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EN:Neuschwanstein Castle

From Historisches Lexikon Bayerns

Neuschwanstein Castle. View of the east side of the complex with gateway building, Bower, Knight's House and Square Tower as well as the Palas in the background. (© Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung, Herpich Fotoverlag, Joseph Härtl, Munich)

by Uwe Gerd Schatz

Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most renowned and most visited landmarks in Bavaria. The castle was built as a knight's castle in the historicist style on the site of the castle ruins of Vorderschwangau and Hinterschwangau, at the request and according to the wishes of King Ludwig II (1845-1886, r. since 1864) from 1868 to 1892. Initially, only a small castle complex was planned, but it expanded in size as construction progressed. Inside, the Throne Hall and the Singers' Hall, which took its inspiration from the Wartburg Castle near Eisenach (Thuringia), as well as the king’s private living quarters, were completed. The castle was furnished with high-quality furniture and state of the art technology. The murals depict tales and legends from the Middle Ages. After Ludwig II’s death in 1886, the plans for the keep and viewing terrace were discarded and the remaining complex was completed and opened to the public. Neuschwanstein became a major tourist attraction and an iconic symbol, representing the very essence of a fairytale castle.

King Ludwig II as the patron

Portrait of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845–1886, r. since 1864) in uniform. Photo from 1867. ((Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library), Image Archive port-008915)

Neuschwanstein Castle was constructed for Bavarian King Ludwig II (1845–1886, r. since 1864), starting in 1868, and was never completed. For him, the castle was a monument to the culture and royalty of the Middle Ages, which he deeply admired and sought to replicate and understand.

Built and designed in medieval forms, but equipped with the most advanced technology of its time, it is one of the most renowned buildings of the 19th century and thus best exemplifies the distinctive achievements of historicism. King Ludwig II was deeply involved in the creative process of his constructions. His castles formed the core of his life and represent his life's work. Neuschwanstein is also known worldwide as the most famous symbol of German culture, German romanticism, and German idealism, serving as an emotional embodiment of these concepts. With his unfulfilled idealism, his anachronistic view of rulership, and his tragic death, the imaginative builder Ludwig II of Bavaria, has become one of the most enduring modern mass myths.

Preceding building: Schwangau Castle

On the site of Neuschwanstein Castle, on a ridge above the village of Hohenschwangau (Ostallgäu district), stood Schwangau Castle, which was first documented in 1146/47 with Hiltipolt de Swanegowe (c. 1125-1175), whose family served the Guelphs. The ruined Burk ze Swango was expanded into the double castle of Vorderhohenschwangau (the great hall) and Hinterhohenschwangau (the residential tower or keep) by 1307/08. The Augsburg patrician family Baumgartner acquired the double castle in 1535, but it had already fallen into disrepair by 1611.

Previous history

Hohenschwangau Castle. Painting by Julius Lange (1817-1878), circa 1865-1870, Herrenchiemsee, New Palace, Ludwig II Museum. (© Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung)

King Ludwig's father, King Maximilian II (1811-1864, r. since 1848), had acquired the medieval Schwanstein Castle (now Hohenschwangau Castle), the ancestral seat of the lords of Schwangau, while still crown prince in 1832. He intended to "restore the castle to its original medieval form" (Baumgartner, Schloß Hohenschwangau, p. 10). In doing so, Maximilian II embraced the typically romantic idea of “reconstructing” medieval structures, a movement that had already produced several examples by 1832 and would continue to inspire many more. The castle's exterior and interior were designed with perceived historical accuracy, but employed elements of English neo-Gothic style. An idée fixe of the 19th century was the notion of perfection in scientific, technical, cultural, and political terms. In historicism, this also referred to the perfection of historical art and art forms, and thus the refinement of historical (architectural) styles through modern (craftsmanship) techniques and art-historical insights. Today, the concept of reconstruction refers to the rebuilding of historical structures, ideally using surviving historical materials. Many of the murals depicted medieval legends and Bavarian history, including the tale of the Swan Knight Lohengrin—images of a much-cherished poetic past. The rooms were dedicated to various (local) historical themes and were named accordingly, such as the Authari Room or the Guelph Room (library). It was in these rooms that Crown Prince Ludwig immersed himself in the world of medieval legends.

In the surrounding area, Maximilian II had paths and viewpoints created to enjoy the landscape. As a birthday gift for his wife Marie (1825-1889), one of the first female mountaineers, he had the Marienbrücke bridge built high above the Pöllatschlucht gorge in the 1850s. Not far from there, on a steep, narrow mountain ridge, lay the remains of a small medieval castle called "Schwangau".

