Intermediate english reading

17 | 
P a g e
 
3 
As a child, Ludwig told his governess that he wanted to remain an eternal 
enigma to himself and others, and in this regard he succeeded. Ludwig spent most of 
his childhood in the gothic castle of Hohenschwangau, surrounded by frescoes of 
German sagas. He was raised with a strict sense of duty and a keen awareness of his 
royal status. His true interests, however, lay in poetry and theater, and he tended to 
spend more time alone indulging his fantasies than training to become a future king. 
Ludwig grew into a tall, slim, and handsome Prince Charming, with a shock of dark wavy 
hair, full pouting lips, and wide dreamy eyes that often gaze upward in portraits as if at 
a distant dream world. In his later years, Ludwig filled out and wore a goatee, and his 
youthful wistfulness matured into a stern aloofness. 
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Ludwig’s lack of political experience and his shy nature made him ill-suited to 
the throne of Bavaria. In 1866, two years after his coronation, Ludwig experienced a 
humiliating defeat when he was forced into an alliance with Prussia against Austria. 
Feeling himself a mere political underling to his uncle, the King of Prussia, Ludwig 
began to pay more attention to his personal interests than to his duties. He was an 
enthusiastic fan of the composer Richard Wagner; three months after becoming king, 
Ludwig invited Wagner to court. Despite the ups and downs of their lifelong 
relationship, Ludwig sponsored Wagner lavishly and saved him from financial ruin. He 
also established Munich as the music capital of Europe. 
5
Ludwig believed in a holy kingdom created through the grace of God, and he 
identified with largerthan- life heroes of Middle Age sagas and legends. To turn his 
fantasies into reality, Ludwig built beautiful castles, which strangers were not allowed 
to enter. In 1874, construction began on the relatively small, neo-French rococo Schloss 
Linderhof. The baroque royal palace of Herrenchiemsee, begun in 1878 and modeled on 
the Château de Versailles, was built on a scenic island in Lake Chiemsee. 
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The most private and personal of his projects was his third, Schloss 
Neuschwanstein. Commissioned in 1867, Schloss Neuschwanstein was built between 
1869 and 1886 as Ludwig’s 
personal retreat in the mountains. Dedicated to the genius of 
Richard Wagner, the castle was designed
in the neoromantic style. The interior was 
ornately decorated with themes from Parsifal and Lohengrin, two of Richard Wagner’s 
operas. Ludwig spared no expense or luxury; hundreds of craftsmen employed the most 
up-to-date methods of construction and used the finest materials. The castle’s many 
amenities included a central heating system, running cold and hot water, flush toilets, 

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