Maximilian II Joseph of Bavaria
| Maximilian II | |
|---|---|
Detail from a portrait by
Julius Zimmermann (1824-1906) |
|
| King of Bavaria | |
| Reign | 20 March 1848 – 10 March 1864 |
| Predecessor | Ludwig I |
| Successor | Ludwig II |
| Prime Ministers | |
| Born |
28 November 1811 Munich, Bavaria |
| Died | 10 March 1864 (aged 52) Munich, Bavaria |
| Burial | Theatinerkirche, Munich |
| Spouse | Marie of Prussia |
| Issue |
Ludwig II of Bavaria Otto of Bavaria |
| House | Wittelsbach |
| Father | Ludwig I of Bavaria |
| Mother | Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Maximilian II (28 November 1811 – 10 March 1864) reigned as King of Bavaria between 1848 and 1864.
Unlike his father, King Ludwig I and son King Ludwig II, "King Max" was very popular and took a greater interest in the business of Government than in personal extravagance.
Ascending the throne 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 Mecca.
He was born in Munich, as the son of King Ludwig I and Queen Therese of Bavaria.
After studying at Göttingen and Berlin and travelling in Germany, Italy and Greece, he was introduced by his father into the council of state (1836). From the first he showed a studious disposition, declaring on one occasion that had he not been born in a royal cradle his choice would have been to become a professor. As crown prince, in the chateau of Hohenschwangau near Füssen, which he had rebuilt with excellent taste, he gathered about him an intimate society of artists and men of learning and devoted his time to scientific and historical study. The Wittelsbacher Palais was built for Maximilian as a Crown Prince Palace in Munich but only completed when he ascended the throne.
When the abdication of Ludwig I (20 March 1848) called him suddenly to the throne, his choice of ministers promised a liberal regime.
In 1849 an uprising in the Bavarian Palatinate was broken down with the support of the Prussian Army.
Though from 1850 onwards his government tended in the direction of absolute monarchy, King Maximilian steered a moderate course between the extremes of Classical Liberalism, Prussian-inspired Pan-Germanism, and the so-called "Ultramontanes".
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Wikipedia