From WikipediaNeuschwanstein Castle (
German:
Schloss Neuschwanstein, lit.
New Swan Stone palace, pronounced
[nɔʏˈʃvaːnʃtaɪ̯n]) is a 19th-century
Bavarian palace on a rugged hill near
Hohenschwangau and
Füssen in southwest
Bavaria,
Germany. The palace was commissioned by
Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as an homage to
Richard Wagner, the King's inspiring muse. Although public photography of the interior is not permitted,
[1] it is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the country's most popular
tourist destinations.
[2] Ludwig did not allow visitors to his castles, but after his death in 1886 the castle was opened to the public (in part due to the need to pay off the debts Ludwig incurred financing its construction).[
citation needed] Since that time over 50 million people have visited the Neuschwanstein Castle.
[3] About 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer.
[4] The palace has appeared in several movies, and was the inspiration for
Sleeping Beauty Castle at both
Disneyland Park and
Hong Kong Disneyland. The palace is owned by the state of Bavaria, unlike nearby
Hohenschwangau Castle, which is owned by the head of the house of
Wittelsbach, currently
Franz, Duke of Bavaria. The Free State of Bavaria has spent more than €14.5 million on Neuschwanstein's maintenance, renovation and visitor services since 1990.
HistoryThe conception of the palace was outlined by
Ludwig II in a letter to
Richard Wagner, dated
May 13,
1868;
“ It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin at Hohenschwangau near the Pollat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles... the location is the most beautiful one could find, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend who has brought salvation and true blessing to the world. ”
The foundation stone of the building was laid
September 5,
1869. Neuschwanstein was designed by
Christian Jank, a theatrical set designer, rather than an architect, which says much regarding Ludwig's intentions and explains much of the fantastical nature of the resulting building. The architectural expertise, vital to a building in such a perilous site, was provided first by the
Munich court architect
Eduard Riedel and later by Georg Dollmann, son-in-law of
Leo von Klenze.
The palace was originally called New
Hohenschwangau Castle until the king's death, when it was renamed Neuschwanstein, the castle of the Swan Knight
Lohengrin, of Wagner's
opera of the same name. In origin, the palace has been the Schwanstein, the seat of the knights of
Schwangau, whose emblem had been the swan.
Neuschwanstein was near completion when, in 1886, the King was declared insane by a State Commission under
Dr. von Gudden and arrested at the palace. The King could hardly control himself as he asked von Gudden, "How can you declare me insane? You have not yet examined me!"
[5] Taken to
Castle Berg, he was found on
June 13,
1886, in shallow water in
Lake Starnberg, drowned, along with von Gudden, the psychiatrist who certified him. The exact circumstances of his and von Gudden's deaths remain unexplained. It is generally thought[
who?] that Ludwig's deposition was brought about by the
Wittelsbachs in response to his extravagance with the dynasty's private funds in projects such as Neuschwanstein
