LEGEND

THE LEGEND OF KING LUDWIG II ‒ MONARCH AND FAIRY-TALE KING

King Ludwig II, legendary regent and champion of a better world, is still highly revered today by millions of people from all four corners of the earth. His castles have become places of pilgrimage for guests from all over the world.

King Ludwig II, born at Nymphenburg Palace in 1845, was a fervent advocate of an independent Kingdom of Bavaria. His ideal was that of the absolute, God-given regent. His passion for fine arts, his creative drive and his wholly non-military and pacifist views ensured that he became the personification of a better world. Perhaps that is why he continues to be so highly-revered today, as can be seen from the incredible number of visitors to his castles.

A myriad of masterpieces in craftsmanship and painting, as well as pioneering technical accomplishments, can be found in his royal buildings. He managed to create a unique treasure-trove which has been of immeasurable cultural and economic importance to the Bavarian state for 130 years.

During his lifetime, King Ludwig II’s visions did not go down particularly well; indeed, various ministries were unhappy with the amount of money that had to be spent on his extravagant castle and palace buildings. King Ludwig II died at Lake Starnberg in 1886 in mysterious circumstances. The legend of King Ludwig II had definitively been born, continues to this day and has been depicted in the film versions of his life produced by Käutner, Syberberg and Visconti.