Maximilian II Emmanuel

(1662-1726)

   Maximilian II Emmanuel was born on 11 July 1662 in Munich. Known as the "Blue Elector," he was the son of Elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria and Maria Adelaide of Savoy. He was appointed governor-general of the Spanish Netherlands and arrived in Brussels on 26 March 1692. Fond of luxurious living and a patron of the arts, he spent lavishly with concerts and festivals that were regularly held, including an annual celebration of carnival at court. His spending made him popular with the city's merchants. He reformed the Académie de Bruxelles in 1694, an institution created in 1671 to teach mathematics and engineering to the nobility.

   Maximilian was applauded for rallying the city after the bombardment of 1695 in ordering the fires to be extinguished, but his popularity waned when he rallied to the government of King Philip V and supported increased centralization of power at the expense of local liberties. He died on 26 February 1726 in Munich.

   See also Anjouin Period.