Maximilian II too loved this spot and, in 1855, planned a glass-and-iron viewing pavilion on the stump of the keep. However, the plan was never realised. It was only his son who built on this site—with ambitions that far surpassed his father's. In 1867, Ludwig II decided to rebuild the castle, which he had known since childhood, as his own. "Restoration of the old castle ruins" is still mentioned in the building records of 1868, although the medieval remains had to make way almost entirely for the new construction. Ludwig thus directly followed his father’s example.


Architectural inspirations

In 1867, Ludwig II gathered numerous impressions for his planned buildings. During a trip to France at the invitation of Emperor Napoleon III (1808-1873, r. 1852-1870), he - with his planned castle in mind - sought to be shown Pierrefonds Castle, which the famous architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879) had been rebuilding in medieval forms since 1857 as an imperial residence. In the same year, the king also visited Wartburg Castle near Eisenach (Thuringia) at the invitation of its patron, the extension of which had been planned since 1838 and started by Grand Duke Carl Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1818-1901, r. since 1853) in 1853. In 1867, the ballroom had just been magnificently decorated in a historicist style. From the very beginning, the Wartburg's banqueting hall and Singers' Hall were an integral part of Neuschwanstein's spatial programme.

On Ludwig II's instructions, the architect Eduard Riedel (1813-1885) was tasked with making architectural surveys of Wartburg. The Romanesque ornamentation was traced there by the scenic artist Christian Jank (1833-1888).


Architectural inspirations and differences: Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle near Bisingen (Baden-Württemberg). (Photo: A. Kniesel, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DE via Wikimedia Commons, edited)

Hohenzollern Castle near Bisingen (Baden-Württemberg) was the ancestral seat of the family of the same name. Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1795-1861, King of Prussia since 1840) first visited Hohenzollern Castle Hill in 1819 as crown prince and became acquainted with the ruins of his family's ancestral seat. In 1844, by then King of Prussia, he decided to have Hohenzollern Castle rebuilt. The new buildings were much larger than the medieval ones, resulting in a structure of great representative effect, both inside and out. Large halls, such as the Count’s Hall or the Family Tree Hall, which were used to depict the history of the dynasty, were combined with historically styled but comfortable living spaces. These elements are also reflected in Neuschwanstein, which Ludwig II envisioned as the residence of the reigning King of Bavaria. The Throne Room, designed after the Court Church of All Saints of the Munich Residence built by his grandfather Ludwig I (1786-1868, reigned 1825-1848) and Byzantine church interiors, is also thematically tied to the Wittelsbach dynasty. Ludwig II's coat of arms appears twice in the Singers' Hall, along with his official title. Hohenzollern Castle was inaugurated on 3 October 1867. In the same year, Ludwig II toured renovated and newly furnished medieval castles. Since the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, in which Prussia's dominance in Germany became apparent, the Bavarian king developed an increasingly pronounced attitude of representation and seniority towards the Hohenzollerns, with whom he was also very closely related through his mother. Therefore, Hohenzollern Castle can be seen as a major influence on his own ambitions in castle building, although there is no written evidence to support this. The difference from Hohenzollern Castle is that Neuschwanstein was not the ancestral seat of the dynasty. Instead of this tradition, Ludwig II employed the symbolism of the Throne Room and Singers' Hall, which were intended to serve as monuments or consecration spaces for monarchy and royalty. Hohenzollern Castle, on the other hand, fits within the typical architectural trends of its time.

Building history

Proclaimed King of Bavaria on 10 March 1864—the day of his father's death—Ludwig II was now able to access the annual funds from the Civil List. The law of 1 June 1834 stipulated: "[...] all furnishings of the residences and court buildings, court chapels, and court offices, along with all moveable items entrusted to the supervision of the court staff and court administrators, intended for the needs or splendour of the court, as well as everything used to furnish or decorate the residences and pleasure palaces, shall be provided by the king from the Civil List, and all necessary new acquisitions shall be procured from it”. Planning for what would become Neuschwanstein Castle began in early 1867. The idealised designs for the "New Castle" were created by the stage painter Christian Jank, with the building plans drawn up by the court architect Eduard Riedel. The interior design was handled by one of Riedel's successors, court architect Julius Hofmann (1840–1896).

Work on the future building site began in the summer of 1868. Up to eight metres of rock were removed to make room for the foundations. The new access road was completed in June 1869. In the tradition of Ludwig I, the building plan, portraits of the patron, and coins from his reign were placed in the foundation stone on 5 September 1869. The most modern techniques were employed during construction, both in terms of technology and materials. The foundations were cemented or concreted; the masonry was built with bricks and merely clad with light-coloured limestone. Solid accommodation barracks were erected on the site of what is now the castle restaurant for the numerous construction workers and craftsmen, who were deployed to ensure a speedy construction progress.

First, the gate building was erected, which had its topping-out ceremony on 11 June 1872 and was ready for occupancy by the end of 1873. The upper floor served as Ludwig II's apartment for many years. The upper floors of the Palas (great hall) had been under construction since September 1872. The large throne room, later requested by Ludwig II, required modern technology for structural reasons: it was built as a sheathed iron construction. The topping-out ceremony took place on 29 January 1880, but the technical and artistic furnishings were not fully completed until mid-1884, excluding a few details. Ludwig II only ever saw his “New Castle” as a construction site: the Bower and the Square Tower were only completed in a simplified form in 1892—six years after his death.

Building form „Castle“: motifs and quotes

Aerial view of Neuschwanstein Castle, showcasing the north façade in winter. (© Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung, Bavaria Luftbild Verlags GmbH, Robert Manchot)

The entire castle features window designs inspired by the Wartburg: domed twin and triple windows, pilaster strips, arcades, and round-arched friezes. The patron explicitly ordered elements drawn from the Wartburg’s architectural ornamentation, most notably reflected in the capitals. The fortifications typically associated with castle architecture, or their 19th-century depictions or symbolic references, are incorporated at Neuschwanstein only in small, associative motifs: seen in the form of sloped wall bases and buttresses or supporting pillars along the walls. This sets the building apart from other reconstructions and new constructions of medieval-inspired castles. Only the north façade, facing the valley, clearly displays motifs of fortification: the lower storeys have few windows, emphasising the solidity of the walls. The influence of Pierrefonds is particularly evident in Neuschwanstein's round towers, which are uncommon in medieval German castles.

In addition to works by the architect Viollet-le-Duc, Ludwig II's library contained further treatises on medieval architecture and the decorative arts, as well as numerous portfolios, engravings, and individual illustrations in this field. His collection was entirely in keeping with the encyclopaedic spirit of his time. The representations of castles in late medieval manuscript illuminations clearly influenced the exterior design of Neuschwanstein, particularly the northern façade. Completely cladding the buildings in white limestone, which was only decided upon during construction, significantly enhanced the long-distance visual impact—more precisely, the aesthetic and visionary elevation of the castle above its surroundings—can likely be traced to such artistic visions of castles. French castle architecture, in turn, provided specific models for the limestone walls.

Exterior view

The group of buildings stretches along a high, narrow ridge, which drops steeply on all sides, in front of the rugged rock formations of the mountains. It comprises the gate building to the east, the Bower to the south, the Knight's Hall with Square Tower to the north, and the Palas with two towers to the west. The entire architectural sculpture was created by Philipp Perron (1840-1907).

The rooms of the Palas

The kitchen rooms are located on the ground floor and were equipped with state of the art technology. The floor above houses the servants' quarters, fully furnished in an authentic style. The living areas face north, separated from the corridor between the connecting building and the forecourt/stairs by arcades with windows, while the bedrooms face south. The layout and furnishings of the rooms reflect the bourgeois living standards of the period.

The rooms on the second floor remain in their unfinished state and now house some of the museum's modern operational spaces. A Moorish Hall had originally been planned for this area.

The king's private and state rooms are located on the third and fourth floors. By 1886, they had been largely completed in the planned design, incorporating numerous technical innovations and comforts, such as a dumbwaiter, a bell system for the servants, and a central hot-air heating system. The richly painted walls and ceilings, along with the intricate carvings, are striking features in all the rooms. The artwork includes elements of Persian and medieval manuscript illumination. In the king's rooms, no part of the walls remains undecorated. Julius Hofmann designed the entire interior, with the execution entrusted to various artists and workshops. The grand chandeliers and candelabras made of gilded brass in the Throne Room, Singers' Hall, and the king's private chambers were crafted by the Munich workshop of Eduard Wollenweber (1822–1889). The intricate door fittings were designed by Karl Moradelli (1844–1901), while the opulent embroidered textiles were created by court upholsterer Max Steinmetz (1819–1886).

