Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River 10 km east of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany. The exterior is a close imitation of the Parthenon (a temple of the Greek goddess Athena), and is constructed of gray marble. It was the idea of 20-year-old Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1807, at a time when the German states were defeated and occupied by Napoleon. It was meant as a place for the commemoration of great figures and events in ethnic German history, at the time covering 1,800 years, beginning with the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (AD 9). Whereas the Valhalla of Norse mythology was home to those gloriously slain in battle, Ludwig's Walhalla was intended not only for warriors but also for scientists, writers, clerics and specifically also for women.

Exterior of Walhalla

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River…

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River 10 km east of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It was the idea of 20-year-old Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1807, at a time when the German states were defeated and occupied by Napoleon. It was meant as a place for the commemoration of great figures and events in ethnic German history, at the time covering 1,800 years, beginning with the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD). Whereas the Valhalla of Norse mythology was home to those gloriously slain in battle, Ludwig's Walhalla was intended not only for warriors but also for scientists, writers, clerics and specifically also for women. The walls are lined with marble, and the ceiling is very richly gilded and decorated. The busts that are placed in rows along the walls are, as far as possible, likenesses of celebrated Germans deemed worthy of a place in the Temple of Fame.

Interior of Walhalla

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River…