Architecture of Munich

Marienplatz and Stachus

At the center of the city is the "Marienplatz" - a large open square named after the Mariensäule, a Marian column in its centre - with the Old and the New Town Hall. Its tower contains the "Rathaus-Glockenspiel", an ornate clock with almost life-sized moving figures that show scenes from a medieval jousting tournament as well as a performance of the famous "Schäfflertanz" (roughly translated "Barrel-makers' dance". The "Schäffler" supposedly were the first to dance in the streets after the plague ended, thus encouraging the people to do so themselves). Three gates of the demolished medieval fortification have survived to this day - the "Isartor" in the east, the "Sendlinger Tor" in the south and the "Karlstor" in the west of the inner city. The Karlstor is the oldest building at "Stachus", a grand square dominated by the "Justizpalast (Palace of Justice)". The old gothic arsenal building close to Marienplatz houses the "Munich City Museum".

Houses of worship

The "Peterskirche" close to Marienplatz is the oldest church of the inner city. It was first built during the Romanesque period, and was the focus of the early monastic settlement in Munich before the city's official foundation in 1158. The oldest church within the city borders is "Heilig Kreuz" in Fröttmaning next to the Allianzarena, known for its Romanesque fresco. The interior of the gothic St. Mary's Church in the district Ramersdorf-Perlach of Munich was re-designed in baroque style.

Nearby St. Peter the Gothic hall-church "Heiliggeistkirche" (The Church of the Holy Ghost) was converted to baroque style from 1724 onwards and looks down upon the Viktualienmarkt, the most popular market of Munich.

The "Frauenkirche" (Dom zu unserer Lieben Frau - Cathedral of Our Lady) is the most famous building in the city center and serves as cathedral for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

The nearby "Michaelskirche" is the largest renaissance church north of the Alps, while the "Theatinerkirche" is a basilica in Italianate high baroque which had a major influence on Southern German baroque architecture. Its dome dominates the Odeonsplatz. Other baroque churches in the inner city which are worth a detour are the "Bürgersaalkirche", the "Dreifaltigkeitskirche", the "St. Anna Damenstiftskirche" and "St. Anna im Lehel", the first rococo church in Bavaria. The "Asamkirche" was endowed and built by the Brothers Asam, pioneering artists of the rococo period. "St Michael in Berg am Laim" was built almost simultaneously by Johann Michael Fischer and might be the most remarkable church out of the inner city.

With the 19th century architectural revival styles many new Catholic churches were constructed also in Munich. Since Middle Franconia whose population is predominantly of Protestant origin was annexed by Bavaria the first Protestant churches St Mathaeus, St. Martin and St. Lukas in Munich were erected in this period as well.

On November 9th 2006 the new Ohel Jakob synagogue was opened on Sankt-Jakobs-Platz, 68 years after the massive Kristallnacht pogrom [http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2230576,00.html] [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/09/europe/EU_GEN_Germany_Synagogue_Of_Hope.php] .

A new mosque is planned not far from the city center on a vacant lot. An Islamic prayer house still exists in the vicinity but the plans for a bigger and more representative building face to face with a Catholic church are discussed controversely.

The palaces in the inner city

The "Alte Hof", a medieval castle and first residence of the Wittelsbach dukes in Munich still exists in the inner city close to Marienplatz. The Renaissance "Mint Yard" with its neoclassical façade is situated between the old castle and the Residenz.The large "Residenz" palace complex (begun in 1385) on the edge of Munich's Old Town ranks among Europe's most significant museums of interior decoration. Having undergone several extensions, it contains also the treasury and the splendid rococo "Cuvilliés Theatre".

Among the baroque and neoclassical mansions which still exist in Munich are the "Palais Porcia", the "Palais Törring-Jettenbach" with its loggia, the "Palais Preysing", the "Palais Holnstein" (the residence of the Archbishop of Munich and Freising), the "Palais Leuchtenberg" (the former residence of Eugène de Beauharnais) and the "Prinz-Carl-Palais", the official residence of Bavaria's state premier (or Ministerpräsident). All mansions are situated close to the Residenz.

The royal avenues, the museums and theatres

Next door to the Residenz the neo-classical opera, the "Nationaltheater" was erected. On its left hand side the modern "Residenz Theatre" was constructed in the building that had housed the Cuvilliés Theatre before World War II. Four grand royal avenues of the 19th century with magnificent official buildings are reminders of the kingdom of Bavaria:

The neoclassical "Brienner Strasse", starting at "Odeonsplatz" on the northern fringe of the Old Town close to the Residenz, runs from east to west and opens into the impressive "Königsplatz", designed with the "Doric" "Propyläen", the "Ionic" "Glyptothek" and the "Corinthian" "State Museum of Classical Art", on its back side St. Boniface's Abbey was erected. The area around Königsplatz is home to the Kunstareal, Munich's gallery and museum quarter, also including the "Alte Pinakothek," the "Neue Pinakothek," the "Pinakothek der Moderne" and the Lenbachhaus.

