Original Item. Only One Available. Ludwig III (Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfred; 7 January 1845 – 18 October 1921) was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918. Initially, he served in the Bavarian military as a lieutenant and went on to hold the rank of Oberleutnant during the Austro-Prussian War. He entered politics at the age of 18, as a member of the Bavarian parliament, and was a keen participant, supporting electoral reforms. Later in life, he served as regent and de facto head of state from 1912 to 1913, ruling for his cousin, Otto. After the Bavarian parliament passed a law allowing him to do so, Ludwig deposed Otto and assumed the throne for himself. He led Bavaria during World War I. His short reign was seen as championing conservative causes and he was influenced by the Catholic encyclical Rerum novarum.

This is a lovely ceramic wall plaque depicting the side profile of Ludwig III of Bavaria, with the inscription below:

LUDWIG III
KOENIG VON BAYERN

The plaque measures 5 ¼ x 7 ⅛” and appears to retain a period hanging rope. The back of the plaque is inscribed:

Weihnachten
1917
(Bavarian Shield)

This means the plaque was a gift for Christmas 1917, likely issued by the government or a related organization to members of the government, citizens, or for another reason.

A lovely artifact, without any serious chips or cracks, ready for display.