War Propaganda : Hitler apes Bavaria's Ludwig, an article in the PIX Magazine- 8th of june 1940

PIX MAGAZINE

Pix was an Australian pictorial magazine, issued weekly from 1938 to 1972 and published by Associated Newspapers Limited in Sydney, Australia. The first edition of Pix Magazine was published in January 1938, and publication continued until the magazine was merged with the Australian People magazine in 1972. Pix was notable for its irreverent content, its focus on Australian lifestyle and popular culture, and for the inclusion of pin-up style photographs of Australian women.The editors of the magazine regularly held pin-up girl competitions, and encouraged local women to submit photographs of themselves wearing swimwear for a chance to win prizes. In addition to providing a distraction for Australian servicemen during the Second World War, the Pix magazine pin-up is thought to have played a role in the construction of the ideal of the Australian "beach girl" as a representation of Australian womanhood. (From Wikipedia)

THE ARTICLE in PIX magazine Vol. 5 (num. 23, p. 52-53)

HITLER APES BAVARIA’S LUDWIG 

MAD RULER 1880 

Handsome, insane King of Bavaria, Ludwig II., as he appeared in 1880— 6 years before his violent death. This unfortunate man inherited taint of insanity from royal house of Wittelsbach. His brother, like himself, died insane. Ludwig’s eccentricities were costly and fantastic, but merely harmless. 

MAD RULER 1940 

Adolf Hitler—unlike Mussolini—has continuously been subject of psychopathological speculation. He exhibits many neurotic tendencies, indicating mental instability verging on madness. His manias follow, with remarkable exactitude, habits of “mad King of Bavaria,” Ludwig II., who d

SHARES WITH INSANE KING SUICIDAL TENDENCY, BUILDING MANIA, SOLITUDE

ADOLF HITLER has engaged attention of psychiatrists since he came to power. They have tried to analyse personality of the man who has plunged the world into the most momentous conflict civilisation has known. There are extraordinary resemblances between the Fuehrer and insane King Ludwig II. in interests and behavior. Ludwig’s passion for solitude amounted to mania. He built himself a palace on top of an alpine peak, literally locked himself up there. Hitler has his Berchtesgaden in the same alpine district. He also has an extraordinary eerie built on a mountain summit. It is reached by entering steel doors built in the mountain, then ascending 1800 feet [...] to the house, perched on edge of precipise. It was Ludwig who gave Richard Wagner his great chance. But the King’s attachment to the composer became an obssession. Ludwig had a special theatre built in a grotto. He would command performances of Wagner’s operas starting at midnight, he being solitary spectator. Hitler is passionately fond of Wagnerian music, although he is notoriously unmusical otherwise. He made famous remark, "I would ther hear a German military march than at the muck of a new-fangled fiddler !” Ludwig had a building mania, which he excessed in palaces. He never spent a night in some of them. He built one on plans of the palace of Versailles —because he fell in love ith the memory of ill-fated Marie Antoinette. Hitler has built a colossal Chancellory in Berlin: Olympia Stadium in same city; Fuehrer House in Munich; Party House of Nuremberg, and his fantastic mountain retreat. Is this building mania on a grandiose sale, coupled with the Wagner obsession, merely a studied imitation of King Ludwig, symptoms of same form of insanity? Concidence does not end with these examples. 

KING LUDWIG I. was also insane. He had passion for dancers, among other things. It is historical gossip how he fell in love with Spanish dancer, Lola Montez (she was born in Ireland). Ludwig made her a Bavarian Countess, which almost caused revolution. Hitler has also provided gossip by his attention to visiting English and American dancers. And Hitler’s “gallantry” was most conspicuous in Munich, city in which the Ludwigs flaunted their wild love escapades. Hitler’s fondless for referring to suicide as a way out of his difficulties is well known. Following his beer hall putsch in Munich, he admitted contemplating suicide. He has used this threat with effect on his colleagues. During Czech crisis, he said he would commit suicide if his plan failed. King Ludwig dwelt on same theme. His end was violent. After his insanity became so apparent that it could no longer be ignored, Ludwig was confined to one of his palaces. One day he was taking his usual walk in custody of his doctor. When they did not return after some hours, grounds were searched. The two men were found dead in shallow waters of artificial pond. There was evidence of a terrific struggle. Apparently, Ludwig attacked his attendant and held him under water until he drowned. It was suggested that unhappy king then collapsed with heart attack, brought on by exertion. Hitler’s love of solitude, his marked references to suicide, together with his studied air of tragic gloom, have more than an accidental resemblance to similar characteristics of King Ludwig II. 

