Failed marriages
Barbara Kosmal was born in 1973 in the second marriage of a popular artist and an ordinary doctor. Brylski's first marriage was unsuccessful, and she quickly divorced her peer, who began to cheat on her. After the release of the historical drama "Pharaoh", in which she played a temple priestess overwhelmed by passions, Barbara became very popular. She even had a short-term affair with the leading actor, which quickly ended after filming.
Spoiled by the attention of the richest and most famous men in Poland, Brylska surprises everyone with a new choice, marrying a gynecologist with a modest income, but with attractive appearance, because the actress constantly said that what her other half looks like is very important to her.
However, this difficult marriage was bursting at the seams. The husband did not become a successful doctor and extracted money from his famous wife, who was experiencing temporary lack of demand in films. Anti-Soviet sentiment in Poland intensified, and after the success of Eldar Ryazanov’s comedy, in which Barbara played the main role, many considered her a traitor to the country.
Mother's happiness
In such difficult times, her children, who were named the same as their parents, became a joy for Brylski’s soul and heart, despite the fact that, according to some legends, a daughter should not be given her mother’s name. It so happened that Barbara Kosmal, whose biography turned out to be very short, lived only twenty years.
Her mother considered the birth of her daughter a real miracle, because she could not bear the child for a long time. A real beauty, whom everyone affectionately called Basya, surprised with her various talents: an educated girl, reputed to be a very erudite person, successfully worked as a fashion model and acted in films.
Possessing stunning looks, which she inherited from her mother, Barbara Kosmal was known as a model far beyond Poland, working on the catwalks of France and Japan. Her luxurious photographs were admired in magazines, and the girl herself was bombarded with declarations of love. Having become a popular fashion model, Basya does not rest on her laurels, but dreams of conquering the big screen.
Personal life
Barbara Kosmal had absolutely no time for her personal life, and, unlike her mother, the girl was not known for falling in love.
Jozef Skolimowski and Barbara Kosmal in the film “Shadow Motif”
During the filming of the drama “Shadow Motif” (1993), the actress was very close to her partner on the set, Jozef Skolimowski, but the young people were united only by friendship.
Xawery Zulawski
Kosmal's real feelings awoke for the man who, ironically, became the culprit of her death - Ksawery Zulawski, the son of director Andrzej Zulawski. After the tragedy, it became known that the lovers were going to get married.
Barbara Kosmal: films
Having inherited from her mother not only expressive facial features, but also acting talent, Basya at the age of 15 tried herself as an actress, starring in the historical drama “The Hour of the Full Moon.” Three years later, she participates in the joint film project between Poland and Great Britain, “Shadow Motif,” and plays a small role in the fantasy film “The Flying Dutchman,” which was released on the big screen after the tragic death of a girl.
At the casting that took place, she was approved for a role in the historical epic “With Fire and Sword,” although she never started filming.
Basya Kosmal - the talented daughter of Barbara Brylska
Barbara saw her daughter as an extension of herself and began to develop her acting talent very early. For the first time on the screens, 15-year-old Basya appeared with her mother in the film “Hour of the Full Moon” (1988). Then modeling agencies noticed her.
Basya worked as a model in Paris, and then went to Japan. She called Mother every day from there, just as Barbara herself once contacted her while on set and wished her good night.
Basya Kosmal
Barbara Jr. was not only incredibly beautiful, but also a very well-read and intelligent girl with a wonderful sense of humor. It was always interesting with her. It is not surprising that the directors also considered her talent as a dramatic actress.
Basia Kosmal and Barbara Brylska in their youth
In 1993, Kosmal starred in the drama “Shadow Motif” and was invited to the new film “The False Hitchhiker,” in which she did not finish working.
Still from the film “Shadow Motif” (1993)
Terrible tragedy
Basya’s mother was extremely proud of her talented daughter’s successes, believing that she had great prospects and heights that Brylska herself had not achieved. An absurd accident took the life of a girl at the very beginning of the heyday of her career.
As if she had a presentiment of her own death, Barbara Kosmal, on the eve of a trip with her friend, called her mother in tears, talking about a terrible dream she had had in which she had no teeth. Brylska, who arrived at the scene of the accident, recalled that her daughter’s teeth were actually knocked out from the terrible blow.
On May 15, 1993, Basya’s friend, the son of director A. Zulawski, invited her to go on vacation outside the city, and the girl, tired of numerous filming, did not refuse. At one of the turns, the young driver lost control and crashed into a tree. On this day Barbara Kosmal died tragically. The accident that happened to her daughter became a very difficult test for the mother. The actress said that she cried for three years and lived only on pills.
Death
In 1993, Barbara Kosmal was preparing to add another leading role to her filmography in the drama “The Hitchhiker,” and a few weeks later she planned to present “The Shadow Motif,” which would certainly have made a splash in the cinema. Fate decreed otherwise.
Barbara Kosmal
On May 15, Kosmal was returning home from filming (according to other sources, she was going out of town on vacation). The Fiat 126r was driven by Ksawery Zulawski. According to official information, the young man made a bad turn and crashed into a tree. As a result of the accident, Barbara died on the spot, her fiance escaped with a slight fright.
