The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-25
nrst begin to understand the true character Of Ba-

varia's King.
HoHENscuwANGAN.
From Lindenhof thither Is q walk OF SIX hours,
along the lovely valley Of Goasswangtha to point
across the mountains TO Hohenschw angan. You as
cend the mountain by zigzag path, and hard
scenery brings you at last to the heights overo king
HoheDschwangan. II Is scene OF calm, romantic
indescrbsble beauty that bursts upon the view. You
descend from amid the cold, snow-capped mouu-
tains into new paradise. A broad plain opens in
the distance, anu the course OF the Lech can be iol
lowed for miles; away TO the right the Mhhlberg
Lake, and as FAR as The eye can reach the simmer
mountain promontory that descends to the edge Of
two sneets OF water, Is Hohenschwangan. me
water TO the lett, whose deep blue Is almost IN.
natural. is the Apsee; ths one stretching along the
promonlory to the right Is the swan Lake. water
tutolar birds Ct the castle Goat with aristocratc
dignity, as IL they knew that they belonged to ths
and had given the name 10 the valley ana the castle.
A LEGEND
The swan is the legendary bird OF swangan. The
legend OF The kngn6 oil the swan who dll battle at
Nimwegerd for the duchess OF BouilOn, Is also
related here. In the Dark Ages there lived III the
cess OF purest and nobest character, mistress oi the
castle and tine valley. One day she stood upon the
palapet OF the Schloss aud looked lar into the
valley. Her eye rested upon the Swan Lake. There
she saw snow whKe swan swimming gracefully,
drawing alter II golden boat, In which hand
some knight lay asleep. When the knight awoke
and stepped upoA snore ne greeted the princess
dence IN him, and asked hn 10 protect ner against
her enemies, especially against her wicked uncle,
VINO had nrst accused her, petore me emperor OF
claimed ner wealth. The Emperor commanded
that the uncle should do battle with any
The day OF the tournament arrived, ana the swan
knight appeared III Inc arena 10 hsn, Tor the cause
OF the princess, aud Killed avaricious uacle on
the spo. In tnankiulne the princess chose the
knight TO be her lord; ne aecepted the honor
one condition namey-that she should never seek
10 find out VINO he was aud whence he came. other.
wise the last hour OF their bliss would come. But
curiosity vas ever woman's weak point. one day
ing these words he became gloomy ana silent and
hurried 10 the lake. the swan was in waiting with
the golden boat the knight stepped into the fragile
bark, the graceful bird swept Its precious charge
proudly over the blue waves and while the princess
stood In agony upon the castle turret she saw the
Swan Knight disappear Tor ever from her sight.
The Whole legend Is IN Wsgner's "Lohengrn.n
ANTIQUITY OF THE CASTLE
This Is Honensch wangan's legend; its history Is
even OF greater interest Originally Roman castle,
Was afterwards called the Swanstein, the castle OF
AohenscLwangan proper being situate on the OPP
ls now erecting a new caste. In ITO appeared
Hillebolt, OF schwangan, minneslnger, whose
and otncr algh ladies' are stll celebrated and may
be found In Inc collection or mlnnesongs. Hlite-
pamon IN the Holy Lana on The Rhine, and NecSaI,
III the Mayence and ruhingen quarrels and all his
Sampagms were glorhed IN hiiebolt's songs 40.
history o. 4ou the Reformation In the year l5is
ases ouna rease hhere wnen he was
mante from Augsburg. In the history OF Ger
lnany's Imperial Honensauiens Hohenschwangan
has a prominent part. There IL was that conrad,
the iast descendant BarDar ossa, leave MS
motner ~ "a order to take possession OF his Italian
lected together his vassals, and, led away by his
a t.at Lett Hohenscnwangan 70 hnd his DEAN
the great imperial race OF The demonstrations. Inc
castle subsequently nal dlferent occupants. Ia the
sixteenth century The Emperor Carl V. gave 1t 20
johann yoa Baungarten, OF Augsburg, whose sons
however, gave II up 10 the Witelsoacns- lhe royal
Bavarian house: Tne castle was by TINS Time falling
into decay, aud the fyrol war made 1t a complete
ruin. IL ls2l the old ruin was sold FOR Sloo
stones. Prince Ludwig, OF Oettingen- Waller
SIC STEM purenasel y 70 prevent It's destruction,
varia visited the valley. lie Was char,ned WIN the
situation OF the castle ana caused 1t be reDuLt in
It's original style de then presented il to his son.
edidee as 1t now exists Artistic ana scupIurai art
Legend poetry, history, all were called INTO requi-
sltlon III the creation Vi H0hen5chwangau.
