Philipp II. Gemälde eines Lebens und einer Zeit

Philip II of Spain was already a mysterious figure during his lifetime. To this day, he is a subject of controversial discussions among historians. The most famous characterization comes from Friedrich Schiller, who portrays him as a tyrannical and merciless father in his work Don Carlos. Ludwig Pfandl takes a closer look at the controversial ruler in this biography from 1938. From his childhood and youth to his reign and political background, Pfandl examines the man Philip, his failures, his suffering, and his strokes of fate. The renowned historian Ludwig Pfandl earned his doctorate in 1908 in Munich on French literary history. His passion for the history of France and Spain made him a significant historian and one of the most well-known Hispanists.