A world history in pictures was intended by King Maximilian II not only to be presented to the elite students of his gifted foundation but also to his people in the publicly accessible Historical Gallery at the Maximilianeum. From Adam and Eve to the fall of Napoleon, the most important epochs of all cultures and times were to be depicted. Originally, 80 paintings were planned for the historical cycle, but this was soon reduced to 30 images due to cost reasons. For the first time, the planning and execution of the Historical Gallery are presented in detail based on documents, lists, notes, and account books found in the secret house archive of the House of Wittelsbach. The memorabilia of Leo von Klenze, who was organizationally responsible for the gallery from 1852 to 1864, were also taken into account. Additionally, the history of the planning of the foundation and the building is introduced. Some of the sources have been printed in the appendix. The catalog section documents all the images of the Historical Gallery that were burned in the war, using historical photographs, with the surviving ones shown in color reproductions. Texts from a catalog printed around 1880 have been included, supplemented by notes and comments from the author. The reconstructed hanging plans can be found on the inside covers.