Munich

I

Introduction

Munich (German, München), city in central south Germany, capital of Bavaria, on the River Isar. It is an important industrial, cultural, and transport centre, known for its elegant shops, fashionable night clubs, breweries, and lively festivals. An international airport and a network of motorways and railways connects Munich with the rest of Germany and other cities of Europe. Population 1,249,200 (2005 estimate).

II

Economy

In addition to the world-famous beer, rail and electrical equipment, chemicals, optical and precision instruments, and processed food are produced in Munich. Since the late 18th century, when the process of lithography was invented in the city, Munich has been a major printing and publishing centre. The city also has an active fashion industry, with a large number of clothing manufacturers and textile factories. Many international exhibitions and trade fairs are held in Munich. The city is also an important centre of broadcasting and film production.

III

Places of Interest

The old part of the city, on the west bank of the Isar, has a number of Baroque and Rococo buildings, mostly built in the first half of the 18th century by the rulers of Bavaria, who were inspired by Italian models. In the centre of the old quarter is the Marienplatz, a well-known square, which is dominated by the city hall, the ornate Neues Rathaus, built between 1867 and 1908. Next to the city hall is the 15th-century Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), a massive late Gothic brick cathedral with two towers (99 m/325 ft high).

Several of the original gates to the city, including Sendlinger Gate (1310) and Isar Gate (1337), are still standing. The Hellabrunn Zoo is one of the largest in Germany. The city also has a large “English” garden, with a lake, a Chinese Pagoda, and the Haus der Kunst (an art gallery) within its confines. The Baroque Nymphenburg Castle (begun 1664) is located in a decoratively landscaped park. A large stadium was erected for the 1972 Olympic Games which were held in here. On the east bank of the Isar is the Maximilianeum (1857-1874), home of the Bavarian parliament.

Among the many museums and art galleries of Munich is the Deutsches Museum (German Museum), a museum of science and technology located on an island in the Isar. The Bavarian National Museum in the city contains art and craft exhibits from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. A leading German art gallery is the Alte Pinakothek (1836); its collection includes many paintings by Old Masters. Munich's Neue Pinakothek, opened in 1981 to replace a museum destroyed during World War II, contains an important collection of 19th-century European art.

Other important cultural centres are the National Theatre, the home of the Bavarian State Opera, and the Residenz (Royal) Palace, containing the Reiche Zimmer, the Treasury, and the Residenztheater—a sumptuously decorated Rococo theatre designed (1751-1753) by François de Cuvilliés.

The city is the seat of the Ludwig Maximilian University, founded in Ingolstadt in 1472, transferred to Landshut in 1800 and to Munich in 1826. There is also a technical university (1868) here.

IV

History

Munich was founded in 1158 as a mint and market town by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, and named after the monks who originally settled the site. In 1255, the powerful Wittelsbach family, who ruled as the dukes of Bavaria, made the city their residence. Munich was destroyed by fire in 1327 and later rebuilt by Louis IV, Holy Roman emperor. In 1632, during the Thirty Years' War, the city was captured by Gustav II Adolph of Sweden. Much of the modern development and splendid architecture of Munich dates from the reigns of three kings of Bavaria: Maximilian I, Louis I, and Louis II. After World War I the city was a key centre of the political unrest that led to the rise of National Socialism under Adolf Hitler. In 1923 the latter staged the abortive uprising known as the “Beer Hall Putsch” in Munich. In 1938 representatives of the major European powers signed the Munich Pact in the city, ceding to Germany the Sudeten, a part of Czechoslovakia. Heavily damaged during World War II, the city has been carefully rebuilt to a plan that included meticulous restoration wherever possible. In 1957 the city’s population exceeded 1 million. The new Franz-Josef Strauss airport opened in 1992.