06/15/2026
King Ludwig II, the Fairy Tale King, died in still unexplained circumstances 140 years ago, on 13 June 1886, and in 1875 his "dream" castle was still a dream.
New Hohenschwangau Castle as Neuschwanstein was called until his death, was just scaffolding, perched on a hill above Hohenschwangau village in the Alpine foothills, near Füssen southwest Bavaria.
He had written to his friend Richard Wagner in 1868, discussing his dreams for Neue Burg Hohenschwangau: "It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin of Hohenschwangau near the Pöllat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles, and I must confess to you that I am looking forward very much to living there one day."
But the castle was not completed in Ludwig's lifetime. At the time of his death it was still a building site with only about a twelve finished rooms.
And the king had spent just 172 days there.
He had never wanted to open the castle to the public, but it was opened to visitors six weeks after his death, and the entrance fees used to pay off some of his loans. Ludwig had paid for his construction projects from his private assets and income of his civil list, the state treasury was not burdened for his buildings.
Contrary to what is often reported.
But the construction costs of Neuschwanstein were twice the original estimate, and his private funds were no longer sufficient, so the king had had to take out loans. The building debts were paid off by 1899, and, to make sure a tour of the palace was interesting, some unfinished rooms had been completed, and a bower and knight's house built. At least as an exterior structure.
Photo credit: Schradler, Ludwig: Neuschwanstein – Baustelle des Schlosses etwa 1875, Schradler, Ludwig, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
