Otto (; 27 April 1848 – 11 October 1916) was
King of Bavaria
The King of Bavaria () was a title held by the hereditary Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria in the state known as the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1805 until 1918, when the kingdom was abolished. It was the second time Bavaria was a kingdom, almost a t ...
from 1886 until 1913. However, he never actively ruled because of alleged severe mental illness. His uncle,
Luitpold, and his cousin,
Ludwig, served as regents. Ludwig deposed him in 1913, a day after the legislature passed a law allowing him to do so, and became king in his own right as Ludwig III.
Otto was the son of
Maximilian II and his wife,
Marie of Prussia, and the younger brother of
Ludwig II
Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886), also called the Swan King or the Fairy Tale King (), was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duk ...
.
Childhood and youth
Prince Otto was born on 27 April 1848, two months premature, in the
Munich Residenz
The Residenz (, ''Residence'') in central Munich is the former royal palace of the House of Wittelsbach, Wittelsbach List of rulers of Bavaria, monarchs of Bavaria. The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors ...
. His parents were King
Maximilian II of Bavaria
Maximilian II (28 November 1811 – 10 March 1864) reigned as King of Bavaria between 1848 and 1864.
Unlike his father, King Ludwig I, "King Max" was very popular and took a greater interest in the business of Government than in personal ext ...
and
Marie of Prussia. His uncle, King
Otto I of Greece, served as his
godfather.
Otto had an older brother,
Crown Prince Ludwig. They spent most of their childhood with servants and teachers at
Hohenschwangau Castle
Hohenschwangau Castle () is a 19th-century palace in southern Germany. It was built by King Maximilian II of Bavaria, and was the childhood residence of his son, King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It is located in the German village of Hohenschwangau ...
. Their parents were distant and formal, and they were at such a loss about what to say to Otto and Ludwig that they often ignored and even avoided them. Their mother took an interest in what the brothers wore: she ordered for Ludwig to always be dressed in blue and for Otto to always wear red. Their father was strict with the brothers, particularly Ludwig, the heir apparent. Between 1853 and 1863, the brothers spent their summer holidays at the ''Royal Villa'' in
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps. South of the town, the Be ...
, which had been specially built for their father.
Otto served in the
Bavarian army
The Bavarian Army () was the army of the Electorate of Bavaria, Electorate (1682–1806) and then Kingdom of Bavaria, Kingdom (1806–1918) of Bavaria. It existed from 1682 as the standing army of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereig ...
from 1863. He was appointed
sub-lieutenant on 27 April 1863 and admitted to the Cadet Corps on 1 March 1864. On 26 May 1864, he was promoted to full
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
.
On 10 March 1864, King Maximilian died and Otto's brother, Ludwig, succeeded as King of Bavaria. Between 18 June and 15 July 1864, the two brothers received state visits by the emperors of Austria and Russia.
Otto was promoted to
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
on 27 April 1866 and entered active military service in the
Royal Bavarian Infantry Guards. He participated in the
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...
of 1866 and as
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
in the
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
of 1870–1871. His experiences on the battlefield traumatized him and caused him to have depression and insomnia. When
Wilhelm I
Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. ...
was proclaimed German Emperor on 18 January 1871 at the
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
, Prince Otto and his uncle,
Luitpold, represented King Ludwig II, who refused to participate (despite having offered Wilhelm the Imperial title in a letter).
[Dr. Theodor Toeche-Mittler: ''Die Kaiserproklamation in Versailles am 18. Januar 1871 mit einem Verzeichniß der Festtheilnehmer, Ernst Siegfried Mittler und Sohn'', Berlin, 1896][H. Schnaebeli: ''Fotoaufnahmen der Kaiserproklamation in Versailles'', Berlin, 1871] Otto then criticized the celebration as ostentatious and heartless in a letter to his brother. Otto despised his ambitious Prussian relatives and cordially disliked his Prussian mother and so they were appalled by the creation of the new
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
. His hostility was no secret to the Prussian government.
Otto and Ludwig were often seen together during the early years of Ludwig's reign, but they became estranged over time. Ludwig was shy and introverted and eventually became a recluse. Otto was cheerful, outgoing and extroverted until the Franco-Prussian War. In 1868, Otto received the
Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conception, the house order of the
House of Wittelsbach
The House of Wittelsbach () is a former Bavarian dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electoral Palatinate, the Electorate of Cologne, County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, ...