WITHIN THE CASTLE
Herr, Here It was that sing Ludwig II. spent his boy.
where the young King grew 10 MANHOOD, repays US
Tor al the eXertions IN walking hilner from the
YARD and inalns g. the Queen pA'I mother ''' ouv
Tue Frs
| lobby, the walls OF winch are hung with weapons
stone pillars stand 1uny equipped knights. at one
end separated by balcony, Is the castle chapel,
Honenschwangan. tainted glass windows allow
SOFT melowed l'ght 10 iali upon the moor. Inc
lOWeF TooiLs are al Occupied by tne servants ana
olnclais, the hlst story by the Queen mother, the
second containing only five apartments, by the
50 Small Is uolienscnwansan that many OF the
Kings guests nave " he LOGGED Ut the Alpenrose,
the only Motel a IN me Village shall not trouble
fuzzy lurnsned and decorated. the table or.
nanents are Tie most exquisite things imaginable,
all having the figure Of The swan worked or upon
them In one way Or auOtner. Porcelain vases are
supported by the swan TINS beautiful bird Ii made
| to figure In fountain, chandelier and almost every
conceivable article Of furniture or luxury, Fres
the waits OF tue aparlm enis. In tue Queen
Mothers suit we 1nd the Han OF the schyres. me
Hail OF the swan Knight, the Hall OF the ORIENT, the
Han OF Scnwangan, tnc Han OF Bertha, ana lastly the
Han OF Females being scenes from The life OF Agnes,
Pfalzcountess OF Witclsbach.
| THE KINGS ROOMS
are alike beautifully furnished With works Of art
and ylr.u. me irescoes are here OF more German
national character. There Is
| THE HALL OF HEROES,
| containing number OF representations Of the
| Myikina legend the deeds o. Dietrich VI Bernie;
| then
| THE HALL OF THE HoHENsTAurENs,
showing Blk scenes from the lives OF these imperial
German rulers. First we have:-BarDarossa con.
| quers the Turks aC Iconum 1905 conrad cap.
| 1910; Friedrich H. receives the Keys OF Jerusalem
1913; Barbar0ssa humiliaes the Manese ll0-;
Barbarossa's aean In the River seleph IN Syrla
| THE HALL OF TAssO,
episode out OF Iassos Jerusalem Delfvered;' then
me Hail OF the Gueiphs, the Hail Of Antnaris, AMI
| finally the room containing frescoes representing
"knghtnood IN the Middle Ages" Statuetes Of
ancient German heroes, legendary, NEUROLOGICAL
and historical, stand upon the dressing table oil the
Kings sleeping apartment. Everywhere amid the
| Kings surroundings one sees the monarchs evident
| love Of matters connected with German mi tnOlogy
and ancient history, and am inclined to agree
with German baron In my party, VINO asserted
that wagner nau not won the Kings favor 50 much
by MS music IN Itself az by the TACT that he has
| taken the subject matter OF his operas from The
rich German life Of the past, in when tie King
himself Is deeply read and takes great delight,
THE KINGS LIFE AT HouENsCnwANGAN
does not differ materially iron that at Lindenhof
IT was here that he lately gave fitting welcome to
tho Emperor William VI Germany, In whose honor
ali the surrounding mountains we're Illuminated Dy
tlres whose glare Was reflected In The Two beautiful
Lakes on each side OF the CASTLE Then the two
monarchs Kaiser and Koenig, attracted NY the
iandeur OF the scene, walked arm In arm amil the