Maximilian II of Bavaria

Maximilian II
Maximilian II c. 1860, by Franz Hanfstaengl
King of Bavaria
Reign20 March 1848 – 10 March 1864
PredecessorLudwig I
SuccessorLudwig II
Prime Ministers
Born(1811-11-28)28 November 1811
Munich, Bavaria
Died10 March 1864(1864-03-10) (aged 52)
Munich, Bavaria
Burial
Spouse
(m. 1842)
IssueLudwig II
Otto
Names
Maximilian Joseph
HouseWittelsbach
FatherLudwig I of Bavaria
MotherTherese of Saxe-Hildburghausen
ReligionRoman Catholicism
SignatureMaximilian II's signature

Maximilian II (28 November 1811 – 10 March 1864) reigned as King of Bavaria between 1848 and 1864.

Unlike his father, King Ludwig I, "King Max" was very popular and took a greater interest in the business of Government than in personal extravagance. Ascending the throne during the German Revolution of 1848, King Maximilian restored stability in his kingdom. The rest of his reign was characterized by attempts to maintain Bavarian independence during the wars of German Unification and to transform his capital city of Munich into a cultural and educational city.