The neoclassical building in Bavaria built to honor notable German speakers is Walhalla. It is a monumental hall of fame near Donaustauf, close to Regensburg, overlooking the Danube.
Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria conceived the memorial in 1807 as a way to emphasize a shared German cultural heritage during a period when the German lands were politically divided. After Ludwig became king, construction began in 1830 under architect Leo von Klenze, and Walhalla opened on 18 October 1842. Its design deliberately echoes the Parthenon in Athens: a Greek temple with a Doric peristyle, raised on a monumental terrace.
The memorial contains busts and plaques honoring politicians, rulers, scientists, artists, writers and other distinguished figures associated with the German tongue. Its early definition of “German” was broader than modern national identity, including figures from regions that were not part of Germany. The name comes from Valhalla, the hall of the honored dead in Norse mythology, but Ludwig intended the monument for cultural achievement as well as military glory. New busts have continued to be added in modern times.