The king of fairy tales, as his subjects adored him. The only real king of the XIX century, according to the poet Paul Verlaine, and the mad king, from the point of view of his ministers - all these epithets refer to the eccentric King of Bavaria Ludwig II, who is still revered and just as many criticized by many.
Anyone who has visited Neuschwanstein Castle - his most exquisite creation - is likely to feel that he is indeed more worthy of praise than blasphemy. It was this pseudo-medieval-style castle with many battlements on the walls and spiers that appear like a ghost in the middle of an evergreen forest surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks that inspired Walt Disney to create his fairy tales.
Neuschwanstein Castle in winter.
Drawing for a castle project, written 1869
Nineteen-year-old Ludwig became king of Bavaria in 1864.
Fascinated by the historical legends of the Sun King, the grandeur of Versailles and the music of Wagner, he shared the composer's obsessive passion for idealized rather than actual images of the Germanic Middle Ages.
Promotional video:
Left Ludwig II with his parents and younger brother Otto, photo 1860
The legends underlying Wagner's operas, the saga of Parsi-fal and the Holy Grail, the Nibelungs and the Swan Knight, Lohen Green, have become the subject of cycles that adorn the halls of Neuschwanstein, one of three castles built by Ludwig.
Composer Richard Wagner, 1861
This work, led by the architects Riedel and Dolman, and based on plans drawn up by the theatrical artist Jank, began in 1869 and ended in 1886 when the king died. It was because of this that the chambers of the upper floors remained empty and bare. In June of that year, Ludwig's ministers accused him of squandering public funds on increasingly insane and eccentric architectural chimeras (the accusations were certainly unfounded) and forced a leading psychiatrist in Bavaria to declare the king mentally ill)
Neuschwanstein castle interior
Neuschwanstein castle interior
Neuschwanstein castle interior
Neuschwanstein castle interior
With perseverance but respectfulness, Ludwig of Neuschwanstein was taken to Berg Castle on Lake Starnberg, where he was carefully guarded.
Berg castle, photo 1886
Although the depth of the lake nowhere exceeds 1.2 m, the king's body was found in the lake on July 13: he drowned along with his doctor. According to one hypothesis, Ludwig committed suicide, according to others, he was drowned while trying to escape or killed.
Cross at the site of the death of Ludwig II, Lake Starnberg
His cousin, the Austrian Empress Elizabeth, has the only correct explanation for these events: “The king was not mad. He was just an eccentric person and lived in the world of his dreams. They could have treated him more mercifully."
King in the later years of his life.
The Allgäu region in Bavaria was of great strategic importance in the Middle Ages, so there were once 4 castles here. It was here that Ludwig decided to build his "elegant toy from whipped cream." Preliminary drawings by Count von Pocci and Christian Jank show that the central part of the castle was modeled after the Wartburg model. Ludwig II insisted that the building blend in with its surroundings.
Neuschwanstein castle interior
Neuschwanstein castle interior
Neuschwanstein castle interior
From spring to autumn, an astonishing amount of building materials was transported here: more than 5,000 tons of Nürting sandstone, more than 510 tons of Salzburg marble and 400,000 bricks were needed for construction only in 1879-1880. The entire façade has been finished with Alterschrofen limestone. The furnishings and finishing of the interiors were carried out by architects, who also specialized in theatrical decorations, stone carvers, painters and ceramics specialists, and the total value of the castle exceeded 6 million marks. Its chambers are varied and extremely magnificent.
Neuschwanstein castle interior
The interior of the Neuschwanstein castle. Cabinet.
Most of them are decorated with paintings in which the heroes of the Germanic sagas and the holy kings of Germany come to life. Characteristic in this sense is the Throne Room with its mixture of mosaic decorations in the Gothic, Romanesque and Byzantine styles and a bronze crown-shaped chandelier weighing over a ton. The pieces of furniture are made in the neo-Gothic style popular in that era. In addition to all this, the building, by order of the king, was equipped with the latest technology, for example, electric bells and a completely functional kitchen.
Neuschwanstein Castle in winter.
Neuschwanstein Castle in winter.