Otto of Bavaria - Mental Disease

Mental Disease

Both Otto and his brother Ludwig II were reported to be depressed or mentally ill. At the time, psychiatry was still in its infancy and this diagnosis was based on statements made by third parties from which the first psychiatrists formed vague clinical pictures.

On 15 October 1889, the Innsbrucker nachrichten reported this, citing an article in the Münchner Neueste Nachrichten as their source:

King Otto looks very strong, if a little corpulent. He wears a huge beard, which reaches his chest. His beard needs to be trimmed, but this is not possible, because the easily excited monarch vigorously resist such a procedure. The beard could perhaps be trimmed during his sleep, but no one has the courage to try this. His eyes are glazed over as he stares into the distance. Only when the old maid Marie, who would carry him on her arm when he was a young boy, get close to her, he will call her with his sonorous baritone, fairly lively, voice. He will command that some object, for example, a glass of beer, will be brought to him, and then immediately forgets it. The monarch is always dressed in black. He'll walk past other people, as if he would not recognize them. There are strict orders that he is not to be greeted and he may not be addressed when he is walking about. He often stands in a corner, gesturing with his hands and arms while vividly speaking to imaginary people. This alternates with a complete apathy, which may last for hours or days on end.

His Majesty smokes cigarettes with a passion, usually 30 to 36 per day. He uses a large number of matches, as he always lights a whole bundle of matches at once and, after use, throws away the still burning bundle with visible pleasure.

The daily routine of the patient is arranged in painful detail. His Majesty will sit at the head of the dinner table, with a larger space between himself and the aides, the doctor and the chamberlain. The King likes to eat drink. He mostly drinks beer and sometimes orders, in a sharp, commanding voice, some sparkling wine. King Otto wants to be ignored completely by the other people on the table, and he ignores them. If the King orders some food, a special hand signal from his doctor means that it must be brought to him immediately. The King is allowed to use his knife and fork normally. However, he will use his suit as a napkin.

The King lives in an elegantly furnished apartment on the ground floor, while his servants live on the first floor. His bedroom is equipped with every from of modern comfort. The King uses toilet articles regularly, but he rarely takes a bath in his magnificent bath cabin, his aides finding it difficult to persuade him to do so.

King Otto is extremely sensitive to closed doors. The doors are not provided with peepholes. All doors on the ground floor remain open during the day, including the doors to the garden. If the King finds a closed door, he falls into a rage and bangs his fists on it. Iron bars have been fitted to the windows looking out onto the street, after His Majesty had broken some of the windows.

His Majesty thoroughly dislikes driving. His resentment is attributed to the fact that when he is out on the street, curious passers by will stare at him, which he finds very painful. If the King has to leave his apartment, the coach must wait at the rear of the castle. One time, the King was staring dreamingly into the air and missed the footboard. He became angry, jumped back and shouted "I'm not going". Reports that the King was longing for his beloved Munich and has repeatedly expressed a desire to visit the capital, are definitely false. He has never expressed such a request.

The King sometimes looks into the available newspapers. Our informant was unable to be sure whether His Majesty is able to read and comprehend their contents.

The King's entourage are constantly trying to entertain him. Last spring, they put a small music box in his room. The monarch listened and was amazed at the gentle music. A glimmer of joy flitted across his face. One of the five nurses immediately reported this sentiment to the physician on duty. He reported to the chamberlain, who quickly purchased a larger music box for 5000 marks. However, the King did not like the larger instrument and after a while began to be disgusted by it. The instrument had to be removed.

His entourage has evidence that the patient recognizes the people surrounding him, and in a lucid moment, he has even greeted some of them. Little can be said about his future: he may be granted a long life, or his disturbed mind may cause a sudden loss of strength.