History

A Brief History of Munich

Munich was founded in the ninth century as a small village near a Benedictine monastery. The name is derived from the old German term for monk. In 1225, Munich became a ducal seat and from 1504 the undisputed capital of Bavaria. It remained the primary residence of the ruling Wittelsbach family up to the abolition of the monarchy in 1918. They were avid builders and created palaces and churches, as well as structures that filled whole city blocks. Bavaria was elevated to a kingdom in 1806 and the kings were generally enlightened rulers who attracted artistic talent to the city.

After the First World War, Munich briefly fell into the hands of revolutionaries and also saw the foundation of the National Socialist German Labor Party – commonly known later simply as the Nazis. In 1923, its leader, Adolf Hitler, unsuccessfully attempted a coup d’état. Once he was in power, Munich became the “Capital of the Movement” and several buildings were erected or altered to reflect the Nazi views. In 1938, the infamous meeting where Britain, France, and Italy sold out Czechoslovakia took place in Munich.

The city suffered terrible bombardments during the war but rebuilt quickly afterwards. On December 15, 1957, it officially became a city of a million inhabitants. In 1972, it hosted the summer Olympic Games and two years later Germany won the soccer world cup in the Olympic stadium. Munich’s wealth is built on modern industries.

Old Town

Munich's Old Town Pedestrian Zone

Karlsplatz

Approaching the old town and pedestrian zone from the main station, the first sights that deliver some impression of what is to follow are the monumental buildings at Karlsplatz. The square is locally known as Stachus, named after an inn that disappeared long ago. It was the busiest traffic circle in Europe before World War II and there is a huge fountain which is a popular meeting spot. The old town area is entered via the 14th-century Karlstor.

Marienplatz

Munich's Marienplatz

Marienplatz (Mary’s Square) is the heart of Munich. It is a large square, where most festivals and protest rallies are held. In 1638, Prince Elector Maximilian erected the Mariensäule (Mary’s Column) to give thanks for the relief of the city from the Swedish threat during the Thirty Years’ War. It has a statue of the Virgin made in 1590 by Hubert Gerhard on top of an 11-m (33-foot) Corinthian column.

Odeonsplatz

Odeonsplatz

The roads on both side of the Neues Rathaus eventually lead to the Odeonsplatz. At the east side is the huge Residenz complex. At the south is the Feldherrnhalle (Field Marshalls’ Portico), erected in the 1840s as a copy of the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, Italy. It has statues of General Tilly (Thirty Years’ War) and General Wrede (Napoleonic Wars), guarded by Bavarian lions.

The Theatinerkirche (Theatine Church, or officially, St Kajetan), Theatinerstraße 22, is an excellent example of Late Baroque architecture. It was built in 1663-88, with the Rococo façade added a century later by Cuveliés. The interior is mostly white and well lit with a cupola 71 m (240 feet) high. The stuccowork is particularly fine. The crypt contains the graves of 25 members of the Wittelsbach dynasty.

North of the Odeonsplatz is the monumental Ludwigstraße, commissioned by King Ludwig I in the early 19th century when he made Munich a major European cultural center. The huge Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Byzantine buildings are interesting but add no life to area. Once past the Siegestor (Triumph Arch), the street becomes alive as Leopoldstraße, lined with cafés and the good life expected from the Schwabing neighborhood.

The Residenz

The Residenz

The Wittelsbach family, who ruled Bavaria for 700 years, built the massive Residenz (Residence) complex from 1385 onwards. It has examples of all building styles with large sections in the Renaissance and Classical styles. The interior, inevitably, also has many Baroque and Rococo rooms. The palace is one of the most important in Germany and, although severely damaged during World War II, it has been restored to its original condition. The complex houses several museums – if time is limited give preference to the Treasury.

The Schatzkammer der Residenz (Treasury in the Residence) contains the treasures of the Wittelsbach family collected over a period of 300 years. It is spread over eight rooms and is one of the most important collections of its kind in Europe. It includes the crown (1280) of Heinrich II, a bejeweled small statue of St George Slaying the Dragon (1597), and the royal insignia produced in 1807 after Napoleon had elevated Bavaria to a kingdom.

