Die Deutschen
Season 2 Episode 8 - Ludwig II. and the Bavarians
Myths and legends surround the figure of Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886), known as the "fairytale king. He shunned politics and devoted himself above all to his rapturous passions: the operas of Richard Wagner and the construction of magnificent castles such as Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. However, Ludwig was by no means just a dreamy dreamer, but pursued clear political goals: he believed in the "Third Germany," in an independent power alongside Prussia and Austria. In the mid-19th century, the federal confederation of small and medium-sized German states was a counter-model to a federal state under Prussian leadership. The vision failed because of the political genius of Otto von Bismarck and the military strength of the Hohenzollern state.
Episodes in Season 2
Charlemagne and the Saxons
43 min
Frederick II. and the Crusade
43 min
Hildegard of Bingen and the Power of Women
43 min
Charles IV. and the Black Death
43 min
Thomas Müntzer and the Peasants' War
43 min
Augustus the Strong and Love
43 min
Karl Marx and the Class Struggle
43 min
Ludwig II. and the Bavarians
43 min
Rosa Luxemburg and Freedom
43 min
Gustav Stresemann and the Republic
43 min
