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1. Mysterious Death of "Mad King Ludwig"
2. Mad mystery King Ludwig II of Bayern
3. The Man and the Legend
4. At home with Ludwig, Mad King of Bavaria, castle is a lasting legacy

• Death of King Ludwig:
  • Informational facts about his death.
    1. Ludwig died on June 13, 1886.
    2. Ludwig was found floating in Lake Starnberg, along with his doctor.
  • There is a legend about Ludwig’s death:
    1. There are 3 stories about Ludwig’s death---murder, suicide, or drowning?
    2. Question to be answered: Who killed whom?
       • Were Ludwig and his doctor murdered and then thrown into the lake?
       • Did Ludwig murder the doctor and then kill himself?
       • Did Ludwig drown while trying to escape?
• Legacy of King Ludwig:
  • Ludwig’s legacy as king
    1. Ludwig’s political accomplishments
    2. Ludwig’s cultural accomplishments
  • Ludwig----"the castle builder"
    1. Background
    2. Ludwig and his palaces
       • Neuschwanstein Castle (1869 to 1886, unfinished)
       • Linderhof Palace (1874 to 1878)
       • Herrenchiemsee Palace (1878 to 1886, unfinished)
    3. How much did Ludwig’s castles cost?
    4. Analysis of Ludwig’s castle building
  • Ludwig the man and the legend
    1. Was Ludwig insane?
       • What is the definition of insanity.
       • Insanity ran in the Wittelsbach family.
       • His brother Otto was declared to be mentally insane.
    2. Was Ludwig medically or artistically insane?
• King Ludwig’s popular culture today:
  • Bavarian people
    1. For some people today, Ludwig’s life may seem very uncommon, but Ludwig was and still is, the favorite king of the Bavarian people.
    2. There is a marble statue of King Ludwig at Herrenchiemsee Palace in Chiemsee Lake in Bavaria (1870).
  • Tourism and visitors to the castles
  • Clubs, organizations, and museums
    1. Souvenirs and artifacts with Ludwig’s picture on them for purchase: glasses, mugs, books, postcards, plates, T-shirts, and head statues.
    2. The Loyal Friends of the King Club meets once a year to celebrate his life in Gammelsdorf, Bavaria.
    3. There is a museum in Herrenchiemsee Castle about his life and artistic legacy.
  • Festivals and exhibitions
    1. There is an exhibition in Munich "King Ludwig and Music" every year in July.
    2. In the summer, people can spend a night at Linderhof Palace with the Bavarian fairytale king on “King Ludwig Night” on his birthday, August 25.
    3. King Ludwig Bonfire / König Ludwig Feuer
       • On the eve of King Ludwig’s birthday (August 25), huge logs are piled up on Oberammergau’s local mountain, Mount Kofel.
       • The logs are lit once darkness falls.
       • Afterwards a torchlight procession moves down the valley to party in the taverns until dawn.
  • Media effects of King Ludwig’s life:
    1. Books
       • "The Lonely King, Recollections of Ludwig 2^nd of Bavaria" by Werner Bertram in 1936
       • Novel: "The Ludwig Story"
       • Factual report: "Castles, Friends, and Dreams of the King" and "Mysteries and Secrets about Ludwig" by Hans Steen
    2. Movies
       • "Ludwig II, King of Bavaria" (1930, silent film) / "Silence at Starnberg Lake" (1930, silent film) / (both directed by William Dieterle)
       • "Ludwig II: Splendor and End of a King" (1955) / (directed by Helmut Käuter)
       • Ludwig: Requiem for a Virgin King" (1972) / (directed by Hans-Jürgen Syberberg)
       • "Ludwig" (1973) **** (directed by Luchino Visconti)