The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-01-12
"A Y EWS comes from Bavaria that
EA the new government there is
i negotiating with the ex-king,

"A v EWS comes from Bavaria that
Nal the new government there is
i negotiating with the eX-king,
Ludwig III, now living as an
exile in Switzerland, for a legal settle
ment on the state of his landed prop
erty in Bavaria. If this is SO, it doubt
less involves the most gorgeous trio
of palaces built by any European mon
arch in modern times. These struc-
lures, says the New York Times, were
we'll known TO tourists before the war;
IN fact, so large and sumptuous are
they, so hopeleSSly beyond the modest
needs of the Bavarian royal family
did they prove, that for u long time
their only use was to provide a little
reTenue through the fees charged to
the thousands of visitors who passed
yearly through their spacious halls.
The palaces in question are Neu-
schwanstein, Linderhof and Herren-
chiemsee, all three built by the mad
king" Ludwig II of BavariN. who
reigned from 1864 to his tragic death
in 1885, and cost Bavaria such huge
sums by his extravaganza that he was
finally deposed and locked up as in
curabiy insane.
During the time that Ludwig was
pouring ont his own and the states
funds in rebuilding old castles and
building the new ones that were to
make his name synonym for extrav-
agance he was bound in intimate
friendship with Richard Wagner, the
famous composer. The signs of this
friendship may be seen in one of the
castles, Neuschwanstein, where there
are many paintings of scenes from the
legends upon which Wagner based his
wOrld-famous operas.
Neuschwanstein Most Remarkable.
OF the three great palaces which
may revert to the Bavarian state as G
result of the negotiations between the
exiled Bavarian king and the govern
ment which overthrow him, the mos
| remarkable, both in location and archi
lecture, is Neuschwanstein. 1t is abou
| efghty-five miles south of Munich, il
| the Bavarian highlands, three miles
1
and close to the old castle of Hohen
schwangau, which originally belonged
| TO the house of Guelph and was pur
| chased in 1867 by the dukes of Bava
ria. Hohenschwangau was the favor
lite residence of the mad King Ludwig
but, firing of staying long in one place
he conceived the idea of building ar
other castle-palace, in the manner o
the kings of the middle ages. His ey
fell upon q precipitous crag close t
Hohenschwangau, and there, betwee
1860 and 1886, arose the splendid pa
ace which ranks as the greatest Of a
] the many monuments to Ludwig
] building mania. It's name, Neuscf
wanstein, is due to the fact that tn
! nearby castle of Hohenschwangau wa
formerly called Schwanstein.
Ludwig set three of the best-know
Bavarian architects-Dollman, Ried,
: and Hoffman-tO work on this creatio
Esof his wild fancy, and they reared fl
: him grand structure in the Roman
Z esque style, planned somewhat aftt
{ the style of the Wartburg. Here ii
E influence Of Wagner on the king ma
{ be traced, for the Wartburg, in Thu
ingia, is where Tannhauser and oth'
: singers meet. in the Wagnerian opel
: of that name, to compete for the Ian
: graves prize.
81 Neuschwanstein, however. was bui
: on a much larger and more magni
{ cent scale than the Warthurg 1t
E splendidly fitted up throughout, az
: from its windows there are surpassin
g ly beautiful views of the Hohe
81 schwangau, the Alp-See. a little lal
81 far below, and the wild gorge of Il
: Pollat.
Fl Visitors ascend to the showroom
: which are on the third floor. by mea
. of stairway in the main tower, viii
Z juts up to a height of nearly 200 fe,