BAVARIA: 2 Mark 1904 - Otto the Shadow-King
Udo
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Otto I. of Bavaria, the Shadow-King
Otto I. Wilhelm Luitpold Adalbert Waldemar was born on Apr.27.1848 in Munich as the second son of King Maximilian II. He started his military career at the age of 15 and was promoted to the rank of a lieutenant in 1864, the year when his father died and his elder brother Ludwig II. became King of Bavaria.
Already one year later, the first indices of mental disorder appeared. In 1866 Otto, meanwhile a captain, participated in the war against Prussia, he was awarded with the Ritterkreuz first class. He took on the commandership of the 5th Chevaleger-Regiment. In the war against France he was awarded with the Iron-Cross, further he was witness when King Wilhem I. of Prussia was crowned Emperor in Versailles.
In May 1871 his mental disease impaired and he was medically controlled since that time. A medical estimate attested his disease in 1872. He lived in the castles Nymphenburg, Schleissheim and finally Fürstenried, where the medical care and isolation was intensified.
Otto’s brother, King Ludwig II. was placed under disability against his wishes on June.9.1886, not because of a mental disease, he wasn’t insane, but rather to his „waste of money“ what almost led to Bavaria‘s national bankruptcy.
Ludwig II. was found drowned in the lake Starnberg four days later, the circumstances about his dead are unsettled down to the present day.
However, Otto followed on the throne on June.15.1886 and his uncle Prince Luitpold took over the regency.
A report of the year 1889 described Otto’s state of health:
King Otto didn’t look corpulent, but hefty. He wore a long full beard which can’t be shortened, because the King resisted on this request and nobody dared to shorten it while he was sleeping. The King was staring into space most of the time, he always was dressed in black and is walked pass people without recognizing them.
Neither was it allowed to salute him, nor to speak to him. He was often standing in a corner, gesticulating with his arms and hands and speaking to the object of his imagination. After that a apathy followed, which often lasted for hours and days.
The Kink smoked about 30 – 36 cigarettes a day, the wastage of matches was enormous, because the King always lighted a complete bunch of matches, which he throwed away burning, he did that with visible enjoyment.
The King ate gladly and plentiful, sometimes he was using his sleeves instead of a napkin. He ignored other people sitting at the table and wanted to be ignored himself.
Otto reacted extremely sensitive about closed doors. All doors had to be opened during the day, when he found a closed door he flew into a passion and was beating against it with hard punches. The windows to the road were trellised since he destroyed them.
He didn’t like to go outside because he was embarrased by people who stared at him. Sometimes he took a look ito the newspapers but nobody approved if he was reading and able to understand the topic.
It was approved that the King sometimes was able to recognize certain people and responded to them.
Psychology was in the fledgling stages and based on statements of third parties in those days, today it is suspected that Otto suffered from Borderline-Psychopathy.
On Dec.12.1912 prince regent Luitpold died and his son Ludwig III. took over the regency. After a constitutional amendment Ludwig III. crowned himself King on Nov.8.1913.
Otto was still allowed to wear the crown, but lost his claim on regency.
So Bavaria had two Kings that time!
Otto finally died due to a volvulus, caused through his unhealthful feeding on Oct.14.1916, he was buried in Church St. Michael (Munich) next to the sarcophagus of his brother Ludwig II.
Here is a 2 Mark coin of 1904, its mintage was 2.320.238.
This is one of my favorite coins, not only because of its very nice condition, this coin was given to me from a friend!
Otto I. Wilhelm Luitpold Adalbert Waldemar was born on Apr.27.1848 in Munich as the second son of King Maximilian II. He started his military career at the age of 15 and was promoted to the rank of a lieutenant in 1864, the year when his father died and his elder brother Ludwig II. became King of Bavaria.
Already one year later, the first indices of mental disorder appeared. In 1866 Otto, meanwhile a captain, participated in the war against Prussia, he was awarded with the Ritterkreuz first class. He took on the commandership of the 5th Chevaleger-Regiment. In the war against France he was awarded with the Iron-Cross, further he was witness when King Wilhem I. of Prussia was crowned Emperor in Versailles.
In May 1871 his mental disease impaired and he was medically controlled since that time. A medical estimate attested his disease in 1872. He lived in the castles Nymphenburg, Schleissheim and finally Fürstenried, where the medical care and isolation was intensified.
Otto’s brother, King Ludwig II. was placed under disability against his wishes on June.9.1886, not because of a mental disease, he wasn’t insane, but rather to his „waste of money“ what almost led to Bavaria‘s national bankruptcy.
