The larger-than-life bronze bust sits on the historic 1910 pedestal, surrounded by a rose bed. Sculptors Toni Preis and Olaf Herzog, along with foundryman Marc-Andreas Hofmeister, created it based on the original statue by Ferdinand von Miller. Nazis had melted down the old statue in 1942 to produce weapons – it was the only royal monument in Munich removed from its pedestal at the time, pub owner Dietmar Holzapfel told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Holzapfel, who runs the traditional tavern “Eiche” in the Glockenbachviertel, founded the association “Ludwig II Monument” and collected more than 220,000 euros in donations. The monument was financed entirely from private funds, without state subsidies. At the unveiling on Saturday, Markus Söder (CSU), Mayor Verena Dietl (SPD), and building director Jeanne-Marie Ehbauer were present.
Söder emphasized that Ludwig II stands for Bavaria because he “combines emotion and technology, tradition and progress.” Dietl highlighted the fairy-tale king’s significance for the queer community and predicted the monument would become a “photo hotspot.” The previously neglected area on the bastion was upgraded as part of the work, including using stone fragments from the old monument as seating.
Source: www.sueddeutsche.de
