Many prominent personalities have lived in Munich over the years and left their mark on the city. Whether it was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who helped a gym here rise to fame, or Albert Einstein, who installed the electrical system in the Schottenhamel tent. Women also had a lasting impact on Munich’s history, such as the influential Princess Adelheid, whose heart cabinet can still be visited today in the Residenz. But hardly anyone caused as much of a stir as the infamous Lola Montez, who kept Munich in suspense for two years.
The Irish dancer and the Bavarian king
Images: Wikimedia Commons
Lola Montez was born Elizabeth Rosanna Gilbert in Ireland on February 17, 1821. At the age of 21, she came to London, where she learned Spanish dances and the language, and subsequently called herself Maria de los Dolores Porrys y Montez, or Lola Montez for short. She pretended to be a dancer from Seville, but was unable to maintain this pretense for long, which is why she left the country without further ado. She traveled throughout Europe and had numerous affairs with the continent’s aristocracy. Finally, in 1846, she settled at the Bavarian Court and wanted to hire herself out as a dancer, but her request was denied.
Lola turned to the Bavarian King Ludwig I, who received her and arranged for her to perform at the Court and National Theater. The young woman became the mistress of the 60-year-old king, who changed his will especially for her in order to leave her guilders. He also gave her the palace at Barer Straße 7. His wife Therese disapproved of the relationship and stayed away from her husband during public appearances. He ensured that she was granted Bavarian citizenship and elevated her to Countess Marie von Landsfeld, which caused discontent among the population. She was known for walking through the streets smoking cigars with her Great Dane Turk, which was considered improper for a woman. In the eyes of the people of Munich, she was arrogant and vulgar, and her relationship with the king was a scandal.
Lola Montez’s escape from Munich
Photo: Lola Montez House on the Isar-Hochuhfer/Gras-Ober, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lola created her own bodyguard from a student corps that she founded solely for this purpose. She called it “Alemannia” and it soon became the laughing stock of the other corps and the rest of the Munich population. In February 1848, Lola Montez was the victim of public hostility and physical violence on Odeonsplatz, whereupon Ludwig I had the university closed. This led to riots by the students, who, together with other citizens, marched to the residence. The university was reopened and Lola was expelled from the city. She left Munich via Blutenburg Castle and Lindau in the direction of Switzerland.
On March 16, Ludwig I announced that Lola Montez’s Bavarian citizenship would be revoked. Four days later, he abdicated in the wake of the March Revolution. There were rumors that Lola had returned to Munich and that this was the reason for his abdication. They continued to exchange letters even after her escape, until she married another man, whom she soon left again. In the 1850s, she finally emigrated to the USA and played herself on Broadway in “Lola Montez in Bavaria.” She died in New York at the age of just 39.
Her story inspired many creative people, who turned it into films, plays, and songs. She herself wrote in her memoirs: “I have shown women that if they know how to use men’s weaknesses, they will cease to be the weaker sex everywhere. […] A woman’s reputation is often nothing more than the echo of the malice of those men who like to see women as weak and bad and then feign moral indignation. You have no right to pass judgment on a woman’s virtue – as long as you are not stricter with yourselves.”
