LIFE/Alles klar on mad kings

King Ludwig II, a.k.a. the Swan King, the Dream King and the Mad King of Bavaria, built more than his fair share of castles, and some of Bavaria's most famous ones, including Neuschwanstein.

Some people simply have that itch that can't be scratched. Some wash their hands repeatedly; others are constantly checking if the stove's turned off; or they eat lunch at precisely the same time every day.

Fewer feel compelled to build huge palaces over and over again. But Ludwig did.

But why?

German psychologist Professor Heinz Häfner, founder of the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim, thinks he has the answer: compulsive palace-building syndrome.

Careful. That might be going around.

[Source: Deutsche Welles]

Read more real-life odd news in the July 2004 issue of "Arte Six".