. In 1869, he joined the
Order of the Holy Sepulchre, on the initiative of Cardinal
Karl-August von Reisach
Karl-Auguste Graf von Reisach (7 July 1800, in Roth (district), Roth, Bavaria22 December 1869, in the Redemptorist monastery of Les Contamines-Montjoie, Contamine, France) was a Roman Catholic German theologian, Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal a ...
.
Mental incapacity
After the
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
, Otto became very depressed and anxious, which worried his family. Otto had spells during which he slept poorly for days and acted out, followed by periods of time during which he was perfectly normal and lucid. His illness progressively grew worse. Ludwig was horrified because he had been counting on Otto to marry and have a son who could eventually inherit the throne. Otto was placed under medical supervision, and reports about his condition were sent by spies working for the Prussian Chancellor,
Otto von Bismarck
Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...
. Doctors reported that Otto was mentally ill in January 1872. From 1873, he was held in isolation in the southern pavilion of
Nymphenburg Palace
The Nymphenburg Palace (, Palace of the Nymphs) is a Baroque palace situated in Munich's western district Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, in Bavaria, southern Germany. The Nymphenburg served as the main summer residence for the List of rulers of Bavaria, ...
. His attending physician was Dr.
Bernhard von Gudden
Johann Bernhard Aloys von Gudden (7 June 1824 – 13 June 1886) was a German neuroanatomist and psychiatrist born in Kleve.
Career
In 1848, von Gudden earned his doctorate from the University of Halle and became an intern at the asylum in Siegbu ...
, who later diagnosed Otto's brother, Ludwig, as mentally ill without examining him, which raises questions about his competence and his motives. Both Ludwig and Otto despised Prussia, and their uncle,
Luitpold, and Gudden supported Prussia's rise to dominance. Some contemporaries believed that Gudden's diagnoses of Otto and Ludwig were motivated by political considerations and that more could and should have been done to help and treat Otto. Some contemporaries also believed that Bismarck did not want Ludwig nor Otto to remain in power and decided to replace the brothers with their malleable uncle, Luitpold.
During
Corpus Christi Mass in 1875 in the
Frauenkirche in Munich, Otto, who had not attended the church service, rushed into the church wearing hunting clothes and fell on his knees before the celebrant, Archbishop
Gregor von Scherr, to ask forgiveness for his sins. The High Mass was interrupted, and the prince did not resist when he was led away by two church ministers. Otto was then moved to
Schleissheim Palace
The Schleißheim Palace () comprises three individual palaces in a grand Baroque park in the village of Oberschleißheim, a suburb of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The palace was a summer residence of the Bavarian rulers of the House of Wittelsbac ...
and was effectively held prisoner there, much to his dismay. Gudden made no effort to treat him; it is possible that Otto was heavily drugged. Otto's last public appearance was his presence at the side of his brother at the King's parade on 22 August 1875, at the
Marsfeld in Munich. From 1 June 1876, he stayed for a few weeks in the castle at Ludwigsthal in the Bavarian Forest. In the spring of 1880, his condition worsened. In 1883, he was confined under medical supervision in
Fürstenried Palace
Fürstenried Palace is a Baroque ''maison de plaisance'' and hunting lodge in Munich, Germany. It was built from 1715 to 1717 for Elector Maximilian II Emanuel. Today the palace serves as spiritual house for archdiocese and as pastoral center.
...
near Munich, where he would remain for the rest of his life. The palace had been specially converted for his confinement. Ludwig occasionally visited him at night and ordered for no violence to be used against him.
In 1886, the senior royal medical officer wrote a statement declaring that Otto was severely mentally ill. Otto may have had
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
. It has also been argued that his illness was the result of
syphilis
Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...
, which would also account for the paralysis he had in later years.
In 1894, Otto had shown signs of recovery and was cleared to attend a
fête champêtre
A fête champêtre was a form of entertainment in the 18th century, taking the form of a garden party. This form of entertainment was particularly practised by the French court, where in the Gardens of Versailles and elsewhere areas of the park w ...
at
Bamberg
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in ...
where he smashed sixty-five bottles of 'high grade champagne'.
King of Bavaria

When King Ludwig II was deposed by his ministers on 10 June 1886, his uncle Luitpold took over the rule of the Kingdom of Bavaria and led the affairs of state in Ludwig's place as regent. Only three days later Ludwig II died under unknown circumstances, and Prince Otto succeeded him as King of Bavaria on 13 June 1886 in accordance with the Wittelsbach succession law.
Since Otto was unable to lead the government due to his mental illness (officially it was said: "The King is
melancholic
Melancholia or melancholy (from ',Burton, Bk. I, p. 147 meaning black bile) is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval, and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly depressed mood, bodily complain ...
