Hohenschwangau Castle

Hohenschwangau Castle was rebuilt from 1832 to 1838 by Crown Prince Max of Bavaria, father of Ludwig II and later King Maximilian II of Bavaria. The Crown Prince hired the Quaglio brothers as architects.

While Ludwig II eventually moved to Munich as king, his mother, Marie of Bavaria, took residence at Hohenschwangau Castle. She stayed here even after the suicide of her son and lived for three more years before she died. The castle was only sporadically used in the following time. It wasn't until 1941 that a member of the former royal family moved back into Hohenschwangau Castle. The reason for this was mundane: The so-called Prince's decree, which stipulated that princes were not allowed to be members of the Wehrmacht, led to the prince's surprising departure from the German army. He then retreated to Hohenschwangau Castle. Nowadays, Hohenschwangau Castle is no longer owned by the family, but belongs to the so-called Wittelsbach Compensation Fund.

In order to finance the preservation of Hohenschwangau Castle, a museum was established in the building, among other things, which, in addition to the impressive interior of the castle, also exhibits possessions of the Wittelsbachs.