Dozens of medals stolen from "crazy" King Ludwig II's smaller castle, Hohenschwangau

Unidentified robbers broke into the Hohenschwangau castle of "crazy" King Ludwig II of Bavaria in southern Germany, stealing dozens of valuable medals and honors, Munich police said Monday.

Officials believe the robbery occurred in the early hours of Sunday, when the robbers climbed over the castle's wall, broke into the building and stole roughly 80 medals and other honors worth about -50,000, or US$59,000, police said in a statement.

Hohenschwangau, where Ludwig spent his youth, is often considered the sister castle to the more famous nearby fairy-tale schloss of Neuschwanstein.

Ludwig was responsible for building several extravagant castles and was King of Bavaria from 1864 to his death in 1886. He died after being declared officially insane, AP reported. V.A.