl Theodore, Elector and Palace Elector of Bavaria, died without heirs. As a result, Maximilian became the patriarch of the Wittelsbach family, and at the same time became the elector of Bavaria and the palace elector, called Maximilian IV Joseph.
At the end of 1805, the French victory at the Battle of Austerlitz was signed by the French Emperor Napoleon and the Holy Roman Emperor Franz II. As a result, Maximilian Joseph was promoted from elector to crown prince of Bavaria and acquired important lands in Swabia and Franconia. He ascended the throne on January 1, 1806, and he officially ascended the throne as King Maximilian I.
The reign of Maximilian I had a strong Enlightenment color. Major achievements include: developing agriculture, commerce, improving laws, equalizing taxation, abolishing feudal privileges, and promulgating a new constitution. Taking into account the independent status of Bavaria, he was always firmly opposed to the reconstruction of Germany. He died in Nymphenburg in 1825 at the age of 69.
2.4 Ludwig II
On August 25, 1845, Ludwig II (Ludwig II) was born in Nymphenburg. He was the fourth king of Bavaria, his father was Maximilian II and his mother was Princess Maria of Prussia. Ludwig II received a very strict royal education since childhood, liked to recite poetry as a child, and often played roles in Wagner's operas.
In 1864, the young and handsome Ludwig II took the throne at the age of 18. Initially, he was extremely popular both inside and outside the Kingdom of Bavaria. Although one of the first problems after ascending the throne was the expectations and enthusiasm of the court and the people for the birth of a royal heir, Ludwig II never married.
The German Confederation was the last manifestation of medieval feudalism [4]. Ludwig II supported Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. After Austria's defeat, Ludwig II realized that the power of the countries had changed, and he was eager to join the alliance led by Prussia. As a result, Bavaria joined the Franco-Prussian War as an ally of Prussia, and the Prussian side won. Later, at the behest of Bismarck, Ludwig II wrote to King William I of Prussia, imploring him to ascend to the throne of the German Empire. In the end, Wilhelm I became the emperor of a unified Germany, and Bavaria's independence came to an end.
3 Culture and Art of the Kingdom of Bavaria In the
19th century, Germany realized the transition from feudalism to capitalism, ending the long-term territorial division and the division of small countries. At the same time, social life and spiritual life have advanced by leaps and bounds, which has greatly promoted the progress in the field of culture and art. Therefore, during this period, various German artistic styles and schools developed rapidly in coexistence and competition, and the people were eager to express their emotions. Especially in Bavaria, which attached great importance to the spiritual world, the achievements in the field of culture and art were even more prominent[5] .
3.1 Fine Arts
The European art world flourished in the 19th century, with various schools of thought. After the end of Napoleon's reign, romantic art, which focused on emotional expression and was characterized by unrestrained colors and brushwork, became the mainstream. In the first half of the 19th century, German Romanticism also developed and matured in the turbulent movement, represented by the outstanding Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich, who was good at landscape painting, and his representative works include "Sea of Fog". The Wanderer.
In the 1840s, with the gradual recovery of the economy, the people began to pay attention to real life, so there was a revival of realist art that emphasized individual expression and social reality in Germany. The 1850s and 1870s experienced a boom period, with influential painters like Adolf von Menzel emerging in Germany. Especially in Bavaria, there are a large number of outstanding realist painters, such as Wilhelm Leibl who lived in the countryside of Bavaria for a long time. His works are meticulous and have a strong local flavor. His representative works are "Three Women in the Church"; For example, Hans Thomas, who pays attention to the performance of details, makes good use of realistic techniques to depict beautiful scenery and quiet farm life. He has studied and worked in France, Italy and other places. Later, he held an exhibition in Munich and won the award. Solid reputation, representative of "In the Grass in the Forest".
From the 1860s to the 1870s, due to the development of industry and economy, a wealthy bourgeoisie appeared in Germany, and utilitarianism increasingly influenced fine art creation. Unwilling to cater to bourgeois tastes, some artists moved to Rome to escape reality. As a result, the "Roman School" briefly appeared in Germany with ancient Greek mythology as the subject of painting, creating classical and noble ideal figures. At the end of the 19th century, a trend of symbolism literature and art emerged in Europe, emphasizing the subjective creation of artists, and most of the works were out of reality and had a mysterious color.
3.2 Music
In the 19th century, Romanticism developed rapidly with a strong subjective lyricism, and the centers of its rise were in Austria and Germany. Music works in particular highlight the national characteristics, thus forming a variety of national music schools with distinctive styles.
At the same time, the opera has also achieved brilliant achievements. Because of Ludwig II's love for Wagner's operas, it came out on top in Bavaria. "Music must obey the dramatic content and needs to be created" is the principle that Wagner adheres to. He wrote the scripts and music for his operas. He regarded himself as a poet, playwright and composer, and created epoch-making classic musicals such as "The Ring of the Nibelung" and "Tristan and Isolde". , which brought the development of romantic opera to its peak.
3.3 Architecture
Bavaria's most famous and artistically accomplished building is Neuschwanstein Castle, built in 1868. This romantic castle combines Byzantine and Gothic architecture with elements of Wagner's opera stage art, as if the castle in the fairy tale world has been brought into reality.
Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, and it is the embodiment of the romantic and elegant medieval image in the heart of this "fairy tale king". However, before Ludwig's death, Neuschwanstein Castle was not completed. The artistic charm of the castle itself and the tragic story of the king add a touch of sadness and romance to this exquisite castle. The architectural art of Neuschwanstein Castle inspired the design of Sleeping Beauty Castle in later Disneyland.
4 During the German Empire
Bavaria 's strength in the German state should not be underestimated. In the early 19th century, Maximilian I promulgated the constitution, which objectively consolidated the friendly relations between the German states, and at the same time promoted the upsurge of German nationalism, thus laying a solid ideological and economic foundation for the subsequent unification of Germany.
In 1848, the long-planned French Revolution started from the Italian peninsula and then quickly swept the entire European continent [6]. Maximilian II did not support German unification. He hoped to form a loose ruling alliance with the monarchs of other German states and maintain Bavaria's independent status.
Bavaria and Austria had very close relations, but with the defeat of Austria in the Austro-Prussian War and the dissolution of the German Confederation, the alliance was also dissolved. So far, Bavaria has lost the powerful force that Austria can rely on. In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Prussia defeated France and captured the French emperor. In 1871, the German Empire was proclaimed. Bavaria, as a small kingdom, could not deal with the whole of North Germany on its own, and eventually merged into the German Empire.
In 1913, Ludwig III succeeded to the throne, and he was the last king in the history of the Kingdom of Bavaria. In 1918, the November Revolution broke out in Bavaria, the republic government replaced the royal government, Ludwig III fled overseas, and soon announced his abdication, and the kingdom of Bavaria perished.
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