in 1838, the empress of russia was honored with a schuhplattler by the residents of the bath town of wildbad kreuth, and the aristocracy, fascinated by the strange costumes and quaint pursuits of the common folk, began taking an interest in the dance. many consider the real birth of the modern schuhplattler, however, to be king maximilian ii of bavaria's excursion through the alps in 1858, when locals performed the dance for him, and he fell in love with it.