Here the comparison between Hitler and Ludwig must end. What remains is in Ludwig’s wig’s favor. He was a man of peace, and it is a tribute to his insane genius that he discovered and cultivated Richard Wagner. Hitler remains an uncultured man, stimulated lated by unreasoning hate and persecution. 

IN strongroom of a New York bank there is a strange old-world costume of velvet and lace, embroidered with gold and platinum thread. It is studded with 80,000 pearls. It took nuns of a Bavarian convent, famous for needlework, seven years to make. It was made to order of ‘'Mad King Ludwig.” He wore it at premieres of Wagnerian operas and concerts specially staged for him, and at which he was solitary spectator. It was first worn by the King in 1880—three years before Wagner died, and six years before his own tragic end. Subsequent history of the costume is as fantastic as that of its original owner. Ludwig died owing an enormous amount of money. Many of his creditors were paid with personal property of the dead king. Costume thus came into possession of family of Dr. Wurz, of Stuttgart, “for services rendered to the King.” American millionaire Pierpont Morgan saw costume when he visited Germany in 1912. He offered Dr. Wurz 420,000 dollars for it. Offer was refused. Story swings to Denver, Colorado, in early 1920. A poverty-stricken woman was dying and called for a priest, who could speak her native tongue—German. She told him she was daughter of German nobleman. In 1914 she returned to Germany many following her father’s death as sole heir to his estate. She returned to U.S.A., taking costume and funds. On arrival in U.S.A., her secretary absconded with funds, leaving her stranded. She could not pay heavy duty on costume. She died. Indiana business man found story to be correct.  In meantime, costume had been sent to duty free port of Hongkong, to wait in bond store, as no one would buy it from U.S.A. forwarding agent. Indiana man took a chance and bought it "sight unseen.” Box came to U.S.A. and, with misgivings, it was opened. The fabulous costume was intact.  

SOLITUDE IN MOUNTAIN RETREATS

LUDWIG’S AERIE One Of Ludwig’s most romantic architectural creations -Schloss Neuschwanstein—is perched on a lofty pinnacle in the Bavarian Alps. Hitler has outdone Ludwig by building—also in Bavarian Alps—the famous house which is accessible only by an 1800ft. ride in immense lift.

HITLER’S AERIE This 1000-year-old Fortress of Hohenwerfen, built on mountain summit in the Alps, stirred Hitler’s fancy. He decreed that it must become a training school for future Nazi leaders. Hitler often visited fortress.

BERCHTESGADEN Fuehrer’s House, Berchtesgaden, is built in Bavarian Alpine district which gave birth to many of Ludwig’s creations. Not satisfied with this, Hitler had his latest aerie built in more inaccessible spot, higher in Alps. In this steel and concrete outpost he weaves his plots.

LINDERHOF Palace Of Linderhof, built by Ludwig as a copy of Belvedere Trianon, favorite seat of ill-starred Marie Antoinette of France. In solitude, surrounded by busts of the dead Queen, Ludwig gave rein to his insane fancies. Like Hitler, he built irrespective of cost. Hitler built while German people starved. Many of them are unaware of his mountain-top hide-out.

Wanted To Be Alone . . . 

Ludwig’s Passion for solitude extended to dining alone in Linderhof. Table in picture descended through floor—note outline of trapdoor—was filled [?] food, and returned. Ludwig dined. Then table, with empty dishes, descended.

So Did Hitler-In a Palace 

Old Chancellery in Berlin was not good enough for the Austrian corporal who had lived in a Viennese doss-house. He built a new one. His private study (above) has marble walls and floors.

Comparison between Ludwig and Hitler ends with this picture.  It shows Ludwig’s death—a violent one. Hitler is still alive. . . . Mysterious circumstances : Ludwig and his physician, Dr. von Gudden, died on the night of May 16, 1886. Bavarian Cabinet attempted to force insane king to abdicate; confined him to one of his palaces. It was alleged that in trying to escape he drowned the doctor, then died of heart attack brought about by the exertion. King’s body is at left of above picture.

Herbert Janssen, Metropolitan Opera baritone, wears King Ludwig’s famous costume. This picture was posed in the New York vault, which holds costume.

Exquisite Workmanship of coat is revealed in this section. It took seven years to make, and 80,000 pearls were used in its ornamentation. Lining of coat is Spanish red silk. Total weight of costume is 70 pounds. It is doubtful if nuns who made it were paid by mad monarch. He died bankrupt. 

High-heeled Slippers completed Ludwig’s costume. They are of grey silk, heels covered with rose kid. Pearls ornament toes.