Wall paintings

The king meticulously checked every detail of the decor against the designs and frequently requested revisions before approving the execution. He was particularly involved in the planning of the mural cycles. Ludwig II commissioned the literary historian Hyacinth Holland (1827-1918), an expert in medieval iconography, to develop a variety of proposals. However, for his "New Castle,” he predominantly selected themes from the musical dramas of Richard Wagner (1813-1883). Nonetheless, an instruction was issued as early as 1879: "The paintings in the ‘New Castle’ should be based on the legend, not on Wagner's interpretation.” Ludwig II. thus consciously aimed to draw on the historical sources of Wagner's works. To achieve this, he demanded historical painters who would faithfully follow his intellectual vision, shaped by literary studies, with the central principle being a "historical truth" shaped by poetic romanticisation. However, such expectations were common throughout the 19th century for specialised historical painters.

Unfinished Neuschwanstein

The king had envisioned a “Knights' Bath”, a high hall with a large water basin in the floor, in the western part of the Palas, evoking the ritual bathing of the Knights of the Holy Grail, with whome Ludwig II increasingly identified with. This practice was described by Wolfram von Eschenbach (c. 1170-1220) in his epic “Parzival”. The heating system for the bath's water was constructed according to the principle of an instantaneous water heater and was completed; it still exists today. However, the “Knights' Bath” was only built as a shell and never fully finished. The extensive relaxation and viewing terrace in front of the bath remained in the planning stages. When the king was imprisoned at the castle on 12 June 1886, the construction of the “New Castle” was not yet finished. Work on the palace ceased six years after his death in Lake Starnberg. The Bower on the south side of the upper courtyard was completed by 1892, but in simple forms and without interior rooms. The planned keep with chapel was never constructed.

Tourist magnet, wartime depot and model of popular culture

American soldiers in a storage room filled with looted art at Neuschwanstein Castle, September 1945 (Thomas Carr Howe papers, 1932-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Digital ID: 15112)

Although there was already interest in Ludwig II's palace during its construction, the king tried to keep the building site closed off from the curious public. He granted access only to selected guests or even personally guided them. After his death, the palace was opened to the public on 1 August 1886 and gradually became a major tourist attraction. Over 60 million visitors have since visited the castle. In 1965, nearly two-thirds of visitors were from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. However, by 2014, more than two-thirds came from non-German-speaking countries. In total, 1.57 million people visited the castle in 2014 (M. Spangenberg, Schloss Neuschwanstein, 92), a figure that remained similarly high in the following years.

During the Second World War, Neuschwanstein served as a depot for artworks from Bavarian museums, as well as for Nazi plunder. The fire protection system was modernised for this purpose. Among other things, the Bavarian crown jewels were temporarily stored in the castle.

The castle became an iconic symbol of a fairytale castle. It gained worldwide fame and was frequently used as a backdrop for films and television shows, such as in Snow White and Rose Red (director Erich Kobler, 1955), Spaceballs (director Mel Brooks, 1986), and several film adaptations of the life story of Ludwig II.

References

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  • Hans Gerhard Evers, Ludwig II. Theaterfürst, König, Bauherr, München 1986.
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  • Eduard Hanslik/Jürgen Wagner, Ludwig II. König von Bayern (1845–1886). Internationale Bibliographie zu Leben und Wirkung, Frankfurt am Main 1986.
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  • Sigrid Russ, Die Ikonographie der Wandmalereien in Schloß Neuschwanstein, Diss. masch. Heidelberg 1974.
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  • Alexis Schwarzenbach, Eine ungewöhnliche Erbschaft. Nutzung und Interpretation der Schlösser Ludwigs II. seit 1886, in: Katharina Sykora (Hg.): Ein Bild von einem Mann. Ludwig II. von Bayern: Konstruktion und Rezeption eines Mythos, Frankfurt am Main 2004, 27-47.
  • Marcus Spangenberg, Der Thronsaal von Schloß Neuschwanstein. König Ludwig II. und sein Verständnis vom Gottesgnadentum, Regensburg 1999.
  • Marcus Spangenberg,"Wie keines, das ich je gesehen!". Neuschwanstein: Geburt einer Ikone, in: Peter Wolf, Richard Loibl/Evamaria Brockhoff (Hg.), Götterdämmerung. Ludwig II. und seine Zeit, [Bd. 1 Aufsätze], Darmstadt 2011, 217-226.
  • Marcus Spangenberg/Bernhard Lübbers (Hg.): Traumschlösser? Die Bauten Ludwigs II. als Tourismus- und Werbeobjekte. Dr. Peter Morsbach, Regensburg 2015.
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Uwe Gerd Schatz, Neuschwanstein castle, published 25 August 2023, English translation published 25 February 2025; in: Historisches Lexikon Bayerns, URL: <https://www.historisches-lexikon-bayerns.de/Lexikon/EN:Neuschwanstein_Castle> (17.03.2025)
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