Ludwig I (or Louis I, which is the French form of his name, his godfather was Louis XVI of France) (Strasbourg, August 25 1786 – February 29, 1868 Nice) was king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.

Crown Prince

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He was the son of king Maximilian I and Wilhelmine of Hessen-Darmstadt. In October 1810, he married Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1792-1854), the wedding being the occasion of the first ever Oktoberfest. In 1817 Ludwig was involved in the fall of Prime Minister Count Max Josef von Montgelas. He succeeded his father on the throne in 1825.

Reign

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Ludwig patronised the arts as principal of many neoclassical buildings, especially in Munich, and as fanatic collector. Among others he ordered to erect were the Walhalla temple, the Glyptothek, the Old and the New Pinakothek.

One of his most famous conceptions was the celebrate "Schönheitengalerie" (Gallerie of Beauties), in charge of the painter Joseph Stieler, were it were retreated several beautiful women who principally came from the high middle class.

He moved the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität from Landshut to Munich in 1826. Ludwig also encouraged industrialization. He initiated the Ludwig channel between the Main River and the Danube. In 1835 the first German railway was constructed in his domain, between Fürth and Nuremberg.

Ludwig supported the Greek fight for independence: His second son Otto was elected king of Greece in 1832. After the July Revolution in France 1830, his previous liberal policy became more and more repressive. The Hambacher Fest in 1832 showed the discontent of the population suffered from high taxes and censorship. Ludwig became also tainted with scandals associated with one of his mistresses, Lola Montez and he abdicated on March 20, 1848 in favour of his son, Maximilian.

Children

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He was the father of:

• Maximilian II of Bavaria (1811-1864)
• Mathilde, who married Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (1813-1862)
• Otto (1815-1867), who became king of Greece in 1832.
• Theodelinde, Princess of Bavaria (1816-1817)
• Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria (1821-1912)
• Adelgunde (1823-1914), who married Francis V, Duke of Modena.
• Hildegarde (1825-1864), who married Archduke Albert of Austria (1817-1895) Duke of Tuscany.
• Adalbert (1828-1875)

See also

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• Revolutions of 1848 in the German states

External links

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• The king's portrait

• George Washington's German "Cousin" {Baron Jakob von Washington-an advisor to King Ludwig I}

Natives of Strasbourg | House of Wittelsbach | People of the Revolutions of 1848 | 1786 births | 1868 deaths

Ludwig I. (Bayern) | Luis I de Baviera | Ludoviko la 1-a (Bavario) | Louis Ier de Bavière | לודוויג הראשון (בוואריה) | Lodewijk I van Beieren | Ludwig I av Bayern | Ludwik I Wittelsbach | Людвиг I (король Баварии) | Ľudovít I. (Bavorsko, 1825) | Ludvig I av Bayern | 路德维希一世 (巴伐利亚)