Castle Neuschwanstein

by Robert VanDerWal

Title

Castle Neuschwanstein

Artist

Robert VanDerWal

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photography

Description

The municipality of Schwangau, lines at an elevation of 2,620 ft. at the south west border of the German state of Bavaria. The surroundings are characterized by the transition between the Alpine foothills in the south toward the nearby Austrian border and a hilly landscape in the north.

In the Middle Ages three castles overlooked the villages below. One, called Schwanstein Castle was in ruins. It was bought by King Maximilian II of Bavaria in 1832 and replaced with a comfortable neo-Gothic palace known as Hohenschwangau Castle. Finished in 1837 it became his family's summer residence and his eldest son Ludwig, born in 1845, spent a large part of his childhood there where Ludwig grew to romanticize the German Knight's and the castles of the Middle Ages.I

Two,Vonderhohenschwangau Castle, in front, and three, Hinterhohenschwangau Castle, behind, sat on a rugged hill overlooking Hohenschwangau Castle, two nearby lakes, Forggensee and Bannwaldsee, and the village. The ruins “behind” castle were still used as a lookout place. In 1864 Ludwig I abdicated and young Ludwig became King Ludwig II. Upon the death of Ludwig I in 1868, considerable funds were made available from the former king's appanage. Some these funds were used to construct the New Hohnschwangau to replace the two old ruins. Only after his death in 1886 was it renamed Neuschwanstein to avoid confusion between the two castles.

King Ludwig II wanted to build many castles but completed only three: Neuschwanstein in Romanesque Revival style, Linderhof Palace in neo-French Rococo style, and Herrenchiemsee as a partial replication of Versallies. Ludwig spent all his royal revenues, not state funds as is commonly thought, on these projects. He borrowed extensively and defied all attempts by his ministers to restrain him. This extravagance was used against him to declare him insane. These accusations have sense come under scrutiny and his death whether by natural causes, suicide, or assassination have not been verified. A moniker of “Mad King Ludwig” remains.

Featured in these FAA Artists groups:
*Fine Art Exploration
* Travel Art
*Gentlemen Club
*10 Plus
*No Place Like Home
*Your Very Best Photography
*Nikon Ful Frame Camera
*Camera Art

Uploaded

October 24th, 2019

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