Dec 12 2008
More about Herrenchiemsee
Herrenchiemsee, the fabulous although unfinished castle of Bavaria’s Fairy Tale King Ludwig II, was the subject of my previous posts. However the island is historically interesting and important for another reason. It was here that in 1948 the ‘founding fathers’ of the German constitution, the Grundegesetz, convened and in two short weeks agreed on the principles and most important articles which form the basis for the Federal Republic of Germany which came into being in 1949.
‘Founding Fathers’ is however incorrect, as the council included four women! Surprisingly though, the council members did not assemble in Ludwig’s castle but chose as the venue for their deliberations the nearby monastery and cloister, a decidedly more sober place. This was, by the way, also the building where Ludwig’s meals were prepared and then rushed the mile or so to his dining room, as his castle failed to incorporate a kitchen!
And another fact is worth mentioing about the island, although it has nothing to do with history. It’s the home of the biggest variety of bats found anywhere in Europe. They are a protected species and well looked after and cared for on the island. Ludwig, who was well ahead of his time as far as protection of the environment was concerned, also established a deer park and protected every wild life that lived in the dense woods which he saved from being cut down by buying the island. Every single material which was needed for the construction was brough to the island by boat and not one tree was felled for the building site.