"), Prince Regent Luitpold also reigned for him. He did not understand the proclamation of his accession to the throne, which was explained to King Otto at
Fürstenried Palace
Fürstenried Palace is a Baroque ''maison de plaisance'' and hunting lodge in Munich, Germany. It was built from 1715 to 1717 for Elector Maximilian II Emanuel. Today the palace serves as spiritual house for archdiocese and as pastoral center.
...
the next day after his accession. He thought his uncle Luitpold was the rightful king. Shortly thereafter, the
Bavarian Army
The Bavarian Army () was the army of the Electorate of Bavaria, Electorate (1682–1806) and then Kingdom of Bavaria, Kingdom (1806–1918) of Bavaria. It existed from 1682 as the standing army of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereig ...
troops were sworn in the name of King Otto I and coins were minted with his portrait.
End of reign and death

Luitpold kept his role as Prince Regent until he died in 1912 and was succeeded by his son Ludwig, who was Otto's first cousin. By then, it had been obvious for some time that Otto would never emerge from seclusion or be mentally capable of actively reigning. Almost as soon as Ludwig became regent, elements in the press and larger society clamoured for Ludwig to become King in his own right.
Accordingly, the constitution of Bavaria was amended on 4 November 1913 to include a clause specifying that if a regency for reasons of incapacity lasted for ten years, with no expectation that the King would ever be able to reign, the Regent could end the regency, depose the King and assume the crown himself with the assent of the legislature. The following day, Prince Regent Ludwig ended the regency, cast his cousin down from the throne, and proclaimed his own reign as
Ludwig III. The parliament assented on 6 November, and Ludwig III took the constitutional oath on 8 November. King Otto was permitted to retain his title and honours for life.
King Otto died unexpectedly on 11 October 1916 from a
volvulus
A volvulus is when a loop of intestine twists around itself and the mesentery that supports it, resulting in a bowel obstruction. Symptoms include abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, vomiting, constipation, and bloody stool. Onset of symp ...
(an obstruction of the bowel). His remains were interred in the
crypt
A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...
of the in Munich. In accordance with Bavarian royal tradition, the heart of the King was placed in a silver urn and sent to the (
Shrine of Our Lady of Altötting) in
Altötting
Altötting (, , in contrast to "Neuötting, New Ötting"; , ) is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, capital of the Altötting (district), district Altötting of Germany. For 500 years it has been the scene of religious pilgrimages by Catholics in ...
, beside those of his
brother
A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a family, familial relationship, it is sometimes used ende ...
,
father
A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...
and
grandfather
Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a m ...
.
Honours

He received the following orders and decorations:
Ancestors
Footnotes
References
* Cajetan von Aretin: ''Die Erbschaft des Königs Otto von Bayern. Höfische Politik und Wittelsbacher Vermögensrechte 1916 bis 1922'', in the series ''Schriftenreihe zur bayerischen Landesgeschichte'', vol. 149, C. H. Beck Verlag, Munich, 2006, , also: thesis, University of Munich, 2006
* Heinz Häfner: ''Ein König wird beseitigt. Ludwig II von Bayern'', C. H. Beck Verlag, Munich, 2008, , p. 330 ff
* Greg King, ''The Mad King: A Biography of Ludwig II of Bavaria'', Birch Lane Press, 1996,
* Christopher McIntosh: ''The Swan King: Ludwig II of Bavaria'', I.B. Tauris & Co., Ltd., 2012,
* Catherine Radziwill, ''The Tragedy of a Throne'', Cassell and Company, Ltd., 1907.
* Arndt Richter: ''Die Geisteskrankheit der bayerischen Könige Ludwig II. und Otto. Eine interdisziplinäre Studie mittels Genealogie, Genetik und Statistik'', Degener & Co., Neustadt an der Aisch, 1997,
*
Alfons Schweiggert: ''Schattenkönig. Otto, der Bruder König Ludwig II. von Bayern, ein Lebensbild'', Ehrenwirth, Munich, 1992,
{{DEFAULTSORT:Otto Of Bavaria
1848 births
1916 deaths
19th-century kings of Bavaria
20th-century kings of Bavaria
Dethroned monarchs
House of Wittelsbach
Princes of Bavaria
Burials at St. Michael's Church, Munich
German royalty and nobility with disabilities
Recipients of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria)
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 2nd class
Knights of the Golden Fleece of Austria
Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia)
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class
Deaths from bowel obstruction
Military personnel from Munich