Located in southeastern Germany, at the foothills of the Alps, Bavaria is Germany’s oldest and largest state. Today it is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Europe, and home to the famous fairy tale castle, Neuschwanstein, built by King Ludwig II in 1870.
Bavaria began as one of five principle duchies of Germany during the Middle Ages, ruled by the Agilofing family from 550-788 A.D.. Christianity found its way to Bavaria around the seventh and eighth century, via Scottish and Irish monks.
Charlemagne absorbed the duchy into his empire, and over the next four hundred years, the title of duke passed through several families. Henry the Lion, of the House of Welf, founded the city of Munich, which would become the leading city of Bavaria.
In 1180, Bavaria was given as a fief to the Witteslsbach family, who would rule until the end of WWI in 1918. The duchy was divided several times, only to be reunited in 1506 by Duke Albert IV. Albert introduced the idea of primogeniture, or, inheriting the title and lands by the eldest male son. This kept lands within the family, and kept the duchy from further division. Because of this strong unification, Bavaria withstood the Protestant Reformation that began in Germany by Martin Luther and his 95 Theses in 1517. It became a stronghold of Catholicism during the Counter-Reformation, serving as headquarters of the Catholic League during the Thirty Years War. During his reign, the Duke became an elector of the Holy Roman Empire, giving Bavaria greater political advantage.
With the death of Duke Maximilian Joseph in 1777, the question of the Bavarian succession intensified into a brief series of military skirmishes, with Prussia and Austria each vying for territory. In the end Prussia received Ansbach and Bayreuth and the elector of Saxony, who had been backed by Austria, was paid off to relinquish his claims to the succession. This conflict was dubbed the “Potato War” because each side tried to cut off the others food lines.
Bavaria joined Napoleon's Confederation of the Rhine, and in 1806, Napoleon dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, and elevated his new ally to a kingdom. The Bavarian Army took part in the invasion of Russia, ending in thousands of deaths. Shortly afterwards King Maximilian deserted Napoleon, joining the allies. In the end, he was allowed to keep his entire kingdom intact. Compared to many governments of its time, Bavaria had modern constitution and liberal government. King Ludwig I abolished trade guilds in 1848, allowing industrialization to flourish. Under his grandson, King Ludwig II, Munich became a great cultural center of Europe, attracting artists and musicians, such as Richard Wagner.
During the second half of the Nineteenth Century, Bavaria sided with Austria in its war against Prussia (1866) then sided with Prussia after being defeated alongside Austria. It joined the new German Empire, along with Prussia, following wars with France in 1870. During this time, King Ludwig II nearly bankrupted the Bavarian Government, building his fairy tale castles of Linderhof and Neuschwanstein, among others.
By the end of WWI, and the defeat of Germany, the Kingdom of Bavaria had disappeared. It survived as an autonomous state during the chaos of the 1920’s, but upon the rise of Hitler, became the home to Nazi headquarters in Munich and Nuremberg. Much of Bavaria was heavily bombed during WWII.
After the War, Bavaria fell into the American occupation zone, and rapid rebuilding took place. It has been part of the Federal Republic of Germany since 1949. In 1972, Munich hosted the Summer Olympics. Today Bavaria is one of the main tourist destinations in Germany. Its bucolic scenery and rich history lend itself to visitor’s imagination of fairy tale castles and storybook cottages.
Sources:
Kitchen, Martin. Germany. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
http://www.bayern.de/English/
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