In November 1918 the last German emperor abdicated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this article you will learn something about William (Wilhelm) the Second, the last German emperor. I'll also explain to you why the emperor lived in a castle in the Netherlands ("Holland"). Important words are written in bold. Click on the images to enlarge them.

 

Germany was ruled by kings and emperors for many centuries - can you imagine that?

 

Maybe you still remember that the Queen of England died in September and her son Charles  is now king. It used to be similar in Germany. But that's no longer the case today - it's been almost 125 years. The last emperor was called Wilhelm II - these are Roman numerals and are pronounced "Wilhelm the Second". More than a hundred years ago, Wilhelm declared to the Germans that he was no longer emperor.

 

Why?

There had been a very long and bad war, which we now call the First World War. Most people in Germany were very unwell. Many were dissatisfied, especially the soldiers on the Navy´s warships. The people wanted a change and to hand the government over to others. So there was no longer any room for the emperor in Germany.

 

In addition, the countries that had won the war believed that Germany was partly to blame for the war - and thus the Kaiser, who was, so to speak, the head of Germany at the time. This is a difficult topic; many very long books have already been written about it! But that's why after the war the other countries wanted the Kaiser to be punished and under no circumstances to remain in Germany as head of the country.

 

It certainly wasn't easy for Wilhelm to give up the throne (that's what the emperor's executive chair is called). But actually he couldn't do anything else and had to look for a new home somewhere. He found that too, namely in Holland. He was taken in there - maybe you know the words refugees and asylum from the news on TV or at school? Wilhelm initially lived in a small village, with a count - not an emperor or king, but also someone who lived in a palace or castle.

 

The former emperor later used his money to buy himself a small castle. Although he was no longer emperor, he had many people around him who still acted as if he were one: servants, a few gardeners, his own cook and even his own doctor! He had a few dogs and was always happy when he could feed the ducks in the moat at the castle. Wilhelm really enjoyed driving around in the car. However, he had drivers who got behind the wheel for him. The driver is called a chauffeur. 

His children and grandchildren and other people from Germany were able to visit Wilhelm in Holland, but he himself never returned to Germany.

 

Wilhelm even married again in Holland when he was already over 60 years old. Because his first wife, whose name was Empress Auguste, had already died. Wilhelm, the last German emperor, was 82 years old, a real great-grandpa.

 

The castle in which the former emperor lived is called Huis Doorn in Holland (pronounced "Heus Dorrn"). You can still visit it today - much of the castle still looks the same as it did when Wilhelm II lived there. When you walk through the castle, everything there is to see is explained to you: lots of paintings, expensive porcelain, but also lots of stories about the people who lived there. You can look at the kitchen as well as the bed and the bathroom. You can go for a walk in the large park and see where the old emperor worked in the garden - he really liked that!

 

You can find further information for you, your parents or teachers on this website.

Basic information for school