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The Anif declaration () was issued by Ludwig III, King of Bavaria, on 12 November 1918 at Anif Palace, Austria. Germany: Bavaria: Heads of State: 1806-1918 archontology.org, accessed: 14 June 2008
It was a declaration in which the monarch relieved all civil servants and military personnel from their oath of loyalty to him. Although he never used the word "abdication," the new socialist government of Kurt Eisner deemed it as such and declared Ludwig deposed. This effectively ended the 738-year dynasty of the House of Wittelsbach in Bavaria.
Max von Speidel, Minister of War in the Bavarian government, under orders from Kurt Eisner, tried to persuade King Ludwig on 10 November (the day before the Armistice) to issue a declaration in which he would release all officers of the Bavarian Army of their oath. Speidel however arrived at the King's residence at Schloss Wildenwart, near Rosenheim, after Ludwig had already left for Austria.
Ludwig III decided to leave Bavaria temporarily for Austria, and, following an invitation of Ernst Graf von Moy, decided to take up residence at Anif Palace, near Salzburg. burgen.austria.com - Anif (in German) accessed: 14 June 2008 There, he ordered Otto Ritter von Dandl, the last prime minister of the Kingdom of Bavaria, Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg - Bosls bayrische Biographie - Otto Ritter von Dandl (in German) author: Karl Bosl, publisher: Pustet, page 127. to issue a declaration. Dandl demanded an abdication but the King was only willing to issue a statement absolving all officers, soldiers and government officials of the Kingdom of their oath. Verfassungsurkunde für das Königreich Bayern - Titel X. Von der Gewähr der Verfassung - § 3 (in German) Bavarian constitution from 26 May 1818, Oath of loyalty for government servant, accessed: 21 June 2008 With this, the Anif declaration, Dandl returned to the Bavarian capital, Munich.
Eisner had the declaration published word by word, adding a postscript stating that the People's State of Bavaria () accepted Ludwig's abdication and assured him and his family that they were free to return to Bavaria, provided they took no steps against the people's state and accepted the status of private citizens. Historisches lexikon Bayerns - Thronverzicht König Ludwig III. (in German), accessed: 14 June 2008 While some, even conservative politicians, shared the government's interpretation of the declaration as an abdication, others pointed out the discrepancy between its wording and its use by the government as a declaration of abdication. Nevertheless, the declaration effectively ended Wittelsbach rule.
After the death of Ludwig III in 1921, his son, Crown Prince Rupprecht, asserted his rights to the Bavarian crown, Historisches Lexikon Bayerns - Die Wittelsbacher nach 1918 (in German) accessed: 14 June 2008 claiming it to be his birthright to be King of Bavaria unless the people decided on a different form of government after free elections. Historisches Lexikon Bayerns - Monarchismus (in German) accessed: 28 September 2010 Until his death in 1955, Rupprecht continued to demand that the question of whether Bavaria would be a republic or a monarchy should be decided by a constituent assembly chosen in a democratic election.
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