Countess Of Neuschwanstein Castle

HISTORY OF NEUSCHWASTEIN CASTLE:

"Ludwig II, King of Bavaria since 1864, addressed the following lines to Richard Wagner, whom he admired, in May 1868:

“I intend to have the old ruins of Hohenschwangau Castle near the Pöllat Gorge rebuilt in the genuine style of the old German knight’s castles, and must confess to you that I am very much looking forward to living there one day (in 3 years); several guest rooms, from where one enjoys a magnificent view of the noble Säuling, the mountains of Tyrol and far into the plain, are to be furnished there in a homely and cozy manner; You know Him, the adored guest, whom I would like to accommodate there; the spot is one of the most beautiful to be found, holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple for the divine friend, through whom only salvation and true blessing of the world blossomed. You will also find reminiscences from ‘Tannhäuser’ (singers’ hall with a view of the castle in the background), from ‘Lohengrin’ (castle courtyard, open corridor, path to the chapel); in every respect, this castle will be more beautiful and homely than the lower Hohenschwangau, which is desecrated annually by my mother’s prose; they will take revenge, the desecrated gods, and dwell above with us on steep heights, wafted by heavenly air.“

Almost all aspects of his Neuschwanstein are mentioned here. However, the political trigger remained unmentioned: in 1866, Bavaria had lost a war against the expanding Prussia in alliance with Austria. A “protection and defence alliance” was imposed on Bavaria, which deprived the king of the disposal of his army in the event of war. Thus, Ludwig II was no longer a sovereign ruler since 1866. This restriction was the greatest misfortune of his life. In 1867, he began planning his own realm in which he could feel and move as a real king: his castles.

“More beautiful and more homely than the lower Hohenschwangau”.

Ludwig II spent his childhood at Hohenschwangau Castle. Crown Prince Maximilian II of Bavaria, Ludwig’s father, had the dilapidated Hohenschwangau Castle restored in the “Gothic style” starting in 1832. The romantic mountain landscape left its mark on the young Ludwig, who chose the summer palace as one of his favorite places to stay. Hohenschwangau was painted with scenes from medieval legends and poems, including that of the swan knight Lohengrin. Even in his youth, Ludwig identified with the Lohengrin to whom Richard Wagner had dedicated a romantic opera in 1850. The swan was also the heraldic animal of the Counts of Schwangau, as whose successor the king saw himself. Maximilian II had already elevated the swan to a leitmotif of Hohenschwangau. Thus idealistic medieval veneration was combined here with concrete local tradition.

“The point is one of the most beautiful to be found”.

Maximilian II had already had paths and vantage points laid out in the vicinity of Hohenschwangau so that he could enjoy the landscape. As a birthday present for his mountain-climbing wife Marie, he had the “Marienbrücke” (Mary’s Bridge) built high above the Pöllat Gorge in the 1840s. From the narrow ridge on the left of the Pöllat, called “Jugend”, there was a unique view of mountains and lakes. Maximilian II loved this place and planned a viewing pavilion there in 1855. Crown Prince Ludwig had often been to the “Jugend”.

“In the real style of the old German knight’s castles”.

On the “Jugend” lay the remains of two small castles: Vorder- and Hinterhohenschwangau. Here Ludwig II planned his “New Castle Hohenschwangau” (the name “Neuschwanstein” came into being only after the king’s death). It was supposed to give a better illusion of an ideal medieval castle than Hohenschwangau. The decisive factor here was the idea of completion: The “reconstruction” was to be purer in style and equipped with all modern technical achievements.

In 1867, Ludwig II visited the newly “rebuilt” Wartburg. There, he was particularly impressed by the Singers’ Hall, supposedly the site of the legendary “Singers’ War”. The Wartburg and its hall became leitmotifs of the “New Castle”. In addition, the architect Eduard Riedel had to process ideas from stage sets developed by the Munich theater painter Christian Jank.

“To dwell there once (in 3 years)”.

Expectations of rapid construction progress were not fulfilled. The project was too extensive and the construction site on the mountain was difficult. Stage designers, architects and artisans ensured that the king’s precise ideas were implemented. His ruthless deadlines could sometimes only be met with desperate day and night work.

The foundation stone for the “New Castle” was laid on September 5, 1869, and the first building to be completed was the gatehouse in 1873, where Ludwig II lived for many years. It was not until 1880 that the topping-out ceremony was held for the Palas, which was ready for occupation in 1884. As his aversion to people progressed and his claim to the royal dignity grew, Ludwig II changed the building program. Instead of the guest rooms once planned, a “Moorish Hall” with a fountain was planned but never built. The “Writing Room” became a small grotto from 1880. The modest “Audience Room” was transformed into a huge throne room. This was no longer intended for audiences, but as a monument to royalty and an image of the legendary Grail Hall. In order to fit this hall into the already built palace, ultra-modern steel constructions were needed. A “knight’s bath” was to be built into the western part of the palace as a reminiscence of the ritual bath of the Grail knights. Today, a visitor staircase leads down to the exit."

An aristocratic title?

Not without your very own coat of arms!

"In general usage, a family coat of arms describes an emblem borne by people and families. In German customary law, only babies born into the family receive the family coat of arms, which designates that a person belongs to that family. After being born, both baby boys and girls are presented with the coat of arms. For as long as the children bear the family name, the family coat of arms also belongs to them.. Their time using the family coat of arms comes to an end if they choose a new name when they get married. The laws of heraldry in general and those governing family coats of arms in particular are protected under customary law – this is especially relevant because of its closeness to the law related to the use of names, protected under the German Constitution.

That said, not every coat of arms is protected by law. Only family coats of arms that fulfil certain conditions are protected by this law. For one thing, it has to be individual and distinctive, making it suitable as a form of identification. It has to be possible to relate a family coat of arms to one specific family. Comprehensive protection under civil law only covers legal entities and the family coats of arms of natural persons. While private individuals are covered by the customary laws of heraldry, it is trademark law that is relevant for companies.

Free artistic design of one’s coat of arms is covered by copyright law. A coat of arms takes the form of a shield, based on the same shield that was used for protection in the Middle Ages. This is the source of the meaning of a family coat of arms as symbolically protecting the family from any harm. Some family coats of arms prove membership of the nobility. For this reason it is customary for every noble person to have their own family coat of arms as part of their ennoblement. While coats of arms in the past were often opulently and extensively decorated, the designs of modern-day family coats of arms tend to be less strict as well as less elaborate, so get ready to be excited by the family coat of arms that awaits you when you choose an aristocratic title.

The history of family coats of arms

Coats of arms originate from the Middle Ages, when they were originally the insignia on a shield. When knights and nobles went to battle, everyone could see which family they belonged to. In this way, classic coats of arms came into being during the Crusades in the twelfth century. Heavy, closed-up suits of armour made it almost impossible to distinguish between friend and foe in the huge armies. As long as the noble had his sword bearing his crest in his hand, it was easily possible to ascertain his allegiance. The crests of houses, families and entire nations did not only appear on the shield either – the helmet also bore the symbol.

Over the centuries, coats of arms developed and their meaning constantly evolved. The development of tournaments made heraldic symbols even more significant. Lovers of heraldry made it their mission to identify the colourful and symbolic crests as well as creating new coats of arms."