In Spring 1868 young king Ludwig II. of Bavaria wrote to
his friend Richard Wagner about his plan to restore an old castle-ruin in Hohenschwangau to a new castle in
medieval style. (Later the ruin’s stones were removed). He had inherited enough money from his grandfather
Ludwig I., who liked to construct and to build passionately himself. This idea was not unusual in any way, in
the era of Queen Victoria many German and English princes and lords built romantic castle in ancient ruins. But
this castle-like all King Ludwig’s castles-had another meaning. It should not be a comfortable romantic
home and no place of public festivals, but a shrine, a sanctuary, dedicated to the genius of Richard Wagner’s
poetical world.
Therefore it is no gothic castle (only the bed-chamber is constructed in gothic style),
for Wagner’s heroes, the knights of the Holy Grail, Tannhäuser, Tristan, Lohengrin, Siegfried and Parzival,
belong to the romanesque time of High Middle-Ages. The design of the castle’s court is inspired by the scene
of the second act of »Lohengrin«; a chapel was planned, but that idea could not be realised because of the king’s
early death. The third act of »Lohengrin« is represented in a bridal chamber, which was planned also in a
»Kemenate« for women, though the king was unmarried, and a »House of Knights« should be built, although faithful
knights were missing. These examples make clear, that castle Neuschwanstein was not built to satisfy practical
necessities. The king spent the greatest part of his life in his father’s modest old castle Hohenschwangau or in
mountain-cottages. With modern technical possibilities a castle should be built in the spirit of early Middle
Ages, a »Camelot« or »Montsalvat« so beautiful, only King Arthur or Titurel but no real medieval king in these
rough times could have constructed such a castle. Ludwig’s castle are results of artistic »Historism«. They are
symbols for a historical time and its highest values, they represent the greatest possible beauty and magnificence
of a past historical epoch. This castle is built for Parzival and Lohengrin, not for real inhabitants, and it is
not its destiny to be used for any purpose - Ludwig himself visited the castle, but he did not live here in the
common sense of the word even when he spent some months there. The castle was Terra Sancta even for him. The
Sängersaal (Hall of noble minstrels) was not arranged for concerts, the golden Thronsaal (Hall of the throne) not
built for receiving ambassadors. Nobody can understand Neuschwanstein if he is asking for the castle’s profit; its
destiny is the absolute uselessness of ideal beauty. History is transformed into mythical quality in Ludwig’s
castle.
1885, a year before the king’s death, his private rooms in the castle were furnished and made
habitable, and in a snowy winter he lived there for the first time. The paintings of the walls should originally
show scenes of Richard Wagner’s operas, but then the king decided, that the illustrations of medieval romances -
original subjects of Wagner’s dramas - fitted better for the romanesque style of the castle. The ballad of
Tannhäuser is present in his workingroom, and to this legend belongs a little grotto that leads to a tiny
winter-garden with view over the vast valley. This little glass-room was important, because the castle had no
garden. (A little garden behind the balcony of Thronsaal was planned, but was never planted because of the king’s
death). In his workingroom at the magnificent desk, the king wrote his last desperate letters and telegrams, which
never reached their destination, crying for help to Bismarck and the last faithful friends. And in the big blue
»Lohengrin«-chamber behind the table under the beautiful picture »The Miracle of the Holy Grail« he was dreaming
in happier hours of his next castle, the gothic »Falkenstein«, which never should be built. His »Thronsaal« lacks
a throne - this symbolic golden room with the magnificent view from the balcony over lakes, mountains and the old
castle Hohenschwangau …
For the castles involved Ludwig in debts. He spent his own money, not the states fortunes or
people’s taxes, and it would have possible to pay the debts - there was more than one offer of help by private
persons, but the king never should know this, his enemies knew very well, how to cancel every good intention.
Relatives and ministry did not understand Ludwig’s mind at all, and his eccentric lifestyle did not please them,
and they did not esteem his merits for art. He was not longer popular, and they tried anxiously to defend the
monrachic system against all republican tendencies in the late 19th century. King Ludwig net fit to the
contemporary opinions and had to be removed. A little group of criminal psychiatrists declared him to be insane
and unable to reign the country »for the rest of his life« without ever having seen him. The contrary opinions
about the king’s mental health were supressed. His uncle Luitpold took charge of the reign and gave only a
hypocrital letter for Ludwig to the psychiatrists and some officials.
He had not the courage and strength of charakter to come to Neuschwanstein himself to tell the truth to his
nephew. Here in the castle dramatic scenes happened. All attempts of the king to save his freedom, if not his
crown, were in vain. The people of Hohenschwangau, farmers and summer-guests of the village, were not able to help
him in spite of their touching efforts.
The 11. June 1886: the last evening Ludwig’s in his most beautiful and beloved castle had come. He wandered
restlessly through the Thronsaal and preferred rather to die by his own free will than to bear this humiliating
disgrace. And he knew well, that the psychiatrists had no intentions to restore his »mental health«-they had
without any examination affirmed, that the king’s mental state was »incurable«. The uncomfortable little castle
Berg at the border of the lake of Starnberg should be his prison for the rest of his life, where he should depend
on the mercy and whims of the psychiatrists and their helpers whose aim it was to prevent that he ever could again
claim his rights. This evening he ordered his supper into the big »Sängersaal« - did he want to take leave from
the »Parzival« - pictures? Should his life’s last lonely meal be in this room, because the heroes of the Grail in
the great hall of Montsalvat celebrate their holy repast? But he never again should enter the hall of minstrels.
Before he could have done so, he was taken prisoner by the guardians. Treason had led those psychiatrists at
midnight into the castle. It happened in the corridor, where the wall-paintings tell the story. How noble Siegfried
was murdered by his relatives who wished to inherit this treasures, the »Nibelungen-Gold« …
They led the king to his sleepingroom. »How can you dare to call me insane, having never examined me?« asked
the king. He got a noncommittal answer. But Dr. Gudden, the leading boss of psychiatrists, was impressed by
Ludwig’s calm dignity, because he had believed by reading the records of some officials and servants to meet
raging human beast.
Until four a clock in the morning the king hat to wait in his romantic bed-chamber, watched by the guardians every
moment. One of them told, his mood had »become better« he »even had sung some tunes!« If so, the uneducated man
could not recognize the music of »Tristan and Isolde.«
This hero’s love story and his tragic death are painted in the room, and the king’s life had nearly reached its
end also.
It was raining, when the king’s carriage which was not to be opened by himself and which was equipped with all
utensils of a nursing-home for insane people, left the castle. The king’s last words to his servant were: »Niggl,
care for my castle that its rooms never will be profaned by curiosity! I never will return.« Two days later, he and
Gudden were found dead at the border of the lake of Starnberg, lying in the shallow water. The mystery of their
death could never be solved.
In Neuschwanstein in his first desperation, the king wanted to die by his own hand, and the official verdict,
announced by the people who were responsible for the king’s imprisonment said: »Suicide«. Their explanation for
Gudden’s death was, that the king had drowned him, because he tried to prevent this suicide. But several
circumstantial evidences let suppose today, that Ludwig wanted to escape from Berg and was shot by one or more
unknown persons. Perhaps Dr. Gudden, the last witness of the crime, was shot also. An official examination of his
corpse was refused with rather strange reasons, that of the king’s body is very doubtful and most probable
falsified.
The death of the two men is as mysterious as the death of the Tower princes, little sons of
Edward IV.
The fight of King Ludwig’s enemies and his admiring fans exists still today.
1886
