Bizarre rulers abounded in the ancient world, as the era’s Neros and Caligulas elevated the standards of weirdness to new heights. However, the modern era saw its fair share of strange people in power, who gave their ancient predecessors a run for their money when it comes to bizarre behavior. Below are some fascinating facts about some of the modern era’s odder rulers.
18. The Special Madness of Ludwig II
“Mad King Ludwig” (1845 – 1886), or Ludwig II, reigned in Bavaria from 1864 until his death. His madness was not expressed in cruelty and viciousness, but in an obsession with art and architecture. A generous benefactor of the arts, Ludwig admired and patronized the composer Richard Wagner. He also devoted himself to artistic and architectural projects, such as opulent fairy tale castles whose construction he lavishly funded to the point of bankruptcy. Ludwig never married and had no mistresses. He had strong gay tendencies, which he struggled throughout his life to suppress. He was unsuccessful. It was an open secret in Bavaria that Ludwig had affairs with his bodyguards. Homosexuality had been decriminalized in Bavaria in 1813, but when Germany was unified under Prussian hegemony in 1871, Prussia’s criminal code, which criminalized gay sex, was instated.
