The Bavarian State Exhibition 2025 "Ludwig I - Bavaria's Greatest King?" will take place in Regensburg from May 10 to November 9, 2025. The occasion is the 200th anniversary of the Wittelsbach's accession to the throne. The exhibition will be shown in the special exhibition area (Donausaal) of the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte. The state exhibition tells of the changes in the Kingdom of Bavaria under the reign of Ludwig I in the years from 1825 to 1848 and presents a king who was modern and backward-looking, determined and contradictory in equal measure. Impressive showpieces, spectacular media installations and interesting activity stations make the exhibition tour an experience.
As a visitor, you will learn a lot about life in Bavaria during Ludwig I's reign: from revived customs and traditions to the building boom, politics and industrialization. Ludwig's reign did not end with his death, but - very unusually - with his resignation! Was it really only because of the beautiful Spanish dancer Lola Montez, who actually came from Ireland?
1825 - Ludwig I (1786-1868) becomes King of Bavaria. The new regent had to face many political, economic and social challenges. The first half of the 19th century was a time of upheaval and Ludwig was well aware of this area of tension. The rapidly advancing developments in the fields of business and transportation fascinated King Ludwig and at the same time challenged him time and again. He had a canal built, which had to admit defeat to the new railroad, he removed customs barriers and at the same time aligned the kingdom to the north, he was a thrifty man and a prolific writer, whose diary entries and poems provide a glimpse into his inner life. In a society that was becoming ever more modernized, Louis I was also keen to strengthen his subjects' sense of history and tradition. He often caused offense with his actions and words, became increasingly conservative as his reign progressed and finally took a more autocratic direction. In the end, he resigned in the spring of 1848.
King Ludwig I of Bavaria in coronation regalia from 1825 Museums of the City of Aschaffenburg, MSA 985 | Photo: © Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte, Augsburg | Philipp Mansmann, Munich (detail)
Prologue: "... I am better than my reputation"?
"How I myself belong to the old and the new times and to two centuries ..." Louis I around 1840
Ludwig I, born in Strasbourg in 1786, presents himself to us as a ruler with many faces. His personality is characterized by constant but also changeable preferences and contradictions. He was a loving husband and yet not averse to amorous adventures, he was aware of history, passionate about art and architecture, an admirer of beauty and an enthusiastic philhellene - and, and, and ...
A kingdom wants to be ruled!
"... no one keeps the constitution more conscientiously than I do - I would not want to be an unrestricted ruler." Ludwig in March 1831
King Ludwig I wanted to rule, but this proved to be more difficult than expected with a kingdom that was still in its infancy, consisting of the Palatinate, Old Bavaria, Swabia and Franconia. One of his greatest challenges was to form a unity from these partly new parts of the country and establish a common identity as Bavaria.
The Bavarian king did not rule his state alone. The Bavarian Constitution of 1818 made Bavaria a constitutional monarchy. Ludwig ruled together with a parliament and was ultimately not an autocrat. Ruling and governing was not easy: there were ministers, a state parliament with elected representatives (deputies) and permanent members (imperial councillors).
Poster motif for the Bavarian State Exhibition 2025 "Ludwig I - Bavaria's greatest king?" in Regensburg © Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte| Design: www.buero-wilhelm.de
To the north
Two huge transportation projects shaped King Ludwig I's reign: the Danube-Main Canal, which created a link between the Main and Danube rivers, and the Ludwig-Süd-Nord-Bahn from Lindau to Hof. Economic links to the north were strengthened by these projects as well as by the German Customs Union and a single currency. Eastern Bavaria fell behind.Valhalla and looms
Ludwig I's buildings and monuments can be found all over Bavaria. His focus was on the capital Munich, which he wanted to develop into an "Isar-Athens", as well as Regensburg and the surrounding area, where he had a monumental landscape in mind with the Walhalla, the Liberation Hall and the reconstruction of the cathedral.
The king broke with the centuries-old privilege of the craft guilds and strengthened state supervision with the help of the newly created trade associations. King Ludwig I was rather sceptical about the onset of industrialization. But he ultimately accepted the associated changes.
The much-worn and patched housecoat of Ludwig I. © House of Bavarian History Augsburg
Back and forward: faith and health
"Religion is the be-all and end-all." Ludwig in 1832
King Ludwig tried to strengthen the Catholic faith again through his religious policy. This is reflected above all in the construction of churches, the lifting of bans on numerous religious customs and traditions and the revival of monasticism. Around 130 monastic communities were newly established or re-established.
Among them were the Sisters of Mercy, whom Ludwig brought from Strasbourg to Bavaria - this was the beginning of professional nursing in the kingdom. Time did not stand still in the medical sector either. New findings and procedures helped to detect and treat illnesses at an early stage.
Ludwig I was rather hostile towards other religious beliefs. A lack of support and discrimination against Protestants and Jews are clear signs of this. Settlements and the founding of congregations were regulated by the state.
And the people?
"... the freedom of the press is growing stronger every day, ... democracy is becoming more and more firmly established and the state government has so far done nothing about it!" Ludwig in February 1832
Many liberal-minded Bavarians initially placed great and justified hopes in Ludwig I's accession to the throne. This confidence was to evaporate more and more from 1830 onwards. Foreign and domestic political developments unsettled the king, causing him to adopt a very conservative, sometimes authoritarian attitude. Press censorship and long prison sentences for his opponents were the result. A co-governing people was beyond Louis' imagination. However, the further emancipation and politicization of the population could no longer be prevented.
Epilogue: A strong departure?
"...the power of the crown broken, the upheaval victorious, Lolitta driven away, as a man, as a king, my mind torn apart, I stand there alone in pain, ..." Ludwig in March 1848
The internal political unrest continued to escalate in 1848 until it reached its climax in March. The scandalous relationship with Lola Montez had severely damaged the king's reputation and finally broke the camel's back. King Ludwig I was no longer willing or able to support the political demands of the citizens - he abdicated. His son Maximilian became the new King of Bavaria. Just 40 years later, Ludwig I was celebrated in Munich on the occasion of his 100th birthday with an impressive procession that surpassed anything that had gone before.
