Duke Georg II of Saxe Meiningen (Ruled: 1866-1914)

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation. In 1874 Duke George II brought his private theater troupe to Berlin and caused a critical stir. The Meiningen players performed in an environment of absolute historical accuracy. Actual costumes, properties, and set pieces of the period (or perfect facsimilies of them) filled the Berlin stage. Instead of using fake swords and armor, for example, the duke's actors manipulated or wore the actual objects. These productions re-created in detail the sights and sounds of ancient Rome or Renaissance Verona as well as the words and characters of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet. The duke's emphasis on realism further established the essential role of the director in shaping the play's atmosphere on stage.

The Duke of Meiningen earned himself lasting fame, not only as the "Theatre Duke", but also as patron of other arts. By calling on great conductors, such as Hans von Buelow, Richard Strauss, Fritz Steinbach and Max Reger to head his court orchestra he helped to create the conditions which succeeded in making this orchestra one of the leading lights in Europe for several decades. His travelling concerts set the tone for and enriched the musical cultural scene on the continent. He was on friendly terms with the greatest composers of his time, such as Max Reger, Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner.

http://www.meiningermuseen.de/mmuseeneng/georg2.html

Georg married Charlotte Hohenzollern Princess of Prussia. (Charlotte Hohenzollern Princess of Prussia was born in 1831 and died in 1855.)