Amazon International Site
Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Amazon.fr Amazon.de
The capital of the land, or state, of Bavaria, home of the famous annual Oktoberfest, and gateway to the Alps, Munich is one of Germany's most colorful and popular cities. It is located in the southeastern part of the country near the Austrian border. Its German name is Munchen. The heart of Munich is the Marienplatz. Off this square are both the old and new city halls the Altes Rathaus (late 15th century) and the neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus (1909). A set of chimes in the tower of the latter plays daily. Not far from the Marienplatz is the Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady. This is Munich's cathedral and preeminent city symbol. It was completed in 1488 in late-Gothic style and has two onion-dome towers. The Holy Roman emperor Louis the Bavarian (1283?-1347) is buried here. Other notable churches are the Peterskirche, Munich's oldest (late 11th century), and the Michaelskirche, a 16th-century Renaissance structure containing the burial vault of the Wittelsbach family, Bavaria's former ruling dynasty. Much of Munich's city center has been closed to automobile traffic. The former Wittelsbach palace complex is known simply as the Residenz and is located northeast of the Marienplatz. It was built over many centuries and is now a museum. A rococo-style theater in the Residenz is now the home of the Bavarian State Theater. Directly south is the National Theater, home of the Bavarian State Opera. Maximilian Strasse leads to the Maximilianeum, originally a royal school but now Bavaria's parliament building. Northwest of the city center is the Nymphenburg Castle. This baroque palace dates from the late 17th century and is now a museum. The Munich Botanical Gardens are on the Nymphenburg grounds. The Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, founded in 1472, has been located in Munich since 1826. Museums are many and impressive. The Alte Pinakothek has paintings by Raphael, Michelangelo, El Greco, and Rembrandt, among others. The Neue Pinakothek specializes in 19th-century artists. The Deutsches Museum, on an island in the Isar River, is known for its science and technology exhibits. The auto manufacturer BMW has a museum next to its company headquarters. On Konigsplatz, northwest of the city center, are the Glyptothek and Antikensammlungen, both dedicated to classical antiquities. Farther north is the Olympiapark with its Olympic sports facilities. Musical organizations include the Bavarian State Opera Company and the Munich Philharmonic. Munich's annual festivals attract many tourists. The 16-day Oktoberfest is the best known. The Fasching, or winter carnival, lasts from January 7 to Ash Wednesday, followed by a beer-tasting festival. Summer is dedicated to various musical events, including an opera festival. The industries of Munich manufacture precision instruments, optical and electrical appliances, cosmetics, clothing, beer, and food items. There are also book publishing and printing and motion-picture production. The city is a major convention and financial center. Munich originated as a Benedictine monastery, hence the name Munchen, or "home of the monks." When the monastery was granted market privileges in the 12th century, the city's real growth began. The Bavarian royal family of Wittelsbach settled in Munich in the 13th century, and Munich has remained the capital of Bavaria ever since. Louis IV the Bavarian had a second city wall constructed in the early 14th century. The city remained within this wall until the end of the 18th century. Munich was greatly expanded in the 19th century by Ludwig I, who transformed it into a modern city. He is responsible for many of Munich's finest museums. It was in this century that Protestants became citizens for the first time. Until then Munich was exclusively Roman Catholic. The monarchy came to an end in 1918, and the city became a part of the Weimar Republic. The Nazi party was founded there in 1919, and it was in Munich that Adolf Hitler staged his unsuccessful Beer Hall Putsch of 1923. The city was badly damaged during World War II. Population (1985 estimate), 1,266,100.
HOME
Search Now: