King Ludwig II, Bavarian 'Fairytale King,' Honored In Germany On 125th Anniversary Of His Death (PHOTOS)

BERG, Germany (AP) -- Hundreds of Bavarians have gathered for a Mass to mark the 125th anniversary of the death of King Ludwig II, the 19th-century monarch famed for building the spectacular Neuschwanstein castle. (Scroll down for photos)

Ludwig, who died aged 40 on June 13, 1886, lives on in popular legend as the artistically inclined "fairytale king," a patron of composer Richard Wagner.

Ludwig was locked up in one of his castles, on Lake Starnberg outside Munich, after being declared insane. The circumstances of his death remain murky: the king took a walk with his doctor and the two were found drowned in the lake.

Monday's service was held near where Ludwig's body was found.

News agency DAPD reported that the abbot of nearby Andechs monastery, Father Johannes Eckert, said of Ludwig: "He lived in tension between the ideal and reality."

1 of 12

1 of 13

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

Anders Behring Breivik Trial: Adrian Pracon, Last Island Survivor, Testifies

Bo Xilai Scandal: China Leadership Insists Scandal Is 'Isolated Case'

Yemen Al Qaeda Websites Hacked By U.S. State Department, Clinton Says

Turkey: Drones To Be Bought From United States

Egypt Presidential Elections 2012: Timeline Of Egypt After Mubarak

Pakistan: U.S. Drone Fires Missiles Into Compound, Killing 4 Suspected Militants

comments(63)

Total comments: 63 | Post a Comment

1 of 13

Comments

[KTYSMTH]

05:27 PM on 06/24/2011

Mad Ludwig-imagine being so loved you are honored 125 years after your death. Insane? Maybe. But the matter od death indicates he was fully in charge of his senses. Someone else lost theirs.

[Christa Schadt]

02:08 AM on 06/20/2011

Did you know that the Disney Castle is copied from this real castle?

[LMPE]

03:52 PM on 06/15/2011

Imagine that. Ludwig built himself a giant castle...and drowned right after it was done.

WHAT A SUCKER!

I once put together a 6,000-piece jigsaw puzzle showing Neuschwanstein Castle. I bet that over the years, a lot of men the world over have fantasized about getting slinky with dirndl-clad German women in there!

[adamben]

08:07 AM on 06/16/2011

spent a little too much time with that puzzle?

[LMPE]

05:15 PM on 06/16/2011

Actually, I imagined Elliott Gould and Elke Sommer going at it like wild animals in Neuschwanstein.

Yeah, I know. I get some weird ideas.

[outnow]

11:03 AM on 06/16/2011

I'm not sure that was Ludwig's primary fantasy - after reading about his life and visiting the castle.

[Denise Tudor]

08:46 AM on 06/15/2011

My understanding is that most of the money he used for the castles was family money, thus there was a motive within the family to have him declared insane and/or to have him killed. Both happened. I understand to this day that the family won't allow the casket to be x-rayed, which might perhaps confirm a bullet or 2...

[outnow]

03:58 AM on 06/15/2011

Lugwig II was born too late in history. Industrialization was leading toward bureauticratic systems while Ludwig was spending time and money on Richard Wagner. Ludwig spent family money as well as state money. Trying to be Louis the 14th was ill-advised at that point in history. Ludwig's lifestyle was extravagant and he did not want to go the Munich to the Royal Palace downtown in Munich or to the opera. In fact, he had a grotto in a cave where Wagner would perform an opera for Ludwig to give his performances of operas underground with a ship on the lake as a stage prop. Ludwig would be the only person in attendance.

Wagner was scoundrel but immensly talented. Initially, he was a minor revolutionary during the mid-to-late 1850s. He married Fredrich List's daughter but carried on and had children with his conducter's wife.

I heard the Ring opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilliam last year - all 18 hours. Excellent but tedious at times. The theme was timely.

[Woods-shade]

02:44 PM on 06/14/2011

A tragic and sad story, yet if not for his 'madness', the world would not've had that jewel. Love to visit there someday..

[outnow]

03:24 AM on 06/15/2011

My wife was raised in Bavaria. We went in 2008. There is a good movie about Ludwig and Richard Wagner. It eight hours long. Also saw few movies about Ludwig. My mouse pads sit on top of photos of Newschwanstein. The alps are wonderful. We crossed into Austria and then went to Prague. Regensberg is great.

[Woods-shade]

08:51 AM on 06/15/2011

*sighs* The closest I've been to Bavaria is just flying over the Alps on my way back to Britain from Italy. I'll never forget it though - tucked in, here and there, a wee village. Wonderful. Some Scottish friends of mine just got back from the Black Forrest region and another couple is heading over there in July. I'm_dying with envy. I swear, I will get there someday. : )

[flaboyjack]

12:34 PM on 06/16/2011

I visited Munich 3 years ago and had a day trip tour of all of the castles. They took us by bus all through the Alps. We stopped at a restuarant that wasnt all that good but figured the tour gets a kick back. The castles were wonderful and it makes you wonder how they got all those building materials up that mountain.

[GraniteSkyline]

01:52 PM on 06/14/2011

I'm second-home homesick for Bayern :(

[NYC07]

11:12 AM on 06/14/2011

Ah Lohengrin !!

[rich3324]

10:46 AM on 06/14/2011

Bavaria is a wonderful part of Germany. I lived there for 6 years (Ansbach) and always had a great time.

[ethiopia1a]

11:50 AM on 06/14/2011

yep i grow up in (Augsburg)

[Woods-shade]

02:46 PM on 06/14/2011

(great AV and Bio) Faved.

[Edward Standley]

06:05 AM on 06/14/2011

We should all dress like Bavarians! :)

[rich3324]

10:40 AM on 06/14/2011

We should all drink like Bavarians.

[onwisconsin]

03:48 PM on 06/14/2011

My neighbor is taking this to heart. We found him passed out in his driveway.

[Fernando]

05:25 AM on 06/14/2011

Apparently, Ludwig had the same castle-fetish and financial sense as Nicolas Cage.

That is the most clever thing I have said all day. : )

[GraniteSkyline]

01:46 PM on 06/14/2011

Good one!

[Tom Sito]

09:48 PM on 06/13/2011

Ludwig bankrupted his country building big fantasy castles like Neuschwanstein, but today they are the top tourist attractions to visit in Germany.

[leskataus]

12:53 AM on 06/14/2011

I've heard Nwuschwanstein was never completed.

[MissMapleLeaf]

10:33 AM on 06/14/2011

it wasn't. But what WAS completed... ye gods! Stunning!

[Rooster Coburn]

09:33 PM on 06/13/2011

Well, he didn't start any wars, anyways.  That's always a good start.

[naschkatze]

11:49 AM on 06/14/2011

A good start.

[outnow]

03:27 AM on 06/15/2011

Well now, he did start a war with Prussia that was over quickly. Ludwig's brother fought in that war. Much of Ludwig's philosophy was based on composer Richard Wagner's ideas.

[Kathryn Ryder]

06:27 PM on 06/13/2011

Bavaria should restore the monarchy! The Wittlesbachs were an enlightened dynasty and popular kings.

[impatient]

07:00 PM on 06/13/2011

Ludwig II infuriated his subjects by building these ever more fastastic castles (a Michael jackson of his day) bankrupting them all. Of course it's great for tourism now, but at the time? Not so much.

There was also considerable speculation that he was gay and that Wagner was more than just a friend. It's why they all called him Lustiger Ludwig, which can either mean he's a good-time Charlie playboy type, or that he's nuts. Either way, not something I think Austria wants to bring back.

[naschkatze]

11:50 AM on 06/14/2011

Austria?

[naschkatze]

11:51 AM on 06/14/2011

He infuriated the statesmen around him. The people still loved him.

[John Crocker]

04:57 PM on 06/13/2011

Drowned at 40? More likely that speculation surrounding his sexuality was an embarrassment; hence his early demise. Translation: "bumped-off."

[impatient]

07:00 PM on 06/13/2011

agreed.

[beauregard62]

03:48 AM on 06/14/2011

He drowned in 2' of water, along with his doctor.

[ligligl]

08:55 PM on 06/14/2011

They were doing ill-advised headstands...