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Wilhelm II of Württemberg

Stuttgart, 25 Feb 1848 – Bebenhausen, 2 Oct 1921

9 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

  • Born25 Feb 1848, Stuttgartnot verified1 source
  • MarriedPrincess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmontnot verified1 source
  • Titlecrown prince, 1870or King of Württemberg, 1891–1918not verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Württemberg, 1891–1918or crown prince, 1870not verified1 source
  • Died2 Oct 1921, Bebenhausennot verified1 source
  • MotherPrincess Katharina of Württembergnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 25 Feb 1848

    Born in Stuttgart

  2. 1870

    Crown prince

  3. 1877–1882

    3 children are born

  4. 1891–1918

    King of Württemberg

  5. 2 Oct 1921

    Dies in Bebenhausen, aged 73

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partners

Children · 3

During his lifetime

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

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

The 1840s · Wilhelm II is born in Stuttgart

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.

What people wore

Head-carried baskets with embroidered rings

Deliverers carried their goods in round white baskets called Mange on their heads, supported by embroidered cloth rings that served as both cushions and decorative accessories.

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 news1844

Weaver uprising in 1844

Handloom weavers in Upper Silesia led a famous protest against their publishers due to harsh competition from mechanized factories.

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.