Der Märchenkönig

The fairy-tale king · परीकथाओं वाला राजा

A2German history in easy German · 1864–1886 · Neuschwanstein, BayernChapter 1 free

At 18, Ludwig becomes King of Bavaria. He would rather build dream castles than rule. Then, one evening in June 1886, he walks into a lake and never comes back.

Timeline

1864Ludwig becomes King of Bavaria at 18
1869Building work on Neuschwanstein begins
1878Work begins on Herrenchiemsee, his copy of Versailles
June 1886Ludwig is declared unfit to rule; on 13 June he dies in Lake Starnberg
Aug 1886Neuschwanstein opens to visitors

Kapitel 1: Ein junger König

A young king · each German sentence with its English translation

Ludwig wurde 1845 in München geboren.Ludwig was born in Munich in 1845.

Schon mit 18 Jahren wurde er König von Bayern.At only 18, he became King of Bavaria.

Er war groß, schön und sehr schüchtern.He was tall, handsome and very shy.

Ludwig liebte Geschichten von Rittern, Schwänen und alten Burgen.Ludwig loved stories about knights, swans and old castles.

Am meisten liebte er die Opern von Richard Wagner.Most of all he loved the operas of Richard Wagner.

Er holte Wagner nach München und bezahlte seine Schulden.He brought Wagner to Munich and paid his debts.

Politik interessierte ihn wenig.Politics interested him little.

Lieber baute er sich seine eigene Traumwelt.He preferred to build his own dream world.

1869 begann der Bau von Schloss Neuschwanstein, hoch auf einem Felsen in den Alpen.In 1869, work began on Neuschwanstein Castle, high on a rock in the Alps.

Das Schloss sah aus wie eine Burg aus dem Mittelalter, aber innen hatte es moderne Technik.The castle looked like a castle from the Middle Ages, but inside it had modern technology.

Es gab eine Heizung, fließendes Wasser und sogar ein Telefon.There was heating, running water and even a telephone.

Die Menschen nannten Ludwig bald den „Märchenkönig“.People soon called Ludwig the “fairy-tale king”.

The rest of the history

Sources