Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria
Archduke Ludwig Viktor Joseph Anton of Austria ( born May 15, 1842 in Vienna, † 18 January 1919 in Klessheim ) was the youngest son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and his wife Sophie Friederike von Bayern and youngest brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I. of Austria.
Life
After the early death of Maria Anna Karolina ( who died four years old ) the next child of the family was a girl, after three sons were already present. With Ludwig Victor, called " Luziwuzi " a boy was born again. The boy was playing at an early age at every opportunity in the center with its ironic to cynical remarks at the expense of others has long been ridiculed as a witty and long acknowledged him as a baby of a certain fool's license.
During the revolution of 1848 he fled in March 1848 of the imperial family to Innsbruck and Vienna after the outbreak of the October insurrection in 1848 to Olomouc. The 6 -year-old should have asked at the sight of revolutionaries sentenced to death for their release. Later, he went through the traditional for members of the imperial family military career, he was general of the infantry and him in charge of a regiment was transferred, that bore his name. The plan of his brother Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, there to be his successor, he refused. Maximilian would even add a matching political marriage for him in the eye - Isabel, the heiress of Emperor Pedro II, which Brazil had led to unexpected bloom due to his prudent government. This marriage would the countries Mexico and Brazil vereinigen.Stattdessen together Ludwig Viktor 's preoccupation with art collections and built the palace. We are especially famous, built by Heinrich von Ferstel Renaissance Palais Archduke Ludwig Viktor on Schwarzenberg Square and led by the Archduke interior of the castle Klessheim. In his palace he organized festivals, where he preferred the presence of men to women.
Ludwig Viktor were later accused of numerous escapades: He is said to have been demoted to Salzburg because of a brawl among homosexuals by the Emperor and women's clothes are worn and be photographed in it even. In fact, Ludwig Viktor of this brawl in Centralbad (now Kaiserbründl ) was involved, but this did his relations with his imperial brother and his family no harm, as his private correspondence shows. His homosexual orientation was an open secret, said Ludwig, however, also had a long relationship with the dancer Claudia Couqui.
After moving to Salzburg in 1864, he devoted himself more new buildings (eg the establishment of the Kavaliershaus Klessheim on Klessheim in 1879 ), charitable donations and supporting the arts (he was a patron of the Salzburger Kunstverein ). 1896 the emperor appointed him to the supervisor about the Austrian Red Cross, which had been created after the battle of Solferino (1859 ). 1901, the river bridge was renamed him over the river Salzach in " Ludwig Viktor Bridge " in honor to continue the Salzburg Old Market was named after the Archduke " Ludwig- Viktor -Platz".
In his last years, signs of mental confusion showed. The now placed under guardianship died in 1919 at age 76 as the last of the sons of Archduke Franz Karl on Klessheim and is buried in the cemetery of Siezenheim.
Characterization
The Zeitgenössin Princess Nora Fugger described the Archduke him her memoirs:
"He was completely different from his brothers, was neither militarily nor artistical, weak, unmanly, and graced by garstigem exterior. People feared him because of his médisance. He led a very worldly life, was about everything - not always right - taught his tongue was sharp as a poisonous snake. In everything he interfered, spun from intrigue and rejoiced when small minor scandals have it. They had every reason to fear his indiscretions and Trat shear land; but he was the brother of the emperor. He had a good side but he was the friend of his friends - more than his friends - he defended them when they were attacked by the world, and showed them all sorts Amabilitäten. Elderly - more than young ladies - he was of the utmost attention and kindness. He memorized all birth - and name days and sent them flowers. Of these old ladies he was of course very honored. Little popular he was in the imperial family; because even he knew always to criticize something or vertratschen something. "