The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II

Synopsis

Ludwig II of Bavaria, more commonly known by his nicknames the Swan King or the Dream King, is a legendary figure - the handsome boy-king, loved by his people, betrayed by his cabinet and found dead in tragic and mysterious circumstances. He spent his life in pursuit of the ideal of beauty, an ideal that found expression in three of the most extraordinary, ornate architectural schemes imaginable - the castle of Neuschwanstein and the palaces of Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. Today, these three buildings are among Germany's biggest tourist attractions. Dan Cruickshank explores the rich aesthetic of Ludwig II - from the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein, the iconic fairytale castle that became the inspiration for the one in Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty, to the rich Baroque splendour of Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig's answer to Versailles. Dan argues that Ludwig's castles are more than flamboyant kitsch and are, in fact, the key to unravelling the eternal enigma of Ludwig II.

Main Cast

Dan Cruickshank

Himself - Presenter

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Crew

Department	Role	Name
Directing	Director	Alexander Leith
Writing	Writer	Dan Cruickshank
	Musical	Chris Nicolaides
Production	Executive Producer	Basil Comely
	Producer	Alexander Leith
Editing	Editor	Safi Ferrah
Sound	Sound Mixer	Steven Townsend
Camera	Director of Photography	Mike Garner
Department	Role	Name

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