Ludwig II. was found drowned in the lake Starnberg four days later, the circumstances about his dead are unsettled down to the present day.
However, Otto followed on the throne on June.15.1886 and his uncle Prince Luitpold took over the regency.
A report of the year 1889 described Otto’s state of health:
King Otto didn’t look corpulent, but hefty. He wore a long full beard which can’t be shortened, because the King resisted on this request and nobody dared to shorten it while he was sleeping. The King was staring into space most of the time, he always was dressed in black and is walked pass people without recognizing them.
Neither was it allowed to salute him, nor to speak to him. He was often standing in a corner, gesticulating with his arms and hands and speaking to the object of his imagination. After that a apathy followed, which often lasted for hours and days.
The Kink smoked about 30 – 36 cigarettes a day, the wastage of matches was enormous, because the King always lighted a complete bunch of matches, which he throwed away burning, he did that with visible enjoyment.
The King ate gladly and plentiful, sometimes he was using his sleeves instead of a napkin. He ignored other people sitting at the table and wanted to be ignored himself.
Otto reacted extremely sensitive about closed doors. All doors had to be opened during the day, when he found a closed door he flew into a passion and was beating against it with hard punches. The windows to the road were trellised since he destroyed them.
He didn’t like to go outside because he was embarrased by people who stared at him. Sometimes he took a look ito the newspapers but nobody approved if he was reading and able to understand the topic.
It was approved that the King sometimes was able to recognize certain people and responded to them.
Psychology was in the fledgling stages and based on statements of third parties in those days, today it is suspected that Otto suffered from Borderline-Psychopathy.
On Dec.12.1912 prince regent Luitpold died and his son Ludwig III. took over the regency. After a constitutional amendment Ludwig III. crowned himself King on Nov.8.1913.
Otto was still allowed to wear the crown, but lost his claim on regency.
So Bavaria had two Kings that time!
Otto finally died due to a volvulus, caused through his unhealthful feeding on Oct.14.1916, he was buried in Church St. Michael (Munich) next to the sarcophagus of his brother Ludwig II.
Here is a 2 Mark coin of 1904, its mintage was 2.320.238.
This is one of my favorite coins, not only because of its very nice condition, this coin was given to me from a friend!
0
Comments
<< <i>Otto finally died due to a volvulus >>
Run over, huh? How do they know it wasn't a Saab or a Volkswagen?
Seriously, though- that is not only a very handsome coin, but I can see how Otto makes it all the more fascinating. The rogues, tyrants, martyrs, and crazies of history are far more interesting, aren't they?
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
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'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
I knew about Ludwig IIer but didn't know it ran in the family. Thanks for the info!
1900-D 20 Marks (ANACS MS-62)
Edited to add: Silvereagle82: Nice gold piece!!
hmmm . . . DPOTD material?
I totally agree.
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is that you end up being governed by inferiors. – Plato
Obscurum per obscurius
Nice coin and history lesson. The first coin that I bought from Germany was a Otto 3 mark that I still have.
DorkGirl
lordmarcovan
coinkat
wildjag
wybrit
ajaan
STLNATS
Silvereagle82
Preussen
SYRACUSIAN
laurentyvan
Kurt4
shirohniichan
3Mark
for your nice comments
LM, for a moment a was very confused and was wondering what you were talking about (Saab and Volkswagen ???) until I`ve seen that
What you said:
Seriously, though- that is not only a very handsome coin, but I can see how Otto makes it all the more fascinating. The rogues, tyrants, martyrs, and crazies of history are far more interesting, aren't they?
is very true.
Silvereagle82, very nice coin
Yes indeed, Dimitri, Otto I. of Greece was uncle and godfather of Otto of Bavaria, but I didn't know he was also suffering mental disease, that sounds very interesting.
shirohniichan, maybe pictures of Otto with his unkempt beard existed, but im certain that they wanted to keep this pictures private.
3Mark, it's funny, what a single coin can effect, isn't it?
Thanks again to you all, guys and gals
Well, the author of the book was biased, otherwise I can hardly picture someone with a serious mental disease managing to stay in power for 30 years, even if he was not exercising his duties in the beginning in person, as he was still very young. But rumours are rumours, Otto was very eccentric and the fact alone that he never even bothered to learn the language did not help his reputation. Perhaps he had a milder version, these diseases are transmitted by genes, but to different degrees of intensity. We'll have to look it up from reliable sources to be sure.
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