A personal World Showcase
Ludwig’s castle-building career didn’t end with Neuschwanstein—indeed, he seemed to grow bored with it rather quickly. Not long after the beginning of construction on Neuschwanstein, Ludwig decided to demolish an island palace he’d procured called Königshäuschen and redo it completely as a Rococo-inspired palace along the same lines of Versailles. Ludwig idolized Louis XIV, and his obsession with French opulence would carry throughout the rest of his career. He named this second castle Schloss Linderhoff, and it proved the only one of Ludwig’s projects he’d actually see to completion.
Linderhof Palace itself isn’t particularly large, especially when compared with Neuschwanstein. In many ways, the castle proved something more like an elaborate private residence for Ludwig. The only rooms of the castle included his first attempt at an upgraded Hall of Mirrors modeled after Versailles, a symbolic audience chamber he preferred to use as a study, an elaborate state bedchamber, and an unusual dining room—unique due to the fact the entire dining table could lower on a dumbwaiter down to the kitchen, then raise back up fully prepared without Ludwig ever having to interact with servants. His introversive tendencies knew no bounds, and he much preferred the company of imaginary friends like Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV rather than real people when he could avoid them. He also kept a decidedly nocturnal schedule, which gave his castles an even more ethereal feel through the use of hundreds of candles.
The real wonder of Linderhof Palace wasn’t so much the castle itself as the park that surrounded it. Ludwig literally built himself his own personal predecessor to Epcot, complete with sweeping gardens, elaborate fountains surrounding figures like Neptune and Venus, a musical pavilion, a Hunding’s Hut inspired by Wagner’s The Valkyrie (Die Walküre), and three structures with a uniquely Disney flair.
The first of these was a Venus Grotto set partially on the water—an expansion on his original at Neuschwanstein—that included a sweeping fresco of Wagner’s Tannhäuser, an intricate swan boat like a great golden scallop shell, and even color-changing lights powered by the first power-plants in Bavaria to amplify the mood. If that’s not Disney enough, he also had his own private Moroccan pavilion that included a Moorish Kiosk with a peacock throne and a Moroccan House from the Paris World’s Fair. Ludwig spent much more time at Linderhof Palace than at Neuschwanstein—something around four years if you calculate the holidays he enjoyed here.
A palace fit for a Moon King
In 1878, the same year construction completed on Linderhof Palace, Ludwig began what would be his final castle project—Herrenchiemsee. Ludwig had long desired a palace to match Versailles, but he was unable to visit the actual location until his birthday in 1874 when he received special honors from the French.
Built on the remains of an Augustinian monastery, Ludwig yet again sought to improve upon Versailles by emphasizing the features of a residence as opposed to a palace for governing functions. In particular, it took his adoration for Louis XIV (who Ludwig even believed he might be reincarnated from) to new heights with an intended 70 rooms.
Only 16 of these were completed, including a grander Hall of Mirrors, another state bedroom and trapdoor dining room, a lavish bathroom with a vast ornate tub, as well as Halls of War and Peace, and personal apartments as well as lavish gardens. Once again, Wagner played a major influence, but Ludwig’s main goal was to recreate the gilded grandeur of Versailles with his own improvements. The palace’s frescoes seem to go on as far as the eye can see, and every surface is adorned with mind-boggling detail.
Unfortunately, Ludwig only stayed in the palace a few days, and construction was never completed. Despite this, Herrenchiemsee remains one of Ludwig’s most dazzling works.
A troubled end
Despite his achievements in castle building, Ludwig’s projects took a tremendous amount of funds that brought his treasury to near-bankruptcy more than once. Ludwig was relentless in pursuing new income sources for his projects, and sadly, he was known for even threatening suicide if his creditors came calling. The debts grew immense, and at one point, he even tried to authorize a bank robbery to acquire more funds.
By 1886, Ludwig had largely given up on matters of state, and his cabinet had enough. His behavior grew more outlandish, and reports had already begun to spread that the king was insane—even today, he is best known as “The Mad King”. It didn't help that royal family had an evidenced history of widespread mental illness (possibly due to inbreeding), and Ludwig himself was content “to remain an eternal enigma” to all. His political antagonists assembled a medical report based on accounts from the king’s servants citing every odd behavior possible, from the truly troubling (like threats of violence), to oddities (like Ludwig’s penchant for wearing heavy coats in hot weather), to the king’s just-too-introverted personality.
No proper examination was ever made, and it is argued to this day that Ludwig likely wasn’t insane from a clinical standpoint—just highly eccentric. Indeed, it seems plausible that had someone like Ludwig been born in our time, he might have been as celebrated as Walt Disney, who himself struggled with mental breakdowns, perpetual shyness behind his public persona, and his share of unique personality traits.
The report did its damage, and Ludwig was deposed in 1886. The actual delivery of the papers was a bizarre scene as his friend, the fiercely-loyal Baroness Spera von Truchseß, attacked the government commissioners with an umbrella. Despite his supporters, Ludwig was ultimately replaced by his uncle, Prince Luitpold. A strong argument for Ludwig’s sanity can be made by the way he attempted to counter the accusations with a well-written statement of health, but the conspirators repressed the information. Ludwig was ultimately detained and moved to Berg Castle near Munich.
The story ends on a sad note, as the day after being seized, Ludwig died under suspicious circumstances. He went on a walk with Dr. Bernard Von Gudden—one of the psychiatrists who signed his report of insanity. In the late evening, both the king and Dr. Gudden were found dead in the shallow water of the nearby lake. The cause of death was ruled a suicide (the theory was that the doctor tried to save Ludwig and drowned), but there is evidence to suggest foul play as Ludwig’s lungs contained no water and the doctor’s body showed signs of violence. Ludwig’s death remains one of the great unsolved cases of history.
A magical legacy
Not long after Ludwig’s death, the Bavarian government decided to open his three great castles to the public. All three paid for themselves in record time, and to this day, Neuschwanstein remains Europe’s most visited tourist attraction. The great castle almost met an untimely destruction at the hands of the Nazis (who used it to hold art stolen during World War II) but survived along with Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee.
In 1955, Walt Disney visited Neuschwanstein himself, and he credited it as an inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland. It’s safe to say that Cinderella Castle also benefited from this source and interesting to note that Schloss Neuschwanstein is only 24 feet taller than its counterpart in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Bavaria’s greatest fairy castle also received a special nod when Soarin’ was updated in 2016 to include footage from across the globe—including a flight over Neuschwanstein.
Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction, and the story of King Ludwig and his castles proves it. While his life ended on a tragic note, his legacy carried on in unimaginable ways. Like Walt Disney, Ludwig was a man too far ahead of his time, but despite his critics, he turned out to be a true forerunner in the art of bringing the fantastical to life. One truly has to ask if places like Disneyland and Walt Disney World would be the same without the “Mad” King of Bavaria…
Enjoy this article? Keep reading to learn what Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot are looking like during this season—and if it’s worth visiting right now!
Comments
Loved this article - you’re a great writer. I visited Neuschwanstein when I was 11 with my father and have since felt a strange connection with the place. Having grown up fewer than 20 miles from Disneyland in CA I was familiar with the inspiration castle before visiting Germany, but of course didn’t know anything about the backstory (even before your article I knew very little beyond the “Mad” nickname). You’ve inspired me to do a little more homework about this man who, as it turns out, I have more in common with than I realized. Anyway - I always appreciate your writing and perspective. Thanks for being part of my coping strategy during these jacked up global times!