Some sources indicate that this was not the first time Zulawski put Kosmal’s life at risk. The previous accident did not end so tragically, but the girl spent a long time in the hospital. The news of her daughter's death killed Barbara Brylska. In an interview she admitted:
“For 3 years I cried every day from morning to evening and took pills.”
The press and entourage turned the tragedy into a farce.
“At the funeral, someone noticed that I had a black skirt that went above the knee, but I couldn’t find another one. Gossip began: “Did she come to her daughter’s funeral with her knees open?” That’s what they were thinking!” Brylska shares her memories.
Barbara Brylska now
The mental state of the actress was under threat, she was thinking about suicide. The Pole was saved from a fatal mistake by her son Ludwig, who was born 10 years later than Barbara, in 1982.
“I dedicated myself to my son and it’s simply impossible to spoil him. I won’t say that because of the loss of my daughter, my love is only to blame: I poured all of it into Ludwig,” says Brylska.
In caring for her son, Barbara did not forget about her late daughter: she constantly went to the grave and wrote letters to Kosmal. They say that one day a mystical incident happened to the actress. After 3 years of unanswered letters to the next world, the phone rang in Brylski’s apartment. In the voice of her daughter, the woman was asked how she was doing. Apparently, this is how Barbara’s spirit asked for peace. Brylska didn’t take Brylska’s hand anymore.
Life before and after
She does not blame Ksawery Zulawski, who did not receive a single scratch that day, but she does not want to see him, although they had communicated before. The young man did not ask for forgiveness, but cried with his mother. Barbara even believed that she had gone crazy: “He killed my daughter, and I don’t treat him badly. This is not normal!” The woman, darkened with grief, was advised to sue the scion from a wealthy family, but she immediately stopped such statements, surprised at the heartlessness of people who looked with interest at the tragedy that had happened in the family, as if it were a performance.
For Brylski, life was divided into before and after the accident. Now she tries to think less about what happened more than twenty years ago, although she says that as soon as she remembers her daughter, she begins to cry. “Tears are simply tearing me apart, but I can already live,” the Polish actress finally admitted to herself.
Ludwig II of Bavaria. "Fairy tale king" who did not like war and politics
King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Otto Friedrich Wilhelm of Bavaria (Ludwig II. Otto Friedrich Wilhelm von Bayern) came from the Wittelsbach family. He was born in the residence of Nymphenburg on August 25, 1845. His parents were Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria and Princess Maria of Prussia. Ludwig's parents did little to raise their children, did not spoil them at all and punished them very severely. Little Princes Ludwig and […]
Ludwig II of Bavaria
King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Otto Friedrich Wilhelm of Bavaria (Ludwig II. Otto Friedrich Wilhelm von Bayern) came from the Wittelsbach . He was born in the residence of Nymphenburg on August 25, 1845. His parents were Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria and Princess Maria of Prussia.
Ludwig's parents did little to raise their children, did not spoil them at all and punished them very severely. The little princes Ludwig and Otto were subjected to physical punishment, forced to get up early and study a lot, and were deprived of sweets and pocket money. According to their father, Spartan education was supposed to accustom children to moderation and asceticism (in this Maximilian was very wrong).
Ludwig studied diligently. He loved music and poetry, read a lot, and was interested in natural history and architecture. The boy was an excellent swimmer and rode a lot. According to those around him, he could become a knight, but not a monarch.
Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (left) with his parents and younger brother Prince Otto in 1860
In 1864 Maximilian II died. Eighteen-year-old Prince Ludwig ascended the throne. At the coronation ceremony, a tall, broad-shouldered handsome man with blue eyes and dark curly hair appeared before the people. "Fairy tale king!" - the Bavarians immediately nicknamed him.
The young king discovered some strange behavior. He showed no interest in women. (Today, “non-standard orientation” is publicly stated, but in those days even such rumors about the monarch were unacceptable.)
Ludwig II and Duchess Sophia Charlotte in Bavaria in 1867
1867 Ludwig II is engaged. His chosen one was his cousin Sophia Charlotte, Princess of Bavaria - a girl of rare beauty. The wedding was supposed to take place on October 12. Commemorative coins have already been issued and a golden carriage for the newlyweds has been ordered. On the eve of the wedding, a terrible scandal occurred - the groom broke off the engagement.
The king never spoke about marriage again. His family realized that there would be no heir to the throne after Ludwig.
Ludwig II of Bavaria
A few years earlier, an important event occurred in Ludwig's life. As a sixteen-year-old prince, he saw the opera performance “Lohengrin” to the music of Wagner. The music shocked the young prince, and he became a fan of the composer.
When Ludwig became monarch, he ordered to find Wagner to bring him to Munich. In May 1864, a meeting took place between the composer and the king.
From this moment on, the king takes part in Wagner's life. They built a house for the composer, created all the conditions for creativity, ensuring his life so that he did not have to be distracted by everyday worries.
