The Munich of the Wittelsbachs

A truly royal walk

 

Since 1180, the Wittelsbachs have shaped the history of Bavaria. With the decision to make Munich a royal residence, the appearance of the city was shaped by medieval dukes, baroque electors and enlightened kings over the centuries.

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Max or Ludwig?

 

The hit rate is high if you answer the question "What was the name of a Bavarian ruler?" in Munich with "Max" or "Ludwig"! In fact, a Ludwig with the dubious nickname "the Strict" laid the foundation stone for what would later become the royal seat of Munich over 700 years ago when he had a medieval fortress built here - today known as the " Alte Hof ". Then again, it was a "Max" who, as a devout duke at the end of the Renaissance, defended the Catholic bastion of Bavaria in the Thirty Years' War and emerged from it endowed with the title of Elector.

The next generations reveled in baroque splendor and at the height of absolutism the Bavarian Elector learned that pride comes before the fall even for the Wittelsbachs! The Enlightenment and the French Revolution led to the opening of the Court Garden, which offers us particularly beautiful views of the Residence .

 

The Wittelsbachs as Kings of Bavaria

 

Then in 1806 came the big bombshell and Bavaria was elevated to a kingdom by the grace of Napoleon. From this point on, the monarchs built grandiose theaters and pompous boulevards and decorated the Residence with classicist facades. From Max-Joseph-Platz, you can still see the light in the royal apartments on the first floor of the royal building, which King Ludwig I claimed was "always the first light of day". If you fulfill your dreams, like his legendary grandson King Ludwig II , then you can have a winter garden covered with palm trees built on the roof of the residence.

But the Bavarian ruling house also falls after exactly 738 years of uninterrupted rule. When Kurt Eisner proclaims the Free State of Bavaria in the revolutionary month of November 1918, it will be the last Bavarian King, Ludwig III, who will be the first of the 22 federal princes in the German Empire to lose his empire and throne on November 7, 1918.

If you now have the impression that only male Wittelsbachs play a role in our group, then you are wrong - duchesses, princesses and noble ladies are just as much a part of the group as some ladies who are not quite of the right social standing!