Wittelsbacher King Otto I Way to Greece and Back; Millennial Reign; Royal Wedding

(update + Sophie-Alexandra Evekink ⚭ Royal Highness Prinz Ludwig von Bayern 20.05.2023 at the end)

Wittelsbacher King Otto I. of Greece (Ὄθων Α΄ τῆς Ἑλλάδος Óthon A tis Elládas „Othon I. “ 01.06.2015 born in Salzburg Austria. King Otto I. of Greece (01.06.2015 born in Salzburg Austria. Father Ludwig (later king Ludwig I), while being crown-price was the governor-general of the Salzachkreis at that time. Which was ruled by Bavaria at that time thanks to Napoleon.

Salzburg Austria Schloss Mirabell

Castle Mirabell with it’s splendid garden is a very popular place for weddings. Also for international couples coming to the castle to get nice pictures. We saw several weddings while being there. The Marble Hall is also popular for concerts.

To wrap up the story, the swarm insisted to send a Team to Salzburg, Austria. To Castle Mirabell. To get some better pictures. We will post another Salzburg special soon. We used my new Deutschlandticket to travel to Austria but decided to check out the Austrian private Westbahn for one way to compare.

Otto was the second son of King Ludwig I. of Bavaria, (favorite son of Therese). He was chosen to become King in Greece 1832 when he was only 16 ears old. „Der arme Bua“ (the pitiful boy as uncle Franz from Austria said) To serve the Greeks as king. Kind of like a child slave.

That was after the European Allieds France, Great Britain and Russia had won the war against Turkey in the Greek liberation war. With the bloody sea battle of Navarino in Greece 1827. Lord Byron too had a commado in that war but died earlier 1824 sick and exhausted.

The reliefs at the Prophyläen in Munich depict the Greek liberation war (drafted under Ludwig I.) in a romatic way.

So, he started to travel to Greece when he was 17 years old. And he really loved Greece at the end (last words: …My Dear Greece)

Uncle Carl of Bavaria had rejected the title, because of love with an inappropriate (in dynastical view) women.

-Otto started with a dowry of King Ludwig I. of 60 million French Francs

-and a troupe of important men:

brewers, (Brewing beer started after King Otto was disposed in 1862, 1864). The beer is still on the Market under the name of the original Brewer Fix. The ownership of the trademark Fix is disputed but the beer with the name Fix, the receipy and it’s deeply anchoring in Greek history makes it very popular now in Greece. It is brewed as the most historical Greek beer since more than 150 years now. And I think still under the regulations of the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot. Duckdidu ordered the strong version directly in Greece with 5% Alcohol.

vintners (we are still working on the project Klaus (Clauss), maybe we will have to travel to Patras again),

Update 10 2023: We just accomplished the project and could acquire the missing links, wine from Achaia Clauss. The vintner was one of the first 3 companies founded 1861 in modern Greece. (only Nationalbank and Post are older which indicates the priorities). Greece did not produce wine under Osman rule before. Wine was exported to Germany since 1869 and Chancellor Bismarck was one of the clients. The wine Mavrodaphne was named after a beautiful girl named Daphne with deep dark eyes. Clauss fell in love with her but she had to leave the winery because of the wive of Clauss.

And we even found some Greek sparkling wine named “Amalia” which reminds of Ottos wife.

After we had learned, that Sisi (Empress Elizabeth) had travelled to this place too. She is said to have been the first touristic visitor 1885. One of the cellars is named imperial cellar because of her. Greek kings visited too.

scholars, craftsmen, architects, and a few soldiers. The trip to Greece took more than 3 months. We were faster last year.

Here Otto laid the foundation stones of the modern nation of Greece.

Residenz Munich, were he grew up and said goodby to his younger brother Luitpold and sisters

The troups/troupe lined up for the trip at the Wittelsbacherplatz in Munich.

Neighbor Cafe Luitpold across the street did not yet exist, so the troupe could not enjoy coffee and cake ahead of the march.

Cafe Luitpold Luck Duck Sheila

Ottosäule Ottobrunn (memorial column; here he said goodbye to father Ludwig I.)

In the troupe:

-Karl Fix (not originally Fuchs as other sources state; Fix Beer), brewed under the Wittelsbacher regulations of “Bayerisches Reinheitsgebot”

-Archaia Klaus with the oldest winery in Greece

Theresienmonument Bad Aibling (here he said goodbye to mother Therese; who died later from Cholera sickness).

Therese, who had 9 children, had a hard time with her sex addicted husband „jumping from bloom to bloom“ E. C., Conte Corti: Ludwig I. von Bayern. München 1979, S. 111. But she stayed loyal to her husband till the end. Otto was her favorite son. Her first burial (she was Lutheran) in the Theatinerkirche was a disaster like the one of her lutheran mother in law, Caroline. Therese was moved to another place later (St. Bonifaz, Munich) next to her entombed husband Ludwig I.

