The Mad King Ludwig II

Munich Pop History Day 4: Or so they say. Apparently the story around Ludwig is a bit sketchy as he was deposed on grounds of mental illness, but then died a day later under mysterious circumstances. Whether he was mad or not, his presence is felt on a daily basis – mostly through his fairy tale castles that dot the Bavarian landscape. Known as an eccentric, he was heavily involved in art and architecture, and avoided government affairs, which caused endless frustration for his leaders. This lack of support for the incoming Emperor, Wilhelm I of Prussia, may have finally did Ludwig in, but he objected to Bavaria becoming a state within a broader Empire. So Ludwig retreated to the arts, and was a devoted patron of composer Richard Wagner, and some say saved his career as without him we would not have the famous Ring, and many of his other classics. Much of his life was based within fantasy, which led to his fascination of castles, such as Neuschwanstein, Herrenschiemsee, Linderhof, Hohenschwangau (pictured), and others. “The Darling King” as he was called is still thrilling the locals as well as nearly 20 million visitors per year.