One of the places that my bro visited has attract my attention and curious. I feel like this castle is so amazing and so historical. Sadly, it's not in the Seven Wonders. What I'm trying to say is the Neuschwanstein Castle.
Neuschwanstein today - Record numbers of visitors and preservation problems
Seven weeks after the death of King
Ludwig II in 1886, Neuschwanstein was opened to the public. The shy king had built the castle in order to withdraw from public life - now vast numbers of people came to view his private refuge.
Today Neuschwanstein is one of th
e most
popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. Every year 1.3 million people visit "the castle of the fairy-tale king". In
the summer around 6,000 visitors a day stream through rooms that were intended for a single inhabitant.
The setting of Neuschwanstein could not be more idyllic. However, movement in the foundation area has to be continuously monito
red, and the sheer rock walls must be repeatedly secured. The harsh climate also h
as a detrimental effect on the limestone façades, which will have to be renovated section by section over the next few years.
King Ludwig II
Neuschwanstein
Do you know that this castle was the inspiration for
Sleeping Beauty Castle at
Disneyland Park and for the
Cinderella Castles at the
Magic Kingdom and
Tokyo Disneyland? And it also appeared in several movies!
Building history
Work on the future building site began in the summer of 1868 with up to
8 metres of stone outcrop removed to make way for the foundations. In
June 1869 the new access road was completed. The foundation stone was laid on
5 September 1869 with the building plan, portraits of Ludwig II and coins from his reign incorporated in it in accordance with the tradition established by
Ludwig I. The latest building techniques and materials were used in the construction of the castle. The foundations were cemented and the walls built of brick with light-coloured limestone used merely as cladding.
The Gateway Building was completed first, which had its topping out ceremony on
11 June 1872 and was ready for occupation at the end of 1873; for years
Ludwig II used the upper floor as provisional accommodation when he visited the site. Building of the Palas commenced in September 1872; for structural reasons the latest technology was required in order to incorporate the large Throne Hall subsequently requested by the king, which was built as an encased steel construction. The topping out ceremony was on
29 January 1880. The decoration and technical fittings of the interior were only completed in mid 1884, though without all the final details.
Ludwig II only ever saw his new castle as a building site; the Bower and the Square Tower, simplified versions of the originally planned buildings, were not completed until 1892.
so sad that the Ludwig II can't see his own castle built completely.
Neuschwanstein as it was on the death of King Ludwig II.
a Staircase Tower
b Knights' House
c Square Tower
d Connecting Building
e Hall
f Entrance Hall
g Palas
h Upper Courtyard
i Lower Courtyard
j Gateway Building
k Staircase Tower
l Bower
Interior and modern technology
Neuschwanstein illustrates the ideals and longings of Ludwig II more vividly than any of his other buildings. The castle was not designed for royal representation, but as a place of retreat. Here Ludwig II escaped into a dream world - the poetic world of the Middle Ages.
The picture cycles of Neuschwanstein were inspired by the operas of Richard Wagner, to whom the king dedicated the castle. The pictures were not however directly modelled on Wagner's works, but on the medieval 
legends that the composer had also taken as the basis for his works.
The pictures on the walls of the castle deal with love and guilt, repentance and salvation. Kings and knights, poets and lovers people the rooms. There are three main figures: the poet Tannhäuser, the swan knight Lohengrin and his father, the Grail King Parzival (Parsifal). These were Ludwig's models and kindred spirits.
Apsis im Thronsaal
A further leitmotif of the interiors is the swan. The swan was the heraldic animal of the Counts of Schwangau, whose successor the king considered himself to be. It is also the Christian symbol of the "purity" for which Ludwig strived.
Religious and political ideas were involved in the planning of the castle. This can be seen in particular in the Throne Room. The paintings here show how Ludwig saw kingship "by the Grace of God": as a holy mission, with powers that the Bavarian king had never possessed.
Modern technology in medieval guise
In Neuschwanstein the Middle Ages were only an illusion: behind the medieval appearance of the castle the latest technology was in operation and every comfort was ensured.
