Legacy
Ludwig was deeply peculiar and irresponsible, but the question of clinical insanity remains unresolved.[4] The prominent German brain researcher Heinz Häfner has disagreed with the contention that there was clear evidence for Ludwig's insanity.[7] Others believe he may have suffered from the effects of chloroform used in an effort to control chronic toothache rather than any psychological disorder. His cousin and friend, Empress Elisabeth held that, "The King was not mad; he was just an eccentric living in a world of dreams. They might have treated him more gently, and thus perhaps spared him so terrible an end."[citation needed]
King Ludwig’s uncle Luitpold maintained the regency until his own death in 1912 at the age of 91. He was succeeded as regent by his eldest son, also named Ludwig. The regency lasted for 13 months until November 1913, when the new regent, Ludwig, declared the regency at an end, deposed the still-living but still-institutionalized King Otto, and declared himself King Ludwig III of Bavaria. His reign lasted until the end of the First World War, when monarchy in all of Germany came to an end.
Today visitors pay tribute to King Ludwig by visiting his grave as well as his castles. Ironically, the very castles which were said to be causing the king’s financial ruin have today become extremely profitable tourist attractions for the Bavarian state. The palaces, given to Bavaria by Ludwig III's son Crown Prince Rupprecht in 1923,[39] have paid for themselves many times over and attract millions of tourists from all over the world to Germany each year.
继承
尽管路德维希常常表现得行为怪异、举止独特,但关于他的精神状况究竟是否出了问题,还没法下定论。著名的德国脑科研究员海因兹·哈夫纳认为没有确切的证据可以证明路德维希疯了。另一些人则相信国王可能是受到了氯仿的影响——它是用来控制慢性牙疼的,而不是用来治疗精神疾病的。作为他的表亲和朋友的茜茜公主曾经说过:“国王并没有疯,他只是习惯生活在幻梦之中。他们应该待他更温柔些的,如此或许可以避免造成这样可怕的结局。”
路德维希的叔叔路易斯波德,在路德维希死后一直担任摄政王直到1912年91岁去世。他死后摄政王位由他的大儿子继承,名字也叫路德维希。1913年11月新的摄政王路宣布罢免尚在人世的顺位继承人奥托的王位,并宣布自己成为新的国王路德维希三世。这位国王一直执政到第一次世界大战爆发,德国的君主政体瓦解为止。今天,人们通过参观路德维希建造的城堡纪念这位国王。讽刺的是,当初导致路德维希财政崩溃的新天鹅堡,在今天却成了巴伐利亚最有利可图的旅游景点。路德维希三世的儿子皇太子Rupprecht在1923年将宫殿交给巴伐利亚政府管理,如今每一年它都会吸引成百上千从世界各地赶来的游客。