Neuschwanstein Castle inspired a king, Disney and the Nazis

Perched on a cliff in the Bavarian Alps near Füssen, Germany, Neuschwanstein Castle is the epitome of the idyllic. Reminiscent of a theatrical setting, Ludwig II aimed to unite architecture, art and landscapes into a Gesamtkunstwerk — a complete artwork," Alexander Wiesneth, of the Bavarian Palace Administration, told DW. As the eccentric Ludwig II himself wrote to his revered friend, opera composer Richard Wagner, in May 1868: "It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin near the Pöllat Gorge in the authentic style of the old German knights' castles, and I must confess to you that I am looking forward very much to living there one day," as the Bavarian Palace Administration notes. Matthias Memmel, responsible for provenance research at the Bavarian Palace Administration, stressed to DW with regard to "The Monuments Men" that "Neuschwanstein Castle was happy to cooperate with the film project, as it made the historical merit of the American Allies, the 'Monuments Men,' better known to a broad international public." As the Bavarian Palace Administration's Alexander Wiesneth notes, the similarity between King Ludwig II and Walt Disney is clear: Their vision of architecture was about "telling a story."