The rooms of the Palas, the royal residence, were fitted with hot air central heating. Running water was available on every floor and the kitchen had both hot and cold water. The toilets had an automatic flushing system.
The king used an electric bell system to summon his servants and adjutants. On the third and fourth floors there were even telephones.
Meals did not have to be laboriously carried upstairs: for this purpose there was a lift.
The latest technology was also used for the construction process itself. The cranes were driven by steam engines, and the Throne Room was incorporated by means of a steel construction.
One of the special features of Neuschwanstein is the large window panes. Windows of this size were still unusual even in Ludwig II's day.
Idea and History
History of the origins of Neuschwanstein Castle
Ludwig II, King of Bavaria since 1864, addressed the following lines to the man he so greatly admired, Richard Wagner:
«It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin of Hohenschwangau near the Pöllat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles, and I must confess to you that I am looking forward very much to living there one day (in 3 years); there will be several cosy, habitable guest rooms with a splendid view of the noble Säuling, the mountains of Tyrol and far across the plain; you know the revered guest I would like to accommodate there; the location is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world. It will also remind you of "Tannhäuser" (Singers' Hall with a view of the castle in the background), "Lohengrin'" (castle courtyard, open corridor, path to the chapel); this castle will be in every way more beautiful and habitable than Hohenschwangau further down, which is desecrated every year by the prose of my mother; they will take revenge, the desecrated gods, and come to live with Us on the lofty heights, breathing the air of heaven».
Ideal design for Neuschwanstein Castle by Christian Jank, 1869
Almost all the aspects of Ludwig's Neuschwanstein are mentioned here. What is not mentioned, however, is the political reason for building: in 1866 Bavaria, allied with Austria, had lost a war against the expanding Prussia. Bavaria was forced to accept a "defensive and offensive alliance", which removed the king's right to dispose over his army in case of war. From 1866, therefore, Ludwig II was no longer a sovereign ruler. This limitation was the biggest misfortune of his life. In 1867 he began planning his own kingdom, in the form of his castles and palaces, where he could be a real king.
"More beautiful and habitable than the lower castle of Hohenschwangau"
Ludwig II spent his childhood
at Hohenschwangau Castle.
Crown Prince Maximilian II of Bavaria, Ludwig II's father, had the ruined castle of Schwanstein rebuilt from 1832 in the "Gothic style". The young Ludwig was influenced by the romantic mountain scenery and the summer castle became one of his favourite places to stay.
Hohenschwangau was decorated with scenes from medieval legends and poetry, including the legend of the swan knight Lohengrin. Ludwig identified himself when still a boy with Lohengrin, to whom Richard Wagner dedicated a romantic opera in 1850.
The swan was also the heraldic animal of the Counts of Schwangau, whose successor the king considered himself to be. Maximilian II had already made the swan a leitmotif of Hohenschwangau. Idealization of the Middle Ages was thus combined with concrete local tradition.
"The location is one of the most beautiful to be found"
The Marienbrücke
over the Pöllat Gorge
Maximilian II had already had paths and lookout points constructed in the area around Hohenschwangau in order to be able to enjoy the scenery. In the 1850s, as a birthday present for his mountain-climbing consort Marie, he had the iron bridge, the "Marienbrücke", built high above the Pöllat Gorge.
From the narrow mountain ridge known as the "Jugend" to the left of the Pöllat, there was a magnificent view of the mountains and lakes. Maximilian II loved this spot and planned to build a viewing pavilion there in 1855. Crown Prince Ludwig was often on the "Jugend".
"In the authentic style of the old German knights' castles"
On the "Jugend" were the ruins of two small castles: Vorder- and Hinterhohenschwangau. It was here that Ludwig II planned to build his "New Hohenschwangau Castle" (it only acquired the name of "Neuschwanstein" after the death of the king). It was to be a better recreation of an ideal medieval castle than Hohenschwangau. Perfection was the key: the "reconstruction" was to be closer to the original style and equipped with all modern technical features.
