The Age of Victoria returns for the 2026 season with a high-energy prologue to our new series, “Hunger and Revolution”. In this episode, we follow the “magnificent, terrible, magnetic” Lola Montez as she transitions from the stage to the high-stakes world of European politics. Lola becomes an “accidental bunch of dynamite,” moving through the bohemian circles of Paris and the royal halls of Munich. Her volatile relationship with the “rockstar” composer Franz Liszt and her scandalous influence over King Ludwig I of Bavaria serve as a sparking point for the unrest that would soon consume the continent. Against the grim backdrop of the “Continental Famine” and rising industrial tensions, we examine how one woman’s individual actions could help bring the curtain down on the pre-modern age.
Key Topics Covered:
- Bohemian Paris in the 1840s: A city of romance and industry undergoing a transformation marked by early railway stations, gas streetlights, and artistic experimentation.
- Lisztomania and the Great Composers: Exploring the electric performances and scandalous love life of Franz Liszt—the “rockstar” of the 19th century—who redefined the status of the artist in society.
- The Duel of Dujarier: Lola’s time in the French literary scene alongside figures like Victor Hugo ended in tragedy when her lover, journalist Alexandre Henri Dujarier, was killed in a reluctant pistol duel.
- The “Gallery of Beauties”: A look at the 36 oil paintings in King Ludwig’s collection, where Lola’s portrait eventually sparked a national scandal.
- The Continental Famine: Examining the “parallel story” of the 1845–1847 potato blight across Europe that fueled the urban discontent leading to the 1848 revolutions.
- The Fall of Munich: The student riots at the University of Munich involving the “Lolamannen,” the exile of Montez, and King Ludwig I’s ultimate abdication.
- “The Battle of Ballarat”: A summary of Lola’s later years, including her infamous whip-fight with a newspaper editor in the Australian goldfields.
Works Cited & Sources:
- Edmund B. d’Auvergne: Lola Montez: An Adventuress of the ’Forties (Project Gutenberg).
- Dictionary of Irish Biography: “Gilbert, Eliza Rosana (Lola Montez)” by Lawrence William White.
- Schloss Nymphenburg: “King Ludwig I’s Gallery of Beauties (Room 15).”
- Interlude.hk: “Life of Chopin: The Controversial Chopin Biography by Liszt” by Emily E. Hogstad .
- Interlude.hk: “The Spy who loved me! Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth”.
- Dance Biographies: “Alexandre Henri Dujarier” & “The Fascinating Lola Montez: The European Years.”
- State Library Victoria: “Wild times with Lola Montez” (The Battle of Ballarat).
- Elizabeth Kerri Mahon: “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets: The Racy Life of Lola Montez.”
- Oktoberfest.de: “The History of Oktoberfest”.
- Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions: “Economic Crisis in the first half of 1847” (Ohio.edu).
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