King Ludwig II of Bavaria is remembered as a visionary monarch, a patron of art and architecture, and a ruler whose reign ended under circumstances that remain deeply contested. Declared mentally unfit and removed from power, he died shortly afterwards in a manner that has never been fully explained.

This book reexamines Ludwig’s downfall by exploring the political tensions, financial pressures, and medical claims that led to his deposition. It questions whether the label of madness reflected genuine instability or whether it served as a convenient instrument for political removal at a moment when the Bavarian state sought greater control.

Carefully argued and historically grounded, King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Mad King or Political Removal? invites readers to reconsider a royal fall that blurs the line between illness, authority, and calculated power.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria is remembered as a visionary monarch, a patron of art and architecture, and a ruler whose reign ended under circumstances that remain deeply contested. Declared mentally unfit and removed from power, he died shortly afterwards in a manner that has never been fully explained.

This book reexamines Ludwig’s downfall by exploring the political tensions, financial pressures, and medical claims that led to his deposition. It questions whether the label of madness reflected genuine instability or whether it served as a convenient instrument for political removal at a moment when the Bavarian state sought greater control.

Carefully argued and historically grounded, King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Mad King or Political Removal? invites readers to reconsider a royal fall that blurs the line between illness, authority, and calculated power.