As Neuschwanstein marks the 150th anniversary of its groundbreaking ceremony, a team from Bavaria's criminal investigation office has found its forgotten cornerstone. The famous castle still fires the imagination.
Image: picture-alliance/imageBROKER/V. Wolf
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On September 5, 1869, Bavaria's fairytale king Ludwig II had the cornerstone laid for the most expensive building project of his time: Neuschwanstein Castle. At the time, the reclusive king himself was residing at another of his retreats, Berg Castle, his manor house on Lake Starnberg. The cornerstone's location was later forgotten.
In celebrating this sesquicentenary of the groundbreaking ceremony, the Bavarian Palace Administration has now been able to shed light on its whereabouts. With the aid of specialists from the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, which routinely defuses unexploded ordnance and incendiary material, the cornerstone with its embedded round brass capsule has been located.
In the spotlight: the actual cornerstone was discovered slightly above this engraved brick Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. J. Hildenbrand
It lies right near one of the bricks dated 1869 in the south wall. Possibly the stone marked the corner of the castle structure as it was originally planned.
The Palace Administration does not intend to remove the stone, as the site is historically listed. The find is a minor sensation. The brass capsule embedded in it contains, among other things, the original construction plan and a portrait of the king, painted on porcelain.
A captivating castle and a lucrative brand
This most famous of all the castles in Bavaria is as shrouded in mystery as the man who had it built: Ludwig II, for whom the castle served as a private place where he could retreat to his dream world.
Neuschwanstein — a fairy-tale castle and tourist attraction
Every year, 1.5 million visitors stop by Neuschwanstein, Germany's most famous castle. From the postcard perfect views to the mysterious life of King Ludwig II, there are many reasons why this Bavarian castle fascinates.
Image: picture-alliance/C. Wallberg
Germany's most iconic castle
Set amidst a breathtaking setting, Neuschwanstein Castle is one of Germany's most romantic and famous attractions. Built from 1869 to 1886 under King Ludwig II, the palace also known as "The Sleeping Beauty Castle" is located near the village of Hohenschwangau and the town of Füssen, by the Austrian border in Bavaria.
In 1864, King Ludwig II acceded to the throne of Bavaria at the age of 18, completely inexperienced. His country was defeated by Prussia two years later. To escape the pressures of reality, the shy and mysterious king built different sumptuous retreats, such as Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. He built Neuschwanstein on the remains of two small medieval castles he had known as a child.
Image: picture-alliance/akg-images
Childhood dreams
Neuschwanstein overlooks another castle, Hohenschwangau (picture). This was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II, which might have inspired his fascination with medieval folklore and architecture. If legends fed the design of Neuschwanstein, the famous palace would also later serve as the main model for the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disney's icon, which opened in Disneyland in 1955.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K.-J. Hildenbrand
A palace of legends
As a great fan of the composer Richard Wagner, King Ludwig II's vision for his fairy-tale castle was to create a grand stage for the Germanic mythology that was celebrated in Wagner's operas. Christian Jank, who had worked on the scenery of the composer's opera "Lohengrin," was hired to draw concepts for the palace. The architect Eduard Riedel realized Jank's "ideal design" from 1869 (picture).
Image: picture alliance/akg-images
A saga for each room
Just like Wagner depicted medieval legends in his operas, each room in Neuschwanstein Castle recreates imagery from ancient paintings of these myths. The largest room of the palace, the Singer's Hall (photo), is decorated with imagery from "Lohengrin" and "Parzival." Although the hall has a stage, the reclusive king did not design it for parties - no concerts were held there during his lifetime.
Image: picture alliance/akg-images
Sleeping in mystery
The bedroom portrays the great medieval tale of romance, "Tristan and Isolde." It is said that 14 carpenters spent four years working on the woodwork in this room. The king did not get to spend as many years in his palace: on June 12, 1886, he was declared insane and arrested in this bedroom. A day later, he was found dead with his psychiatrist near a lake. The cause of death remains a mystery.
Image: Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung
A 'theme-park' grotto
Another phenomenal part of Neuschwanstein Castle is an artificial cave, complete with stalactites and a waterfall. Illuminated with different colors, this grotto inspired by a scene in Wagner's opera "Tannhäuser" fascinatingly reflects Ludwig's eccentric tastes. The retreat of the reclusive king opened to the public just weeks after his death, becoming one of the world's most visited castles.
Image: Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung
The throneless throne room
The impressive Throne Hall boasts a Byzantine dome inspired by the All Saints Church in Munich and pillars modeled on the ones in the Hagia Sophia in present-day Istanbul. The mosaic floor counts over two million stones. It was completed after Ludwig's death in 1886. However, the altar platform never obtained a throne. Of the over 200 planned rooms of the castle, only 14 were finished.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A major work of European Historicism
Many people wrongly believe that Neuschwanstein is a typical medieval castle. It is actually a free and modern reinterpretation of castles illustrated in medieval books, inspired by the Wartburg Castle as well. This style was later categorized as Historicism. Now considered a prime example of this type of architecture, at the time, critics derided the historically inaccurate project.
Image: picture-alliance/imageBROKER/J. Beck
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When the cornerstone was laid in 1869, Ludwig never dreamt that he would be seized in his remote dream castle and declared legally incapable on grounds of insanity shortly before his death. It is also possible that he had just as little sense of foreboding about how much the building would cost. Building the castle, which remained unfinished in his lifetime, and which he had furnished with the latest technology, such as heating and automatic flush toilets, consumed huge sums of money the equivalent of well over a hundred million euros.
View from the tower of Neuschwanstein Castle: a wild folly in stone in the mountainous Allgäu region Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. J. Hildenbrand
Thanks to the ongoing influx of tourists the castle has long since recouped the king's building debts. To date, 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein. They come despite restoration work that is set to continue until 2022: the castle rooms have been undergoing complete renovation for two years, for the first time since the castle was opened to visitors more than 130 years ago. Outside, the scaffolding on the historic gatehouse has already been dismantled and the gate now glows in new splendor — and is a popular photographic subject for tourists.
