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Part 4. General and Medical Evidence of Alleged Murder
General Evidence of the Alleged Murder
The official story of the death of King Ludwig has remained "suicide by drowning." Building upon this premise and the limited facts surrounding the case, the official view states that Ludwig attacked and killed his physician Professor von Gudden, who had declared the king to be insane. After that, Ludwig killed himself. The claim of insanity is very important in this case. Given the assertion of suicide, insanity was a necessary condition because of the following: Under the law of the Catholic Church, Ludwig could not have been buried in of the family crypt at St. Michael's Church in Munich, which was consecrated ground. Also, the illness of insanity would excuse Ludwig in the eyes of the Vatican for the murder of von Gudden. A similar situation involving alleged murder-suicide absolved by insanity would occur with his cousin, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, in the Mayerling Incident of 1889. However, that is another case.
The allegation of murder-suicide unfolded thusly: In a state of rage, Ludwig murdered the professor and then drowned himself. The autopsy report indicates that the body of von Gudden had sustained a number of injuries to the neck and shoulders. The explanation of a murder-suicide by an insane person neatly fits the situation of two bodies found floating in the water. Case closed.
However, over the past 130 years, many individuals and groups have come forward to support the alternative hypotheses formed shortly after the death of Ludwig. Evidence of varying quality has been entered and weighed. The alternative hypothesis of murder by a third party seems to have come to life with the statement in the official record that no water was found in the lungs of the king. By definition, the presence of water is a necessary condition for death by drowning.
Medical Evidence in Support of the Allegation of Murder
Given the report of the absence of water in the lungs, let us review some related medical evidence. Professor von Gudden diagnosed Ludwig as suffering from paranoia, a condition that would be classified as schizophrenia today. Von Gudden made this diagnosis without a proper examination of his patient. An additional three concurring physicians signed off without any other examinations being made.
Professor von Gudden also diagnosed Prince Otto as having hereditary insanity. History tells us that Prince Otto had risen through the ranks to Colonel in the Bavarian Army before being seriously injured on the battlefield. Given the symptoms exhibited by Otto, modern medicine probably would diagnose his condition as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In both cases, it remains questionable if any proper examination could have been made. We remind our readers that Austrian neurologist Sigismund Freud, widely considered the Father of Psychoanalysis, did not finish his habilitation (similar to completing a research Ph.D.) until 1885. At best, psychiatry was in utero at the time of the depositions of Ludwig and Otto.
General Evidence of the Alleged Murder
The official story of the death of King Ludwig has remained "suicide by drowning." Building upon this premise and the limited facts surrounding the case, the official view states that Ludwig attacked and killed his physician Professor von Gudden, who had declared the king to be insane. After that, Ludwig killed himself. The claim of insanity is very important in this case. Given the assertion of suicide, insanity was a necessary condition because of the following: Under the law of the Catholic Church, Ludwig could not have been buried in of the family crypt at St. Michael's Church in Munich, which was consecrated ground. Also, the illness of insanity would excuse Ludwig in the eyes of the Vatican for the murder of von Gudden. A similar situation involving alleged murder-suicide absolved by insanity would occur with his cousin, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, in the Mayerling Incident of 1889. However, that is another case.
The allegation of murder-suicide unfolded thusly: In a state of rage, Ludwig murdered the professor and then drowned himself. The autopsy report indicates that the body of von Gudden had sustained a number of injuries to the neck and shoulders. The explanation of a murder-suicide by an insane person neatly fits the situation of two bodies found floating in the water. Case closed.
However, over the past 130 years, many individuals and groups have come forward to support the alternative hypotheses formed shortly after the death of Ludwig. Evidence of varying quality has been entered and weighed. The alternative hypothesis of murder by a third party seems to have come to life with the statement in the official record that no water was found in the lungs of the king. By definition, the presence of water is a necessary condition for death by drowning.
Medical Evidence in Support of the Allegation of Murder
Given the report of the absence of water in the lungs, let us review some related medical evidence. Professor von Gudden diagnosed Ludwig as suffering from paranoia, a condition that would be classified as schizophrenia today. Von Gudden made this diagnosis without a proper examination of his patient. An additional three concurring physicians signed off without any other examinations being made.
Professor von Gudden also diagnosed Prince Otto as having hereditary insanity. History tells us that Prince Otto had risen through the ranks to Colonel in the Bavarian Army before being seriously injured on the battlefield. Given the symptoms exhibited by Otto, modern medicine probably would diagnose his condition as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In both cases, it remains questionable if any proper examination could have been made. We remind our readers that Austrian neurologist Sigismund Freud, widely considered the Father of Psychoanalysis, did not finish his habilitation (similar to completing a research Ph.D.) until 1885. At best, psychiatry was in utero at the time of the depositions of Ludwig and Otto.
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