In 1867 Ludwig II visited the recently "rebuilt". Wartburg. Here he was patricularly inspired by the Singers' Hall, allegedly the location of the legendary "Singers' Contest". The Wartburg and its hall became the leitmotif of the "New Castle". The architect Eduard Riedel also had to process ideas based on stage sets designed by the Munich scene painter Christian Jank.
View of a castle based on the Wartburg near Eisenach,
pen-and-ink drawing, probably dating from 1867
"Looking forward to living there one day
(in three years)"
The castle was not built as rapidly as the king expected. The project was too comprehensive and the building site on the mountain presented difficulties. Set designers, architects and artisans implemented the king's detailed ideas. The inconsiderate deadlines he set could sometimes only be met by working day and night.
View of the Gateway Building
from the upper courtyard
The foundation stone of the "New Castle" was laid on 5 September 1869. The Gateway Building was constructed first, and Ludwig II lived here for a number of years. The topping-out ceremony for the Palas was not until 1880, and the king moved in in 1884.
As he increasingly withdrew from human contact and focused even more on his royal dignity, Ludwig II changed the building programme. The guest rooms were replaced in the plans by a "Moorish Hall" with a fountain, but this was never actually built. The "Writing Room" was changed from 1880 into a small grotto. The modest "Audience Room" became a huge Throne Room. This was no longer intended for giving audiences, but was built as a monument to kingship and a copy of the legendary Grail hall. A highly modern steel construction was necessary in order to incorporate this hall in the Palas, which was already standing. A "knights' bath" was to be installed in the west part of the Palas, reminiscent of the ritual bath of the knights of the Holy Grail. Today there is a flight of stairs here for use by visitors, which leads down to the exit.
King Ludwig II of Bavaria
Short biography
Born on 25th August 1845 in Schloss Nymphenburg
King of Bavaria 1864–1886
Died on 13th June 1886 in Lake Starnberg
An eternal mystery
Even before he died, the king had already become something of a legend. "I want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others", Ludwig once told his governess, and it is this mysterious element that still fascinates people today.
Ludwig II (G. Schachinger)
The poet Paul Verlaine called Ludwig II the "only true king of this century". The shy dreamer, who had none of the typical characteristics of a popular king, lives on, still idolized, as "the Kini".
His palaces, which were barred to strangers, have been visited by over 50 million people since his death. They are records in stone of the ideal fantasy world which the king built as a refuge from reality. His historic, poetic and ideal interpretation of his role as king was finally his downfall. It is possible that he preferred to die rather than return to reality.
Prince Ludwig
Portrait of the young Ludwig(W. Tauber)
The prince was born on the name day of the canonized Louis IX, King of France and founder of the House of Bourbon. His grandfather and godfather Ludwig I of Bavaria, had Louis XVI of France as his godfather. This relationship with the House of Bourbon had an important influence on the way the prince saw himself throughout his life.
Ludwig and his brother Otto were strictly brought up with an emphasis on duty. Their parents Maximilian II of Bavaria and Marie of Prussia kept themselves at a distance.
"Ludwig enjoyed dressing up ... took pleasure in play acting, loved pictures and the like... and liked ... making presents of his property, money and other possessions", said his mother. This was not to change. His vivid imagination, his tendency to isolate himself, and his pronounced sense of sovereignty were also already evident when Ludwig was a child.
The young king
In 1864 Ludwig II acceded to the throne at the age of 18 without any experience of life or politics, but adored by women.
King Ludwig II (F. v. Piloty)
Looking back in 1873, he described it thus:
"I became king much too early. I had not learned enough. I had made such a good beginning ... with the learning of state laws. Suddenly I was snatched away from my books and set on the throne. Well, I am still trying to learn..."
In 1866 Ludwig II suffered the biggest defeat of his life: in1866, the expanding state of Prussia conquered Austria and Bavaria in the "German War". From then on, Bavaria's foreign policy was dictated by Prussia and the king was only a "vassal" of his Prussian uncle.
