Brigade Fuessen During the Events on June 10 1886 in
Hohenschwangau

Eyewitness Report from Gendarme Poppeler

I respectfully report to the Royal Company Commando that early on June 10 1886 at 3:30, I was informed by gendarme Buerkner (later spelled Brueckner) that a commission was planning to storm Neuschwanstein castle at approximately 2 o'clock, consisting of state minister v. Crailsheim, chief master of the Horse Hollnstein (Holnstein), count Doering (Toerring), first lieutenant Wasington (Washington), chief medical officer Gudten (Gudden), another physician and four wardens - 11 people in all. (There seem to be only 10).

Since His Majesty had been informed about the arrival of the commission by coachman Osterholzer, their entry was denied by the station commander Heintz, gendarme Zieglmair who was on horseback, and the gendarmes Weiss, Klauss and Schnurrer, by order of His Majesty the King.

The gentlemen now tried to talk each one of them into allowing them entry into the castle because a new regency had been established, which they wanted to confirm by presenting a document.

When all attempts to enter the castle failed, they asked the troopers if they were allowed to enter the castle if the District Commander would give his consent. The gendarmes answered with “no” because they had definite orders from His Majesty not to allow entry to anyone.

When, as already mentioned, the gendarme Brueckner informed me about this he added, that his Majesty had ordered that the District Commander instruct all troops to return to Neuschwanstein. The Schwangau fire brigade had already been informed, because the commission had tried to force its way into the castle. Myself and the gendarmes Heubeck, Heindl and Rist left for Hohenschwangau by order of the District Commander. The District Commander entered the old castle where the gentlemen were located, while I and the before mentioned gendarmes left for the new castle where the whole team of the gendarmes from Hohenschwangau, as well as the troops of the local border patrol, two foresters assistants and the fire brigade from Schwangau were standing in readiness. I immediately received the order to go inside the castle where the servant Mayer (Mayr)
reported to me that by order of His Majesty all gentlemen who tried to break into the castle during the night, were to be arrested and brought to the castle. I now explained to Mayer that I would only do so after receiving an order signed and sealed by the King. Such an order was then presented to me.

Early in the morning at five o’clock six other men and myself went to the old castle, had the building in which they were staying surrounded and went inside, where it appeared that everyone had gone to sleep. I did not know any of these men personally, knocked on one of the rooms and after I was asked to enter I introduced myself to the gentleman who was present. This was chief medical officer Dr. von Gudten (Gudden). I informed him of the command I had received from His Majesty, whereupon Gudten led me to minister von Crailsheim, who was lying in bed. (Last row of handwritten report of this page is not readable).

.... His Excellency answered that the King had no power to arrest anyone and stated that he was not King any longer and that he had already telegraphed to Munich so the regency would be proclaimed this morning. I told Excellency that I was unaware of any of this and that I, as a soldier, would never break my oath of allegiance to His Majesty the King, who is my superior commander and that under no circumstances would I break my oath and therefore I will and must follow the command of the King. I left the room and walked into the hallway. A short time later chief master of the horse count von Hollnstein as well as Count Doering were present in the room of the minister and when I walked in again the gentlemen repeated to me that the King has no right to have them arrested.

I insisted that the gentlemen not keep me from my duty, not let it come to violence and come with me peacefully because a first messenger had arrived to bring the gentlemen immediately to the castle. Excellency replied that he had to talk again with the District Commander who had left the old castle and had gone to the new one. I agreed to wait and the minister’s servant went to Neuschwanstein Castle to notify the District Commander. During the time it took for the District Commander to arrive, a second messenger had arrived with an order for me not to hesitate any longer to bring the gentlemen to the castle. A group of firemen had already gathered in the court yard of the old castle to help carry out the order.

After the District Commander had arrived I was called from the hallway into the room, where all gentlemen were present. They impressed on me again that their arrest was not justified and the Chief Master of the Horse in particularly tried to move me to release the gentlemen, who then would immediately leave the castle and I could report that the gentlemen had already left before I arrived and that the District Commander had no objections if I would let them go. I asked the District Commander if he would give me this in writing and he agreed. I contemplated this for a minute and replied:

Mr. District Commander, I am sorry for not being able to follow your orders. I have received the order for the arrest directly from the King and I have to follow his command, even if my whole existence will be on the line and it will cost me my head."

