Editing Neuschwanstein Castle (section)

===Funding===
[[File:Neuschwanstein1886 2.jpg|thumb|Neuschwanstein in 1886]]
The King's demands expanded during the construction of Neuschwanstein, and so did the expenses. Drafts and estimated costs were revised repeatedly.<ref name="AR13">{{harvnb|Rauch|1991|p=13}}</ref> Initially a modest study was planned instead of the great throne hall, and projected guest rooms were struck from the drafts to make place for a ''Moorish Hall'', which could not be realised due to lack of resources. Completion was originally projected for 1872 but repeatedly deferred.<ref name="AR13"/>

Neuschwanstein, the symbolic [[medieval]] knight's castle, was not [[King Ludwig II]]'s only huge construction project. It was followed by the [[Rococo]] style [[Lustschloss]] of [[Linderhof Palace]] and the [[Baroque]] palace of [[Herrenchiemsee]], a monument to the era of [[Absolutism (European history)|absolutism]].<ref name="AFSN110">{{harvnb|Blunt|1970|p=110}}</ref> Linderhof, the smallest of the projects, was finished in 1886, and the other two remain incomplete. All three projects together drained his resources. The King paid for his construction projects by private means and from his [[civil list]] income. Contrary to frequent claims, the Bavarian treasury was not directly burdened by his buildings.<ref name="AFSN19"/><ref name="RL171">{{harvnb|Linnenkamp|1986|p=171}}</ref> From 1871, Ludwig had an additional secret income in return for a political favour given to [[Otto von Bismarck]].<ref group="nb">In November 1870, Ludwig signed the ''[[Kaiserbrief]]'', a letter drafted by Bismarck to the other sovereigns of the German states, asking them to crown the Prussian King [[Wilhelm I]] as ''[[Kaiser]]''. In return, Ludwig received secret payments out of Bismarck's secret account, the {{ill|Welfenfonds|de|Welfenfonds}}.</ref>

The construction costs of Neuschwanstein in the King's lifetime amounted to 6.2 million [[German gold mark]]s (equivalent to €{{Inflation|DE|6.2|1886}} million in {{inflation/year|DE}}),<ref name="MPB65">{{harvnb|Petzet|Bunz|1995|p=65}}</ref> almost twice the initial cost estimate of 3.2 million marks.<ref name="RL171"/> As his private means were insufficient for his increasingly escalating construction projects, the King continuously opened new lines of credit.<ref name="ADB">{{harvnb|Bitterauf|1910}}</ref> In 1876, a court counselor was replaced after pointing out the danger of insolvency.<ref name="whoswho">{{cite web |publisher=Who's Who Online |title=Ludwig II. (Bayern) |language=de |url=http://www.whoswho.de/templ/te_bio.php?PID=1879&RID=1 |access-date=23 September 2012}}</ref> By 1883, he already owed 7 million marks,<ref name="AFSN111">{{harvnb|Blunt|1970|p=111}}</ref> and in spring 1884 and August 1885 debt conversions of 7.5 million marks and 6.5 million marks, respectively, became necessary.<ref name="ADB"/>

Even after his debts had reached 14 million marks, King Ludwig II insisted on continuation of his architectural projects; he threatened suicide if his creditors seized his palaces.<ref name="whoswho"/> In early 1886, Ludwig asked his cabinet for a credit of 6 million marks, which was denied. In April, he followed Bismarck's advice to apply for the money to his parliament. In June, the Bavarian government decided to depose the King who was living at Neuschwanstein at the time. On 9 June, he was incapacitated and on 10 June, he had the deposition commission arrested in the gatehouse.<ref name="AFSN23">{{harvnb|Petzet|Hojer|1991|p=23}}</ref> In expectation of the commission, he alerted the gendarmerie and fire brigades of surrounding places for his protection.<ref name="ADB"/> A second commission headed by [[Bernhard von Gudden]] arrived on the next day, and the King was forced to leave the palace that night. Ludwig was put under the supervision of Gudden. On 13 June, both died under mysterious circumstances in the shallow shore water of [[Lake Starnberg]] near [[Berg Castle (Bavaria)|Berg Castle]].