Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-07-02

It alone has right to existence in
art within the shadows of the castle.
The walls of the hall are hung with
weapons. and curiosities of antiquity.
Between gloomy stone pillars stand
fully-euuipped knights. At one end,
separated by balcony, is the castle
chapel. where the King attends early
mass when at Hohenschwangan.
Stained glass windows allow a soft,
mellowed light to fall upon the floor.
The lower rooms are all occupied by
the servants and oficials-the first
story by the Queens mother; the
second, containing only five apartments,
by the King, while the third is devoted
to royal visitors. For SO small is the
castle that many of the Kings guests
have to be lodged at the Alpenrose.
To attempt detailed description of
the rooms would be wearisome. They
are simply, yet most extensively and
| tastefully furnished and decorated.
The table ornaments are the most ex-
quisite things imaginable, all having
the figure of the swan worked in or
upon them in one way or another.
Porcelain vases are supported by the
swan; indeed, this beautiful bird liz
made to figure in fountain, chandelier,
and almost every conceivable article of
furniture or luxury. Frescoes by the
most celebrated Munich artists adorn
the walls of the apartments. The
Kings apartments are beautifully fur
nished with works of art and virtu.
The frescoes are here of a more ma
tional character. There is the hall of
heroes, containing a number of the rep
resentatives of the Wylkina legend, the
deeds of Dietrich of Berne; then the
Hall of the Hohenstanfens, showing six
scenes from the lives of these imperial
German rulers. First we have Barba-
rosa Conquers the Turks at Iconium
in 1870; Conrad Captured, 1868; King
Enzins Imprisoned at Bologna, 1870;
Frederick Ii. Receives the Keys of
Jerusalem, 1929: Barbarossa Humiliates
the Milanese, 1862; Barbarossa's death
in the River Seleph, in Syria, 1190.
Then comes the Hall of Tasso, in which
is represented an episode outof Tasso's
Jerusalem Delivered;" then the Hall
of the Guelphs, the Hall of Antharis,
and finally the room containing frescoes
representing Knighthood in the Mid
die Ages, statuettes of ancient German
heroes, legendary, NEUROLOGICAL and
historical, stand upon the dressing ia
BILE of the Kings sleeping apartment
Everywhere among the Kings sur
roundings one sees his evident love of
everything connected with German my
thology and ancient history, and one is
inclined to agree with the nobleman of
our party, who expressed the opinion
that Wagner had not won the Kings
favor by his music in itself as much as
the fact that he has taken the subject
matter of his operas from the rich
German life of the past, in which Lud-
wig is himself deeply read and takes
great delight.
A charming view is obtained, as may
be imagined, from the turrets of the
castle. Looking back we see down below
to the left, the cold, blue Alpsee, tot the
right, the Schwansee, in the background
the high mountains of the Tyrol. Over
the valley we behold the little town of
Fressen, while across half way up the
mountain side and reached by steep
mountain path is the partly built new
castle of Hohenschwangan, one of the
many untitled dreams of the King.