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Ludwig III of Bavaria

Munich, 7 Jan 1845 – Sárvár Castle, 18 Oct 1921

9 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 7 Jan 1845

    Born in Munich

  2. 1869–1891

    13 children are born

  3. 1913–1918

    King of Bavaria

  4. 18 Oct 1921

    Dies in Sárvár Castle, aged 76

During his lifetime

He lived through 9 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Munich.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1840s · Ludwig III is born in Munich

In the news1842

Freedom of movement laws in 1842

Prussia introduced new laws enabling greater freedom of movement and settlement for individuals not dependent on public relief.

What people wore

Saving fabric with the Magsachte patch

Women saved money on expensive fabric by sewing a hidden patch of coarser linen, called a Magsachte, onto their dresses where it would be covered by an apron.

Daily life

Homes heated by smoky, open hearths

Peasant homes often lacked chimneys, relying on open hearths that provided both light and heat while filling the living space with smoke. Small bundles of green pine brush, known as Kulelkes, were commonly used as fuel for these fires.

In the news1846–1847

Hunger crisis of 1846-1847

A severe potato blight caused a major hunger crisis across Europe, leading to unrest in Prussian markets and bakeries.

Music

The noisy brummtopf folk instrument

The brummtopf was a peculiar noise-making instrument used by groups of young people during winter festivities; it was made of a small wooden barrel covered with calfskin and played by rubbing horsehair strands inserted into the skin with wet hands.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Getting around

Difficult and slow travel by stagecoach

Traveling by stagecoach in Prussia was often grueling and uncomfortable due to poorly maintained, unpaved roads and cramped, unsprung carriages. A journey from Berlin to Königsberg, spanning 565 kilometers, typically took ten to eleven days by post coach.