40th Bavarian riddle of the Münchner Merkur together with the Bavarian Palace Administration: The sixth question is about the Staffelsee and the island of Wörth.
The eight-square-kilometer Staffelsee is fantastically beautiful on the northern edge of the Murnauer Moos in front of the sublime backdrop of the Ammergau Mountains.
King Ludwig II also found this area so enchanting that he toyed with the idea of having his Versailles replica built here on the largest island in the lake - the island of Wörth.
But the then island owner Ludwig Brey, at that time owner of the Löwenbräu brewery in Munich, could not be persuaded to sell.
So King Ludwig had to look for another location and, as is well known, found it on the island of Herrenwörth in the Chiemsee.
The Staffelsee and the island of Wörth
The area of the island of Wörth is only around 39 hectares.
Nevertheless, it was the scene of at least regionally significant historical events.
It was probably settled as early as the Bronze Age.
Later, in the 4th and 5th centuries AD, the Romans looked for quarters on the protected island.
With the construction of a Carolingian monastery in the 8th century, the first major ecclesiastical institution arose on the island.
After the monastery was dissolved in the 11th century, only the monastery church remained, which from then on served as the parish church for the surrounding villages.
To make it easier for churchgoers to get to the church, a wooden footbridge was built across the lake, which led from Seehausen to the island of Wörth.
When this jetty fell victim to a storm in 1773 and the way to the church was only possible by boat, the island church with its baroque furnishings was transferred to Seehausen.
... the most beautiful place on the northern edge of the Bavarian Alps ...
Ödön von Horvath
In memory of the church building, Josef von Utzschneider donated the small St. Simpert chapel in 1838, which can still be admired on a hill on the island and, after extensive renovation measures, has been used again for church services, weddings and baptisms since 1999.
After intensive excavation work, under the leadership of the Munich State Archaeological Collection, an archaeological park was created around the chapel, which has provided information about the two thousand year history of the island since 2005.
A 39 hectare paradise that King Ludwig II loved
Towards the end of the 19th century, parts of the island landscape were embellished in the style of landscape gardening.
This is suggested by the remains of a garden pavilion and an avenue of lime trees.
It is conceivable that these beautification measures were carried out in connection with the mansion that was expanded at the beginning of the 20th century.
It was the architect Georg von Hauberrisser (1841-1922, also known as the architect of the neo-Gothic town hall on Marienplatz in Munich) who led the renovation of the imposing multi-wing building in historicizing forms.
Today, as then, the mansion on the south bank of the island sets an architectural accent that is visible from afar.
In the immediate vicinity is the old farm building of the former island farmer, who used the Wörth for agriculture for many years.
The visitor to the island of Wörth is presented with a highly agitated terrain characterized by depressions and hills, which was formed by the Loisach Glacier from the Würme Ice Age.
Almost half of the island's area is covered by a species-rich mixed forest.
Old oaks and beeches provide pleasant shade in addition to maple, ash, alder, pine and spruce.
The rest of the area is made up of various meadows and pastures, which offer wonderful views of the surrounding landscape.
Mountain goats and sheep satisfy their appetite here and thus ensure that the grassland is not taken over by the forest again.
With the varied juxtaposition of forest and meadow areas in their appearance, the island of Wörth fits harmoniously into the surrounding cultural landscape of the Bavarian Oberland.
The Bavarian Palace Administration is responsible for maintaining the island.
Among other things, it ensures that the wooded population develops as close to nature as possible and that the landscape of the island is preserved.
Also read: "Our castles, gardens and lakes"
The sixth question
How many islands are there in total in the Staffelsee?
So you can play along
From now on, our Bayern puzzle will appear for eight weeks - every Friday.
The answers must be received by the Thursday of the following week (date of the postmark).
If you take part in all eight questions, you also have eight chances of winning.
By post, by phone or using the online form: three ways to play along
Play along by post:
Please send the respective answers on a postcard to
Munich Mercury
"Bavaria Riddle"
81007 Munich
Play along by phone:
You can play by phone on
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(
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Telemedia interactive GmbH (EUR 0.50 per call from German landlines, more expensive mobile communications; data protection information at datenschutz.tmia.de)
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with the text:
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Play via the online form:
Click here to fill out the competition form.
The entry period
for the sixth issue of Bavaria riddle 2021
ends on Thursday, April 22, 2021, 18:00
.
There are over 140 attractive prizes to be won
Anyone can take part - with the exception of the employees of Merkur tz Redaktions GmbH, the newspaper publisher Oberbayern, the Bavarian Ministry of Finance and the palace administration.
The patron
is Minister of State
Albert Füracker
.
Here is the greeting.
solution
The solutions are published the following week in the newspaper and on Merkur.de.