Residenzmuseum

The enormous Residenzmuseum at Max-Joseph-Platz 3 includes about 120 rooms of the former palace. The main attraction is the wall and ceiling decoration of the many rooms, as most are without furniture. The museum also has a large porcelain and silverware collection. Highlights include the Antiquarium (1570), which is the largest secular Renaissance hall north of the Alps. It is filled with Roman and Greek busts. Also popular are the Reichen Zimmer (Rich Rooms) in Rococo that were the state rooms during the 18th century, and the Royal Apartments constructed for King Ludwig I in the mid-19th century. The museum has no English signs, making an audio guide or guidebook essential.

The Cuvilliés-Theater (Altes Residenztheater/Old Residence Theater), Residenzstraße1, is a magnificent Rococo theater built in 1751-3 by Francois Cuvilliés. It has four rows of boxes using different designs and decorations. The most lavish is the Prince Elector’s box. The theater is still in frequent use.

The Renaissance Hofgarten (Royal Garden) is north of the Residenz complex. It is flanked by 19th-century arcades and the modern Staatskanzlei (State Chancellery). The octagonal temple in the middle of the garden is crowned by Huberd Gerhard’s 1594 Diana.

Englischer Garten

Englischer Garten

The Englischer Garten (English Garden) is Europe’s largest city park. This huge park was laid out in the early 19th century and is a favored place to relax. In the south of the park is a Japanese Tea House (1972). Towards the middle of the park is a classical round temple, the Monopteros (1838). It is supposed to have great views of the old town skyline, but the number of drug users and undesirables that frequent the place lead many to prefer the view from the rolling lawns. The five-story Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Pagoda) of 1760 burned down during the Second World War but was reconstructed in 1952. In its shade is a 6,000-seat beer garden. Nude sunbathing is still practiced in many parts of the park, although students strolling around in the nude are much less common nowadays than they were in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the south end of the Englischer Garten is the Haus der Kunst (House of Art), at Prinzregentenstraße 1. It has no permanent collection but was commissioned by the Nazis to exhibit their ideas of real German art. Hitler opened the building in person (and broke the hammer with the first blow!). It currently houses temporary exhibitions and events.

Southeast of the Englischer Garten is the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (Bavarian National Museum), Prinzregentenstraße 3. It focuses on local art and cultural items but many are world-renowned. The completion of restoration work by 2006 will see a reorganization and it is still uncertain which of the 800,000 items will be on permanent display. The excellent works by Tilman Riemenschneider are a sure bet, as are the vast collection of early medieval and Gothic works.

Nearby is the Schack-Galerie, Prinzregentenstraße 9. It has a collection of 270 German 19th-century paintings.

Deutsches Museum

Deutsches Museum

The Deutsches Museum (German Museum), at Museumsinsel 1, is one of the largest technology museum in the world. It is on an island in the River Isar and has a vast collection, with 18,000 scientific and technology items on permanent display. Many working models and frequent demonstrations add further interest. Seeing it all will require a hike of some 16 km (10 miles). Particularly popular are the various transportation departments that include the first Benz automobile (the one in the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart is a copy), the first German submarine, early trains and planes, boats, and missiles . Large sections are also devoted to pure science, with physical laws and chemical reactions explained. Further exhibitions include paper- and porcelain- making, photography, weather prediction, electronics, agriculture, and astronomy.

In contrast to the great formal museums in Munich is the ZAM - Zentrum für Außergewöhnliche Museen (Center for Unusual Museums), Westenriederstr. 41. It has seven small museums on offbeat items, including a collection of chamber pots (2,000!), guardian angels, pedal cars, Sisi (the Empress Elizabeth), Easter bunnies, bourdalous (traveling chamber pots), and scents. It is near the Isartor.

Pinakotheken Viertel

Pinakotheken Viertel

The Pinakotheken Viertel (Art Galleries’ Quarter) is an informal name for the area a few blocks northeast of the Hauptbahnhof that houses several major art galleries. The most impressive are the three Pinakotheken that together present art from the Middle Ages to the present. The individual collections are among the best in Germany, with the Alte Pinakothek one of the best in the world.

The Alte Pinakothek (Old Masters’ Gallery), Barer Straße 27, is one of the world’s greatest art collections of European painters from the Middle Ages to the early 19th century. It is housed in a large early 19th-century Neo Renaissance building rebuilt after World War II. The catalogue reads like a Who’s Who of European painters, with excellent works by all the great masters. German, Dutch, and Flemish artists are particularly well represented. The Rubens collection is one of the largest in the world.