Wilhelm Richard Wagner
The king's relatives, the government and the people of Munich did not like such a close friendship. Richard Wagner was not liked in Munich - he was considered the bearer of revolutionary ideas. The people and parliament insisted on removing the composer from the throne. The king succumbed to pressure and gave in. The composer left for Switzerland. From that time on, Ludwig II hated both his parliament and Munich. The relationship with Wagner continued. Evil rumor claimed that this connection was not only based on art. But Wagner was married, had children and had a very negative attitude towards same-sex relationships. Most likely, the king’s sublime affection for Wagner had only a spiritual background.
The throne and power brought Ludwig II as close as possible to what he loved - art. As a monarch, he had little interest in the political life of his state and tried to hide from pressing problems in the illusory world of poetry and music. The king built a music school in Munich, wanted to create an opera house and make the city a musical capital - like Vienna. These plans did not fully come true.
Ludwig II of Bavaria
War with Prussia was brewing. The Bavarian king tried to avoid participating in hostilities and even wanted to renounce the throne. Still, Bavaria had to participate in this war on the side of Austria. The Allied army was defeated, Bavaria suffered heavy human and financial losses.
The situation in Bavaria approached a national catastrophe, and the king decided to build castles in the Alps. (In total, three incredibly luxurious palaces were built during his reign, but only the castle in Linderhof was completely finished.)
Neuschwanstein
Construction of the romantic Neuschwanstein began in 1869. The palace took 17 years to build and was not completed during the king’s lifetime.
Herrenchiemsee Castle
Herrenchiemsee Castle on the island of Herreninsel was founded in 1878. Ludwig II wanted to make the palace and magnificent garden a copy of Parisian Versailles. The luxurious castle was a symbol of the absolute monarchy and an architectural monument to Louis XIV, whose image the King of Bavaria revered.
Linderhof
of Linderhof began in 1874. “Little Versailles” - that’s what Ludwig called it. This castle was also equipped according to the model of the main French palace. The luxury of the castle was unbelievable and provocative. It contained a white piano with gilding, ordered especially for Wagner. However, the composer never came to Linderhof.
The king was lonely all the time. He rode a boat on the lake, listened to orchestral music in a rock grotto theater and gradually became isolated in his romantic world.
Royal House in Schachen (Königshaus am Schachen)
In 1870 a new war began. Ludwig did not want to fight, but, according to the terms of the treaty, Bavaria was to become an ally of Prussia against France. The war ended with the victory of Prussia and the creation of the German Empire (which included Bavaria). The Prussian King Wilhelm was declared Kaiser of the united empire. The Bavarian king did not appear at this ceremony.
From that time on, he finally abandoned politics and built his own castles. The costs were enormous. All of Ludwig’s personal funds and a considerable share of the state treasury were spent on construction. Members of the royal family, together with parliament, made a forced decision - to declare the king mentally ill and appoint a regent to govern the state.
The medical commission, headed by Dr. von Gudden, issued its conclusion. The diagnosis was announced - “paranoia”. The king's uncle, Luitpold, was appointed regent of Bavaria. He also became Ludwig's guardian.
On June 12, 1886, members of the government commission entered Neuschwanstein and secretly took Ludwig to Berg Castle , located on Lake Stanberg.
Ludwig II of Bavaria
06/13/1886 Ludwig and Dr. Gudden went out for a walk in the evening. They did not return home. Their bodies were found in the lake only a few hours later. Nobody knew what really happened. The king and the doctor were dressed and did not intend to swim. Ludwig was an excellent swimmer and simply could not drown.
Some contemporaries believed that the king decided to drown himself, and the doctor died saving him. According to another version, both men were killed and the corpses were hidden in the lake. Empress Elizabeth of Austria, the cousin of the Bavarian king, upon learning of the death of Ludwig, exclaimed: “They killed him!”
After the death of Ludwig II, the throne passed to Otto , his mentally retarded younger brother. Prince Luitpold remained regent.
Memorial cross on Lake Starnberg at the site of the death of Ludwig II
The legacy of the “fairy-tale king” were beautiful palaces, the Academy of Fine Arts, and the Munich Institute of Technology. He created funds for the development of musical culture and the Bavarian Red Cross. Paul Verlaine called Ludwig "the only true king of this century." The Bavarians are convinced that no one else has ever had a better king. More than sixty clubs of his admirers have been created in the country today.
Burial vault of St. Michael's Church - burial place of Ludwig II
In Stanbergsee, at the site of the death of Ludwig II, a wooden cross was erected. There is a small chapel in the park near the Berg Palace. In this chapel, near the portrait of King Ludwig, there are always fresh flowers.
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Mystical farewell
Brylska, who was grieving the tragedy, wrote to her deceased daughter words that she had not told her during her lifetime. She practically went crazy with grief and didn’t know what to do next until one mystical incident happened.
A telephone rang in the house of a woman who had aged several years; when she answered the phone, the actress heard the voice of her daughter, wondering how her mother was doing. After some time, she called again, and a noticeable crack appeared in the pool, in the very place where little Barbara Kosmal left the mark of her palm.
Brylska realized that this was Basya saying goodbye to her and asking her not to disturb her restless soul anymore.
