In order to complete my cultural experience requirement for my German 111 class I went to see Ludwig II at the cozy Darkside Cinema yesterday. To be honest, if I wasn't limited by the gas costs to travel from Keizer to Corvallis and back, I would have tried to catch all of the movies. I had to be somewhat picky--being a history buff, Ludwig II grabbed my interest.
I had the time of the movie wrong so I arrive a few minutes late. However, I made such good time heading down to Corvallis, I didn't miss too much. I never really knew much about the Bavarian Monarch or much about German history outside of the early history of the Western world. Ludwig II was not really ready or perhaps suitable to be the ruler of his country. He had lofty ideals--ones that perhaps we should reach for. He felt that art, music, and culture were more important than war. He wanted to stay out of the wars that was sweeping Germany and France. Despite his best efforts, all was in vain. It is the classic problem with pacifism--it is a great ideal, but unfortunately, it doesn't do too well when an army invades your home. Between the pressures of ruling, his sexuality, and watching Bavaria lose a war and it's independence. It is no wonder he had mental health issues. The question is did he deserved to locked up like he was for the rest of his life?
This has sparked in me an interest of the history of that region. It is hard to separate one country's history from another in Europe--their proximity ensures that their histories will always be intertwined in some fashion or another. Perhaps I'll need to take another history class.
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