Hearing this, the gentlemen followed me from the old castle to the new one where His Excellency minister von Crailsheim, chief master of the horse von Hollnstein and Count Doering were immediately taken into custody. The District Commander and I accompanied them, four gendarmes followed a little further back and then came the troops of the fire brigade, who had assembled in the court yard of the old castle. Half way between Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein another troop of firemen came towards us and I waved to them. I called the troop leader over and explained to him that they had received the order of the King to tie the gentlemen, throw them into a wagon and take them to the castle. Led by the above mentioned fire brigade troopers, our procession continued.

After our arrival at the new castle the gentlemen were taken to a room above the gate house. I went inside the castle and reported to lackey Mayer that all gentlemen had arrived. Now I received the order to bring the remaining gentlemen and the wardens from the old castle to the new one. I sent one of the gendarmes from Neuschwanstein to the old castle and he, along with the gendarmes I had left at the old castle to guard the gentlemen, brought these gentlemen to the new castle. After their arrival at Neuschwanstein Castle I again reported to Mayer, who then gave me an order which had been personally written by the King, directing me to have the gentlemen tied with ropes, beat them until they were bloody and tear their uniforms off their bodies. I returned to the gate building and posted double guards in front of the rooms the gentlemen were in with the instructions not to let anyone enter the gentlemen’s room or to attack them because I had made a promise to the Chief Master of the Horse during our walk to Neuschwanstein that my troopers and myself would protect the gentlemen from the overly exited firemen and others.

I would like to add to this that while I was on the way from the old castle to Neuschwanstein on June 10 1886, early at 6:30 with the gentlemen in question, I took this opportunity to explain to them that I had to follow the orders of my King. They then asked me if I would shoot them on the King’s command or would have them beheaded or tortured,. I replied that no one can be punished without a conviction and that I would not follow such an order because a prisoner is not allowed to be ill treated. To their other questions whether I would protect them during their internment at Neuschwanstein if the King would order the other troops already present at Neuschwanstein to mistreat them, I answered with “yes” and that I would protect them with everything available to me.

As the above mentioned gentlemen and I continued on our way, accompanied by the District Commander, chief master of the horse count von Hollnstein, who was walking on the opposite side of the road, called out to the District Manager:

"You have no authority and power. If we would depend on you we would be in sad shape."

The Chief Master of the Horse called me aside and urged me again to protect him and the gentlemen from the exited locals and the people of the fire brigade and not to let them be mistreated by the royal servants because that would be too horrible for him. He promised me that if I protect him and the gentlemen he would not forget this and that he would put in a good word for me and take care of me if the need arises.

At approximately 1 o’clock in the afternoon the District Manager received a telegram with the proclamation of the appointment of a regency, he contacted me and we released the gentlemen. They left one after the other on the road towards Buchung where they entered a carriage and drove off. Since His Majesty was now out of danger I sent my troops back to Hohenschwangau except for two troopers whom I asked to remain at gate of Neuschwanstein for protection, where I also remained until the arrival of Herrn {Corges?), the Chief of Herrn (Corges?) and an aide-de-camp. I further note that His Majesty’s aide-de-camp Tuerkheim (Duerckheim) arrived at 2:30 in the afternoon from Munich and went directly to His Majesty. The fire brigade was able to leave the castle at 2 o’clock in the afternoon by order of His Majesty and return home.

Finally I recall another important event. While I was in the room of Minister von Crailsheim at the old Hohenschwangau Castle on the morning of June 10, there was a knock at the door and when the minister answered to enter, the gendarme Georg Heubeck stood by the door and told me that someone would like to speak to me. I left the room and returned to the hallway where.......... (Last line of page and first line of next handwritten page are not readable)...
...approximately 20 years old, who informed me that the dispatcher sent him to ask that since he had telegraphs from King Ludwig II., if he could sent them or if telegraphs arriving for the King could be forwarded to him. I replied that I could not answer to this and that the dispatcher should form his own opinion, based on his work ethics and oath, whether to withhold any telegraphic messages.

I went into the room of the chief master of the horse von Hollnstein and from there back to minister von Crailsheim’s room, where I found the dispatcher himself, who had been admitted entry to the castle by gendarme Josef Steindl of the Fuessen brigade. The dispatcher stated that he wanted to ask His Excellency minister von Crailsheim, since he is the uppermost chief, if he was allowed to forward the King's telegraphs. His Excellency was very upset about my presence and told me not to bother him since I was aware that he was in a discussion with a gentleman, meaning the dispatcher who was to detain the telegraphs. I later met the before mentioned {dispatcher} again who told me that those telegrams from His Majesty were ordered to be held back.

Ferdinand Poppeler, Guard Commander

Fuessen in June 1886

Translation by Ingrid Kane

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