n.
or Ludwig I
born Aug. 25, 1786, Strasbourg, France
died Feb. 29, 1868, Nice
King of Bavaria (182548).
The son of Maximilian I , Louis won early acclaim as a liberal and a German nationalist, but after his accession he feuded with the Diet and came to distrust all democratic institutions. By 1837 the reactionary Bavarian government had begun to erode the liberal constitution of 1818 that Louis had worked to establish. An outstanding patron of the arts, he collected the art works that fill Munich's museums and transformed Munich into the artistic centre of Germany. His planning created the city's present layout and classic style. He caused scandal by his affair with Lola Montez , and at the outbreak of the Revolutions of 1848 he abdicated in favour of his son Maximilian II .