Description
WÜRTTEMBERG – PERSONAL BIBLE – KÖNIG WILHELM II
Breathtaking royalty item that once belonged to the Kingdom of Württemberg’s König Wilhelm II (1848-1921). Wilhelm II (not to be confused with Kaiser Wilhelm II) was the last King of Württemberg (one of Imperial Germany’s four major kingdoms along with Prussia, Bavaria, and Saxony). [Today, Baden-Württemberg is a state within Germany’s federal government].
König Wilhelm II was a very popular king with Württemberg’s citizens. He advanced many progressive ideas and was often seen in parks in Stuttgart walking his dogs without benefit of bodyguards. Since Wilhelm had no male heir, his cousin, Herzog Albrecht, would have been Württemberg’s next king. [Albrecht was considered one of Germany’s finest royal military commanders during WW I]. However, the war’s end required Wilhelm to abdicate on 30 November 1918 with the rest of Germany’s royalty. Wilhelm II was Württemberg’s final king, reigning from 1891 until 1918.
This significant bible that was once König Wilhelm II’s personal property. It measures 1″ x 3 ¾” x 5 ½” The bible is bound in high-quality leather, with leather outside covers whose edges are trimmed in gold. A gold Württemberg Crown appears on its cover. All its pages are trimmed in gold, which adds a sumptuous note to the exterior’s appearance. A large shield immediately inside the front cover states that the bible came from König Wilhelm II’s personal library. The title page reads “Die Bibel,” with a circular rubber-stamped image that again proclaims it comes from König Wilhelm’s personal library. It also mentions that it is the edition originally prepared by Martin Luther. [Like most of Southern Germany, Württemberg was primarily Roman Catholic]. Its old and new testaments are printed in the old Fraktur script commonly used in Imperial Germany. The book is compact, which allowed Wilhelm II to carry it in his coat or military tunic pocket.
MINT condition and shows little wear.