"Ludwigstrasse" also begins at "Odeonsplatz" and runs from south to north, skirting the "Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität", the "St. Louis church", the "Bayerische Staatsbibliothek" (Bavarian State Library) and numerous state ministries and palaces. The southern part of the avenue was constructed in Italian renaissance style while the north is strongly influenced by Italian Romanesque architecture.

The neo-Gothic "Maximilianstrasse" starts at "Max-Joseph-Platz", where the "Residenz" and the National Theatre are situated, and runs from west to east. The avenue is framed by neo-Gothic palaces which house, among others, the "Schauspielhaus" and the building of the district government of Upper Bavaria and the Völkerkundemuseum (Museum of Ethnology). After crossing the river Isar, the avenue circles the "Maximilianeum", home of a gifted students´ foundation and the Bavarian Landtag (state parliament). The western portion of Maximilianstrasse is known for its designer shops, luxury boutiques, jewellery stores, and one of Munich's foremost five-star hotels, the "Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten" (Four Seasons).

"Prinzregentenstrasse" runs parallel to Maximilianstrasse and begins at "Prinz-Carl-Palais", in the northeastern part of the Old Town. Many museums can be found along the avenue, such as the internationally renowned "Haus der Kunst" (House of Art), the "Bayerisches Nationalmuseum" (Bavarian National Museum), the "Schackgalerie" and the "Villa Stuck" on the eastern side of the river. The avenue crosses the river and circles the "Friedensengel" (Angel of Peace), a monument commemorating the 25 years of peace following the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. The "Prinzregententheater", another important theatre, is at Prinzregentenplatz further to the east.

The "Gärtnerplatz Theatre" is a ballet and musical state theatre on the left bank of the Isar in the south of the inner city. The modern "Gasteig" center is situated on the opposite bank of the river, close to the "Volksbad", a large public bath built in the art nouveau style.

The "Deutsches Museum", is located nearby on an island in the Isar, is one of the oldest and largest science museums in the world.

The palaces in the suburbs

Two large baroque palaces in Nymphenburg and Oberschleissheim are reminders of Bavaria's royal past.

"Schloss Nymphenburg" ("Nymphenburg Palace"), some 6 km north west of the city centre, is surrounded by an impressive park and is considered to be one of Europe's most beautiful royal residences.

2 km north west of Nymphenburg Palace is "Schloss Blutenburg" ("Blutenburg Castle") situated, an old ducal country seat with a late-Gothic palace church. "Schloss Fürstenried" ("Fürstenried Palace"), a baroque palace of similar structure to Nymphenburg but of much smaller size, was contemporaneously erected in the south west of Munich.

The second large baroque residence is "Schloss Schleißheim" ("Schleissheim Palace"), located in the suburb of Oberschleissheim, a palace complex encompassing three separate residences: "Altes Schloss Schleißheim" (the old palace), "Neues Schloss Schleißheim" (the new palace) and "Schloss Lustheim" (Lustheim Palace). Most parts of the palace complex serve as museums and art galleries.

Modern Munich

Munich features a wide and diverse array of modern architecture, although strict height limitations for buildings have limited the construction of skyscrapers. Most high-rise buildings are clustered at the northern edge of Munich, like the Hypohaus, the Arabella High-Rise Building, the Highlight Towers, Uptown Munich and the BMW Headquarters next to the Olympic Park. Several other high-rise buildings are located near the city center and on the Siemens campus in southern Munich.

A landmark of modern Munich is also the architecture of the sport stadiums. The "Olympic Park" with its stadium was built for the Munich 1972 Summer Olympics. The Olympic buildings are famous for their design, which was inspired by dew-covered cobwebs. Visitors can get a great panoramic view of Munich and the Alps from the top of the Olympic Tower ("Olympiaturm"), which is also used as a radio and TV broadcasting tower.The 2006 World Cup did not take place in the traditional "Olympic Stadium", but in Munich's new football stadium, the "Allianz Arena", located in the northern suburb of Fröttmaning.

In November 2004, a referendum was held to decide whether the construction of high-rise buildings in the inner city should be prohibited; as a result of the referendum, several building projects, among them the planned new office building of Süddeutscher Verlag, had to be changed substantially or given up completely. However, as of 2006, due to the very close result of the referendum and because the referendum's result was binding only for one year, there is an ongoing discussion in the city council on how to proceed with future building plans. So in that time the building of the Süddeutsche Verlag is under construction and will be finished until the mid of 2008. Other skyscrapers are planned, for example near the Olympiapark.