- Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria
Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria (
4 December ,1808 –15 November ,1888 ) was a member of a junior branch of theHouse of Wittelsbach and a promoter of Bavarian folk-music. He is most famous today as the father of Empress Elisabeth of Austria.Early life
Maximilian Joseph was born at
Bamberg , the only son ofDuke Pius August in Bavaria (1786–1837) and of his wife, Princess Amélie Louise ofArenberg . In 1834 he purchasedPossenhofen Castle onLake Starnberg ; this was his major residence for the rest of his life.On
September 9 ,1828 , atTegernsee , Maximilian Joseph marriedPrincess Ludovika of Bavaria , daughter of KingMaximilian I Joseph of Bavaria . They had ten children.Middle East trip
In 1838 Maximilian Joseph travelled to
Egypt andPalestine . [Gabriele and Jochen Hallof, "Dendur: The Six-Hundred-Forty-Third Stone", "Metropolitan Museum Journal" 33 (1998): 103-108] He published an account of this trip: "Wanderung nach dem Orient im Jahre 1838" (München: Georg Franz, 1839; reprinted Pfaffenhofen: Ludwig, 1978). While climbing theGreat Pyramid he arranged for his servants to yodel as if he were climbing in theAlps . He collected a number of antiquities which he brought back to Bavaria and displayed in his father's home,Banz Abbey ; they can still be seen there today. Among the items are the mummy of a young woman, three mummies' heads, several animal mummies, shawabtis, and several stones from tombs or temples including one from theTemple of Dendur . He also bought some children in theCairo slave market and later freed them. When Maximilian Joseph was inJerusalem , he paid for the restoration of the Chapel of the Flagellation on theVia Dolorosa .Folk-music
Maximilian Joseph was one of the most prominent promoters of Bavarian folk-music in the 19th century. Under his influence the
zither started to be used in court circles and eventually became identified as the national musical instrument of Bavaria. Because of his interest he received the nickname "Zither-Maxl". He himself played the zither and also composed music for it.During a visit by his cousin
Ludwig II of Bavaria , Ludwig saw some sheet music on Maximilian Joseph's piano by the composerRichard Wagner , which led on to Ludwig's financial support for Wagner from 1863.Maximilian Joseph's musical compostions have been collected in the work: "Die im Druck erschienenen Kompositionen von Herzog Maximilian in Bayern: Ländler, Walzer, Polka, Schottisch, Mazurka, Quadrillen und Märsche für Pianoforte, Zither, Gitarre oder Streichinstrumente" (München: Musikverlag Emil Katzbichler, 1992).
Maximilian Joseph died in
Munich . He and his wife are buried in the family crypt in Schloss Tegernsee.Children
Notes
Bibliography
* Dreyer, Aloys. "Herzog Maximilian in Bayern, der erlauchte Freund und Förderer des Zitherspiels und der Gebirgspoesie". München: Lindauer, 1909.
External links
* [http://genealogy.euweb.cz/wittel/wittel6.html#Sis A listing of descedants of the House of Pfalz-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld]
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