Ludwig III, King of Bavaria

(January 7, 1845, Münich – October 18, 1921, Sárvár Castle, Hungary) As the nephew of King Max II, Ludwig had no prospect of succeeding to the Bavarian throne. His expectations with respect to the Greek throne also disappeared in 1862. Seriously wounded at Helmstedt in 1866 while serving as first lieutenant in the Infantry Lifeguards Regiment, he renounced an active career while remaining a colonel general in the Bavarian Army. His broader interests turned especially to land development. In 1871 he stood unsuccessfully for the Patriot Party (the later Zentrum …