Across the road is the Neue Pinakothek (New Art Gallery), Barer Straße 29. The post-modern building was only completed in 1981 to house the mainly 19th-century art collection that has been homeless sinceWorldWar II. The sculptures and paintings cover all periods from Rococo to Art Nouveau. It has works by all the famous Impressionist artists but it is really the German works that come to the fore here.

Adjacent is the Pinakothek der Moderne (Modern Art Gallery), Barer Straße 40, 089-2380-5118, www.pinakothekder-moderne.de, opened in 2002. This glass and steel building houses four collections that together represent the largest modern art gallery in Germany. The exhibition comprises sections on modern art, industrial and graphic design, graphic art, and architecture.

Königsplatz

Königsplatz

The area known as Königsplatz was destined to become the Acropolis Germaniae under the Nazis, but clever redesigning after the war left it with a less bombastic and still Classical appearance. Few visitors would associate the buildings here with the Nazi era, in stark contrast to what happened with the Party Rallying grounds in Nürnberg. The area houses several impressive museums to complement the nearby Pinakotheken.

At the north of the square is the Greek temple-like Glyptothek, Königsplatz 3. This Ionic columned building was erected in 1816-30 to house one of Europe’s largest collections of antique sculpture.

On the south side of the square, with a Corinthian colonnade, is the Antikensammlungen (Antiquities Collection), Königsplatz 1, 089-598-359, www.antikensammlungen.de. It has an impressive array of Greek ceramics, Etruscan art, small sculptures, bronzes, and jewelry.

The Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau (Municipal Gallery), Luisenstraße 33, is in a Florentine-style villa constructed in the late 19th century for the artist Lenbach. Alarge part of the collection is by local painters or of regional subjects. However, the Avant-Garde Blaue Reiter collection is internationally famous, with many works by Kadinsky, Marc, Kubin, Klee, and Jawlensky. The attached Kunstbau is actually a former subway platform and is used to house temporary exhibitions.

Olympiagelände & BMW

Olympiagelände

In the northern suburbs of Munich is the Olympiagelände (site of the 1972 Summer Olympic Games). The games then were much less elaborate than the current versions and the stadiums are still in everyday use. The 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium and the 14,000-seat multipurpose Olympiahalle are frequently used for sports and cultural events, while the Olympic swimming pool is open to the general public. Of particularly note is the enormous glass tent that was constructed to cover the main stadiums and large public areas. It was fabulously expensive and over-budget but now is much loved. Twelve pylons 81 m (260 feet) high and 36 smaller ones keep the glass roof in the air. The almost 60-m (195-foot) high Olympiaberg (Olympic Mountain) was created by rubble carted out of Munich after the Second World War. Most of the Olympiagelände is unfenced and freely accessible. It is a favored place for jogging, cycling, and inline skating.

The Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower, 1968), 290 m (950 feet) high, is the tallest television tower in Germany. A viewing platform and revolving restaurant at 190 m elevation (620 feet) attracts up to 700,000 annual visitors. The views of Munich are fine – it really is too high to see much detail – but the views of the Bavarian Alps are fantastic when weather is clear. The elevator costs i3 and operates from 9 am to midnight.

BMW (Bayerischen Motoren Werken)

Adjacent to the Olympiagelände are the headquarters and a factory of Bayerischen Motoren Werken, better known by the acronym BMW. The headquarters are in a futuristic-looking silver building from the early 1970s. It looks as if four cylinders of 19 stories each are hanging from the support structures at the top. The BMW-Museum, Petuelring 130,   089-3822-3307, www.bmw.com, has an interesting exhibition of BMW cars, aircraft engines, and motorcycles, ranging from the 1928 Dixi to design studies.

Schloss Nymphenburg

Schloss Nymphenburg

Schloss Nymphenburg was erected originally from 1664 to 1674 as a small summer retreat west of the city for the ruling family. However, Prince Elector Max Emmanuel turned it into a lavish palace. For most of the 18th century, his successors added more features and structures, until Nymphenburg became the largest palace in Germany. The garden was developed from 1700 onwards and eventually combined formal Italian and French elements with English landscape garden areas.

