A highlight in the year 1872 is the laying of the corner stone for the festival house in Bayreuth, something he wanted to accomplish for years. Four years later Richard Wagner begins the performances of his first operas there. Finally, after eight years, the composer and the promoter meet again when Ludwig II. attends the final rehearsal of "Rheingold" and "Goetterdaemmerung" but he leaves before the official premiere and escapes to the solitude of his beloved mountains.

In the beginning of his reign Ludwig II. was a good looking man who impressed his people with his charm, but slowly his beauty waned. He eats too many sweets and loses his teeth. He refuses to wear dentures and his appearance burdens him enough to withdraw even further from his fellow men.

An additional burden is the mental illness of his brother Otto, who has to be under continuous care. Ludwig's constant fear is that he will experience the same fate. In the years to follow he gains 130 kilos. He has to withdraw from riding his horses and rides through the nights in his magnificent sleds and carriages from one castle to the other. The grooms that accompany him have to wear tailor made rococo style costumes.

Around 1880 Rudolf Wenig produced this famous painting "Ludwig's Nightly Slay Rides from Neuschwanstein over Schuetzensteg to Linderhof" (Partial Picture)

The golden, baroque slays and gala carriages with their ample illumination were the product of his exaggerated dream world. The country people are enormously impressed and early on already they refer to Ludwig II. as the "Fairytale King".

The construction of his castles slowly becomes Ludwig's sole reason for living. Construction of Linderhof, Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee commence going at the same time, but that does not satisfy the king. His dreams lead him to more daring projects:

Falkenstein Castle
The Byzantine Castle
The Chinese Summer Palace

and a large boat is to be build that can transport him in great style to Herrenchiemsee.

With all these activities the king's debts are on the rise. By the year 1884 the mountain of debt has grown to 7 million marks. A bank loan relieves his financial situation for the moment and Ludwig II. can continue to dream in his illusionary world, preferably in total seclusion and solitude. More and more separate performances have to be given in the Court Theater. Just occasionally are guests of honor allowed to partake.

"I can not concentrate in the theater as long as the people stare at me continuously and follow my every expression with their opera glasses. I want to enjoy the performance and not be an object on exhibit for the masses", the King declared.

In the course of his life Ludwig visited more than 400 such private performances. On occasion he would send presents to one or the other performer, as in the case of Joseph Kainz. Young Kainz receives an invitation to Linderhof Castle and has to recite the king's favorite portions of his theater performance. Bus as so often in the past, this relationship is not to last as well.

Once again the forlorn king experiences disappointment. His longing for a true friendship remains unfulfilled and Ludwig loses himself more and more in his dream world. In the meanwhile the king's financial situation causes increasing concerns because any thoughts of reality seem to be lost. Although Ludwig does not burden the State budget with his building projects and uses money from his own civil list, this money source has been depleted.

His relatives and his ministers show great concern about the king's ability to govern the country and alternative has to be found. And this alternative and the course of the events surrounding it lead to tragedy.