Votivkapelle

The votive chapel commemorates the mysterious death of King Ludwig II in 1886. The Bavarian king was declared unfit to rule by the government shortly beforehand and brought to Lake Starnberg under supervision. On June 13, he went for a walk with his doctor - both were found dead in the water shortly afterwards. The exact circumstances remain unclear to this day. There were several reasons behind Ludwig's dismissal. Officially, it was justified on the grounds of mental illness, based on an expert opinion that was drawn up without a personal examination. At the same time, the king was heavily in debt due to his costly building projects (e.g. Neuschwanstein Castle) and increasingly isolated politically, which put the government under pressure. His homosexuality could also have been a reason for his isolation at the time. During his lifetime, Ludwig II was considered by many to be difficult, eccentric or even problematic. Attitudes towards King Ludwig II have changed considerably - today he is viewed very positively, almost legendarily, in Bavaria.