Was he crazy, detached, strong-headed, or some combination thereof? 125 years later it's hard to tell, and it doesn't really matter. I always enjoyed his story, though, as well as his castles. Not too long ago I (finally) won an eBay auction for a coin with his picture on it.
Update, 6/15/11: Here is the Wikipedia entry for Ludwig II, which contains several pictures of both him and his castles. And here's a scan of the coin I mentioned above:
3 comments:
The sheer spectacle of the castles as monumental works of art make them so memorable.
Ludwig's motivations are so enigmatic and romantic--we are likely to never know exactly who he was, or why he drowned.
Wow, do we have something in common. While stationed in Germany, I made it a point to tour all of Mad King Ludwig's castles. I was taken by his life and times. Read numerous books about him, have a shot glass, a wine glass, and a VERY expensive bier stein which commemorate the gentleman.
The Venus Grotto was one of my favorite parts of all the castles. That and his bed at Neuschwanstein. A bed that took fourteen master woodcarvers four years to create is something to behold.
@Steve: Yes, that bed was something to behold. It took so long to build, and yet was slept in only a few times, by one person! (Same thing with the Venus grottos.)
Ah, useless, wild romanticism of it all!
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