Photo: Joseph Bernhardt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons¹⁵

Maximilian II of Bavaria

King of Bavaria from 1848 to 1864

Maximilian II (28 November 1811 – 10 March 1864) was King of Bavaria from 20 March 1848 until his death in 1864. He was the firstborn child and eldest son of King Ludwig I and his wife Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.²

From Wikipedia’s article on Maximilian II of Bavaria (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Nov 28, 1811, died Mar 10, 1864.¹

About

Ascending the throne upon his father's abdication during the German Revolution of 1848, King Maximilian restored stability in his kingdom. The rest of his reign was characterized by attempts to maintain Bavarian independence during the wars of German Unification and to transform his capital city of Munich into a cultural and educational city. He was very popular and took a greater interest in the business of government than in personal extravagance.

In 1842 he married the Hohenzollern princess Marie Friederike Franziska Hedwig, the niece of King Freidrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, with whom he had two sons. Upon his death, Maximilian was succeeded by their eldest son, Ludwig II.

From Wikipedia’s article on Maximilian II of Bavaria, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.²

Companies

Stiftung MaximilianeumFounder¹⁴

Career

Occupation: statesperson, politician.⁷

1848 to 1864King of Bavaria⁶
Date not recordedFounded Frauenstein memorial³
Date not recordedFounded Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art⁴
Date not recordedFounded Bavarian National Museum⁵

Personal life

BornNov 28, 1811, Munich⁸
DiedMar 10, 1864, Munich⁹
CitizenshipKingdom of Bavaria¹⁰
SpouseMarie of Prussia 1842 to 1864¹¹

While king, Maximilian was hampered by constant ill health which often compelled him to travel abroad and, when at home, to live much of the time in the countryside. The relationship with his father, who had persisted in his architectural projects even after his abdication, was mostly tense. By his wife, Marie Friederike Franziska Hedwig, daughter of Prince William of Prussia, who he married in 1842, he had two sons:

Ludwig II of Bavaria (25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886)

Otto, King of Bavaria (27 April 1848 – 11 October 1916)

Both of his sons became king, were declared insane, and were later deposed.

From Wikipedia’s article on Maximilian II of Bavaria (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

1861Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion^{12 13}
Date not recordedKnight of the Order of the Golden Fleece¹²
Date not recordedOrder of Saint Hubert¹²
Date not recordedOrder of St. Andrew¹²

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

1
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria on Wikidata
2
WikipediaMaximilian II of Bavaria on Wikipedia
3
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: Founded Frauenstein memorial, on Wikidata
4
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: Founded Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art, on Wikidata
5
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: Founded Bavarian National Museum, on Wikidata
6
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: King of Bavaria, on Wikidata
7
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: occupation, on Wikidata
8
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: place of birth, on Wikidata
9
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: place of death, on Wikidata
10
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: citizenship, on Wikidata
11
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: spouse, on Wikidata
12
WikidataMaximilian II of Bavaria: award, on Wikidata
13
Wikidataaward, as reported
14
WikidataStiftung Maximilianeum, Founder
15
Wikimedia CommonsMaximilian II of Bavaria photo by Joseph Bernhardt, Public domain