Dec 10 2008
The Fairy Tale King
This is my first post and I would like to tell you that the blogname -fitat60plus- comes from me being over 60 and staying and keeping fit to travel and persue my love for history and particularly the hidden and more unknown sides of famous kings, rulers and politicians. I also love architecture and castles and Germany is one of the countries which is a treasure trove for that.
King Ludwig II of Bavaria who was born in 1845 and died in mysterious circumstances by drowning in the German lake Tegernsee in 1886, is often referred to as The Swan King, the fairy Tale King or the Mad King. These attributes came about because of his eccentic and highly expensive obsession to build fairy tale castles, the most notable being Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. What’s not appreciated is tha the king was well ahead of his times as far as technology is concerned in which he took a keen interest. Many of his drawing of technical devices have survived. He was the first one in the state of Bavaria to have a telephone installed, comissioned an elaborate heating system for his castle Herrenchiemsee situated on an island in the lake of the same name. The heating allowed him to bath in his huge indoor swimming pool. Ludwig was also concerned about the environment. He pruchased the entrie island of Herrenchiemsee where he erected his castle with a view to preserving the extensive woods and wildlife which populated the island. It was owned by a lumber compoany which was about to cut down the entire forest for firewood and ship building and the king’s swift action prevented the deforestation.