The huge palace – it is a km (.6 mile) long – can be visited without a tour. It is mostly Baroque and has a splendid interior. The huge banqueting hall has rich stuccos and frescoes by Johann Baptist Zimmermann. Several royal apartments are on display, including the Geburtzimmer (Birth Room) of mad King Ludwig II. Of special note is the Schönheitengalerie (Gallery of Beauties) – a huge collection of paintings by Joseph Stieler of beautiful women that caught the roving eye of King Ludwig. Especially of note is the painting of Lola Montez, the woman who cost him his throne.

Marstallmuseum mit Museum Nymphenburger Porzellan

The Marstallmuseum mit Museum Nymphenburger Porzellan (Carriage Museum with Porcelain Collection) is in the south wing of the palace. It includes the collection of lavish carriages owned by the Wittelsbach family. Of special interest are the coronation coaches of Karl VII (1741) and Max Joseph (early 19th century) as well as the luxurious sleigh of Ludwig II. On the second floor is the porcelain collection of 1,200 items from Rococo to Art Nouveau.

Of the structures in the garden, Amalienburg is the most interesting. Originally conceived as a simple hunting lodge, Cuvilliés created a simple exterior but a magnificent Rococo interior (1739). This pleasure pavilion served as inspiration for many others that were created all over Europe during the 18th century. It has lavish kennels for the royal hunting dogs, a hall of mirrors rotunda, and a kitchen tiled in blue and white Delft.

Three further early 18th-century structures in the garden are open to the public. The Badenburg contained the first heated swimming pool since Roman times. The Pagodenburg has an elegant French exterior but the interior is exotic Asian. It was used mainly as a teahouse. The Magdalenenklause is a folly of artificial ruins. It contains a chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene.

Dachau

Dachau

In 1933, on orders from Heinrich Himmler, the Nazis’ first concentration camp was created at Dachau near Munich. Those incarcerated here were mostly political prisoners. Although gas chambers were built, they were never used and it remained primarily a slave labor camp. By the time of liberation in 1945, 31,591 of the 206,000 prisoners had died, mostly of malnutrition and disease. At liberation, the camp had fewer than 70,000 prisoners, of which about a third were Jews. A local priest, Rupert Mayer, who was interned there, was later declared a saint – see Bürgersaal for details.

The whole camp area is now a memorial site to those who died here, as well as to those who suffered under the Nazi regime elsewhere. Many parts of the camp have been restored or rebuilt. In the main building is the KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau Museum (Concentration Camp Memorial), at Alte Römerstraße 75, 85221 Dachau. It has photos and information about the tragic and disturbing events.

Schleißheim

Schleißheim

Neues Schloss Schleißheim

Prince Elector Max Emmanuel, who built large parts of Schloss Nymphenburg, erected another magnificent Baroque palace north of Munich. Neues Schloss Schleißheim (New Palace), at Max-Emanuel-Platz 1, was to have been his Versailles. Debt and exile ruined his plans but one of the four planned wings of monumental proportions was eventually completed in 1719. The 335-m (1,000-foot) building has a Late Baroque and Rococo interior, which is partly the work of Johann Baptist Zimmermann and Cosmas Damian Asam. The art gallery includes a remarkable collection of European Baroque paintings, with three works by Rubens. About 50 rooms on two floors are open to the public.

The Hofgarten

The Hofgarten (Royal Garden) at Neues Schloss Schleißheim, is one of only two Baroque gardens in Germany that survived in an unaltered form. (The other one is Herrenhausen in Hanover.) It is in a French style with formal geometric design. The basic structures were already designed in 1684 and most of it completed early in the 18th century. A center canal leads to the end of the garden where a Baroque folly, the late 17th-century hunting palace of Lustheim, is encircled by smaller canals. Side-canals run the full length of the garden at the width of the main building and come together in a half-circle behind Lustheim. The fountains are operational daily from April to mid-September, 10 am to 4 pm. The gardens are freely accessible year-round.

Schloss Lustheim currently houses the most important early Meissen porcelain collection outside Saxony. The tiger shown at left is from 1732.

The Flugwerft Schleißheim (Airport), Effnerstraße 18, is a dependence of the Deutsches Museum in the north of Munich. It has early aircraft and missiles on display.