Wagner
Crown Prince Ludwig was already fascinated by the music dramas and writings of Richard Wagner. He wanted to bring the composer to Munich as soon as he became king, and realize his dream of an opera festival. In 1864 he summoned Wagner to him and thus rescued him from a serious financial crisis.
"... Today I was brought to him. He is unfortunately so beautiful and wise, soulful and lordly, that I fear his life must fade away like a divine dream in this base world... You cannot imagine the magic of his regard: if he remains alive it will be a great miracle!" wrote the composer after his first meeting.
Portrait photograph of Richard Wagner (F. Hanfstaengl)
In the following years, Munich became the music capital of Europe with the premieres of "Tristan und Isolde" (1865), "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" (1868), "Das Rheingold" (1869) and "Die Walküre" (1870). Ludwig II thus continued the patronage tradition of the House of Wittelsbach in grand style.
Wagner was however forced to leave Munich by the end of 1865 because of conflict with the government. Later Ludwig II also protested against the anti-Semitic sentiments expressed by his friend. He nevertheless continued with his lavish support for Wagner's work. The monumental festival theatre planned for Munich was built in a vastly simplified form in Bayreuth and inaugurated in 1876 with the cycle "Der Ring des Nibelungen". In 1882 "Parsifal" was premiered here. Without Ludwig II's commitment, there would never have been a Bayreuth Festival.
Fantasy world
Ludwig II was possessed by the idea of a holy kingdom by the Grace of God. In reality he was a constitutional monarch, a head of state with rights and duties and little freedom of action. For this reason he built a fantasy world around him in which - far removed from reality - he could feel he was a real king. From 1875 on he lived at night and slept during the day.
Idealized designs by scene painters for a "New Hohenschwangau Castle" high above the tranquil Hohenschwangau of Ludwig II's father, a "Byzantine Palace" and a copy of Versailles were already in existence by 1868.
From the beginning, Ludwig's fantasy world embraced several different epochs. The "New Castle" (subsequently Neuschwanstein), was based on Christian kingship in the Middle Ages, and the new Versailles, built from 1878 on the Herreninsel, recalls the baroque absolutism of the Bourbon King of France. Linderhof in the Graswangtal, built from 1869, imitates a variety of styles, with the help of the latest technology.
Ludwig II on a night-time sleigh ride (R. Wenig)
The latest technology was also used for the highly elaborate coaches and sleighs in which the king travelled at night, sometimes in historic costume.
Ludwig spent more and more time in the mountains and correspondingly less time in Munich. His fantasy world was further maintained by "private performances" in the Hoftheater: operas and plays performed for the king alone.
Grail King
Ludwig II increasingly identified himself with Parzival, the legendary medieval figure who became Grail King through his purity and faith and thereby redeemed his sinladen uncle. The inner battle for freedom from sin and purity is distressingly evident in the diaries of the extremely pious king. This particular legend is the subject of Richard Wagner's last work "Parsifal", which he began in 1877. Wagner and his circle privately referred to the king as "Parsifal", and his problems were incorporated into the drama of the Grail. Neuschwanstein, originally a monument to the minnesingers of medieval times, was reinterpreted as the Castle of the Holy Grail and the Throne Room was redesigned as the Hall of the Holy Grail - dedicated to the mystery of salvation for the world.
"The recluse"
The "ideal monarchical poetic solitude" which the king chose for himself was not in the long run compatible with his duties as a head of state. The new settings he was constantly devising for himself were equally beyond the private means of a king. Ludwig failed through his desire to anchor his illusions and dreams in reality.
From 1885 on foreign banks threatened to seize his property. The king's refusal to react rationally led the government to declare him insane and depose him in 1886 - a procedure not provided for in the Bavarian constitution. Ludwig II was interned in Berg Palace. The next day he died in mysterious circumstances in Lake Starnberg, together with the psychiatrist who had certified him as insane.
King Ludwig II of Bavaria
King Ludwig II lying in state in the Hofkapelle (Court Chapel)
of the Munich Residenz (photograph).
For original site, please click here, Neuschwanstein Castle
