For a World Heritage application for Neuschwanstein Castle, the residents of Schwangau in the Allgäu gave the green light in a referendum on Sunday. This means that the Federal Republic can submit the application to UNESCO in Paris in early 2024 as planned.
As Mayor Stefan Rinke (CSU) announced after the election, around 56 percent of the citizens supported the project. “We are happy about the referendum,” emphasized the head of the town hall. “This gives us the clear mandate of the population to actively support the government initiative.”
The Bavarian state government can now convince the UNESCO World Heritage Committee that the royal palaces of Bavaria’s fairytale king Ludwig II (1845-1886) are world-class monuments, said Rinke.
Bavaria’s Minister of Art, Markus Blume, reacted with relief to the result. The CSU politician said he was grateful for the decision of the citizens of Schwangau. “It’s an important decision for the region and a good one for Bayern.”
About 44 percent of those voting had spoken out against supporting the World Heritage application. Voter turnout was 56 percent.
Built Dreams project includes four castles
The “Building Dreams” project has been planned as a German World Heritage proposal for a number of years. In addition to Neuschwanstein, the other two world-famous palaces, Herrenchiemsee and Linderhof, as well as the lesser-known royal house at Schachen are to be suggested. According to current plans, UNESCO should decide on the German application in mid-2025.
The referendum was necessary because the support of the local population is expected for World Heritage applications. A “no” from Schwangau would have shaken the prestige project of the state government in Munich.
Reservations against even more tourists
In Schwangau, which has a population of 3,500, there are reservations because many citizens do not want more tourists. Neuschwanstein attracts up to one and a half million visitors every year. Other critics fear further restrictions for monument protection reasons if new buildings are to be erected in the future. Because of this mood, the Schwangau municipal council did not want to decide on the approval alone. The mayor described the referendum as “lived direct democracy”.
The vote was overshadowed by a crime that occurred a few days ago near Neuschwanstein. On Wednesday, an American is said to have attacked two young women and thrown them down a slope, a 21-year-old died. A sexual offense could have been the background to the crime. All three had come to the Allgäu as tourists. The 30-year-old suspect is in custody on suspicion of murder.