King Otto chapel in Kiefersfelden (goodbye to Bavaria)

(today a very loud and busy place at one of Europe’s most essential traffic routes to the south). (train, freeway)

Kufstein Austria

But Otto missed his first Border Crossing during this trip. He fell asleep in his carriage. And woke up in Kufstein Austria. Where the troupe stayed for the night. But as this trip had to be turned into an epic one, he went back the next day (5 km) and said goodbye to Bavaria for a long time. With its white and blue sky. Tears in his young eyes. Cameras still did not exist, but a painting was painted at the spot of the Border Crossing. To document the event effectively publicly. (selfie) The swarm knows that business. His older brother Maximilian, crown prince (later king Maximilian II.) was still with him.

Innsbruck Austria (hotel „Adler“ ;Eagle no picture of the Hotel available)

Brixen South Tyrol, (Austria at that time)

Bolzano (he must have come through here as well, but I don’t have a literatures source)

Roma

Brindisi Italy

Otto boarded the British frigate HMS Madagascar which was later deployed against slave trade. The frigate fired off a salute upon its arrival in Nafplion.

Sheila on the way from Bari, south Italy, -to Patras, Greece. Passing Brindisi on the way.

Nafplion Greece (Nauplia)

Athens, Greece

The probably main reason why he 1862 had to retreat as King of Greece was, that Otto and his wife Amalie von Oldenburg did not have children as successors. (Amalie was a sister of Friederike Of Washington)

Amalie designed gardens in Athens and created the most known Greek Garb costume for the Greek palace guards “Evzones”. It is still in use today. The town “Amaliada” (before: Elis, Frangovilla, Dervi-Tselevi) was named after Amalie). I am not sure, but I think, I changed trains here in the 1980’ties.

Rumors have it, that Otto I. of Greece here started an affair with Jane Digby. After her divorce from Spyridon Theotokis (second? or third husband? There was also a bigamist issue concerning her third marriage). Her painting is in King Ludwig’s I. of Bavaria Gallery of Paintings. And Rumors have it, Jane also had an affair with Ludwig. Jane later moved to Syria and married again. Here she also met explorer Richard Burton who wrote books about his dangerous expeditions like to Oberammergau.

Bamberg

After the king resigned and moved back to Germany they lived in Bamberg.

There is a wonderful museum in Ottobrunn close to Munich, where you can get a lot of excellent information about all that.

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Measles caused the death of Otto in his retirement home in Bamberg. He and his wife are buried in the “Theatinerkirche” in Munich which will be in the focus of the world tomorrow 20.05.2023 (marriage of Prince Ludwig Of (and I think In) Bavaria.

Visible too the Feldherrnhalle, built by King Ludwig I which was cheaper than Lola Montez.

The statue of the resurrected Christ unfortunately was put away probably some days ago. It is always there between Easter and Whitsunday.

I was hoping, I could see the Royal Prince kneeing in front of it but that plan did not work out.

While I am writing this, preparation are still going on. Our Ludwig supervises. The bench to knee down is already set up. It will be in the headlines and on TV tomorrow. Bavarian President Markus Söder (lutheran) will be there too. And maybe other royals from other related dynasties. But for sure a lot of Trachtler.

And Ludwig makes sure, people are not fooling around too much in the royal neighborhood.

Here maybe a spot, the couple will visit too tomorrow. A popular luck symbol to touch in Munich.

Expectations to get a male successor are high for the couple to continue the 850 years long male blood line of the “House Wittelsbach” dynasty.

Prinz Luitpold, father of Prinz Ludwig (and second in line after current head of the dynasty Duke Franz): „Ich hoffe, dass Sie bald eine Familie gründen.“

If Bavaria would return to Monarchy Ludwig (IV. ??) would have a claim to title King of Bavaria. Maybe to reach a Millennial pure male Reign.

Marriage on top of the decaying bodies of your ancestors sounds sooo romantic.

Sheila dreaming Ludwig’s II dream of a swan knight some days earlier in Nuremberg.

Caroline (or Karoline) von Bayern, second queen of Bavaria after the first wife of Max I Joseph had died, is entombed in the Theatinerkirche. She was interested in art and music

19.05.2023 afternoon

Since we were not invited to the party, we staged our own with a sweet „Bayerische Prinzesinnentorte“ (cream cake) in light blue. To match the porcelain of the family owned famous porcelain factory Nymphenburg. We had to be satified with cheaper china and a smaler cake (the original one was about 20.000 $). But our cake came from the same place, Cafe Luitpold, Munich.

20.05.2023 09:30

And here are some pictures of the wedding from today. Maybe the corset of the bride was tightened a bit too much (just like Sissi used to wear it). As I read the bride had a temporary feeling of faintness after she had said yes. But was getting better after she got something to drink. Probably no Wittelsbacher Beer at that point

Guest Markus Söder, Bavarian President arrives.

Beautiful bride Sophie-Alexandra arrives and causes a lot of aws. Since I don’t have publishing rights I cant show all that here.

Splendid dresses, footwear (hard to walk over cobble stone pavement) and hats were worn. Lots of kisses exchanged by the Bussi-Bussi Gesellschaft. A lot to discuss with the family.

We also saw a cute young sausage dog who enjoyed the event and passing all the lovely shoes.

Dachshound lady Beppi was on TV just a few days ago in a documentation about Franz Von Wittelsbach. Who celebrated his 90’th birthday. I wondered, how much that dog on the screen was.