Tour Manager Notes: Munich

Key Dates

1158 – Munich founded by Henry the Lion.
1255 – Munich becomes an Imperial City.
1504 – Munich established as capital of the new Bavarian Duchy under Albrecht IV.
1806 – Napoleon declares Bavaria a Kingdom with Munich as its capital.
1871 – Bavaria becomes part of a unified Germany.
1916 – BMW founded in Munich.
1923 – Hitler attempts his Beerhall Putsch.
1935–1945 – Munich referred to as the “capital of the movement” by the Nazis.

Overview

Berliners refer to Munich as the “Millionendorf” (“the village with a million inhabitants”). Despite being a sophisticated and modern metropolis, Munich retains the charm and friendly atmosphere of a provincial Bavarian village. The tourist board slogan reflects this, calling the city the “Weltstadt mit Herz” (“global city with a heart”). More recently, residents began to refer to it as a DINK city (double income, no kids), because apartment prices soared and reasonably priced accommodation became almost impossible to find. In a recent survey asking where Germans would most like to live, Munich was voted the most desirable city.

In the past, King Ludwig I called Munich “Athens on the Isar” because he wanted to shape the city’s architecture in the image of the ancient classical world. Building styles in Munich range from Renaissance and Baroque to Neoclassical, Nazi, Neo Gothic and 20th century modern. Each style reflects the changing fortunes and rulers of Munich’s history.

History

The region we now call Bavaria was originally settled by Celts, who mined the area for salt and iron. The Romans conquered it around 15 BC and took over the wealth generated by these natural resources. Salt in particular was extremely profitable.

In the 6th century AD, a Germanic tribe called the Baiuoarii invaded the region and established a duchy, giving Bavaria its name. In 788 Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor, defeated the Baiuoarii and added their territory to his empire. It was ruled by Charlemagne and his descendants, but then passed back and forth in struggles between noble families.

By 1158, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted Bavaria to his cousin Henry the Lion, a powerful Saxon duke.

The Founding of Munich

In 1158, Bishop Otto von Freising and Henry the Lion were locked in a dispute. Otto controlled a toll bridge over the River Isar, a crucial crossing for trade routes, particularly the lucrative salt trade. Henry wanted these profits for himself. He burned down Otto’s bridge and built a new one nearby, founding a settlement that he called Munichen, after a group of monks living in the area. A monk now appears on Munich’s coat of arms for this reason.

Barbarossa was called in to settle the dispute and decided in favor of Henry, likely as a reward for military support. However, in 1174 Henry refused to provide further military help for a campaign in Italy. In 1180 Barbarossa, increasingly alarmed by Henry’s growing power and wealth, stripped him of his territories and handed Bavaria to Otto of Wittelsbach. The Wittelsbach family would rule Bavaria until 1918.

Some Facts About Salt

Roman soldiers were partly paid in salt, known as salarium argentum, from which the word “salary” derives. Greeks traded slaves for salt, and the phrase “not worth his salt” reflects this trade as well as Roman ideas about a soldier’s value.

Salt, or the lack of it, was one of the main causes of wars in the past. Salt is essential for human life and has always been highly valuable. Taxes on salt, whether on trade routes or on the commodity itself, lie behind numerous revolutions and uprisings throughout history.

Many Bavarian and Austrian towns grew up because of the salt trade. Salzburg, for example, literally means “salt fortress.”

The Wittelsbach Family

The next three hundred years were marked by constant feuds and disputes among Bavarian nobles over territory. Rulers were assassinated, and Bavaria was often chaotic and violent. The Wittelsbachs managed to hold on to power and expand their lands through brute force, dynastic marriages and shrewd politics.

Later, however, they fell into internal conflicts over the family fortune. For about 250 years between 1253 and 1506 they plotted against each other and divided their territories, weakening their position.

Reformation and War

In 1506 Duke Albrecht IV re established Bavaria as a Duchy with Munich as its capital. The most important event of this century in Germany was the Reformation. Bavaria was staunchly Catholic and reacted strongly against the new Protestant movements. In alliance with the Catholic Habsburg emperors, Bavarian rulers persecuted Protestant communities.

By 1609 Germany had split into a Protestant Union led from the north and a Catholic League led by the Bavarian Duke Maximilian I. The tension escalated into the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), during which states across Europe fought as much for power and territory as for religion. Bavaria was devastated, its population decimated.

In 1632, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden defeated the Bavarian general Tilly, and Munich was briefly occupied by Swedish forces. The king was deeply impressed by the Wittelsbach palace, the Residenz, and reportedly exclaimed, “If only it had wheels,” so that he could take it back to Sweden.

In the latter half of the 17th century, efforts focused on rebuilding Bavarian cities and encouraging people back into the Catholic Church, leading to a flourishing of Baroque art and architecture.

The Golden Age

The 18th century brought further wars as Austria, Spain, England and France battled for land and titles, with Bavaria caught in the middle. Despite this, the Wittelsbachs managed to retain control.

At the end of the century, they allied themselves with Napoleon’s France against other German states. When he triumphed, Napoleon rewarded Bavaria with new lands in 1805, effectively doubling its size. In 1806 he made Bavaria a Kingdom under King Maximilian I. This period is often referred to as Bavaria’s Golden Age.

Maximilian’s son Ludwig I introduced reforms and encouraged commerce. He was also a major patron of the arts. His son, Maximilian II, continued these policies. In 1864, King Ludwig II came to the throne. During his reign, Bavaria joined the new unified Germany created by Bismarck, under Prussian leadership from the north. This was unpopular in Bavaria and may have been driven by promises of funds to support Ludwig II’s castle building projects.

Bavaria retained some autonomy, including its own diplomatic service, army, railways and postal system. Tensions between Prussians and Bavarians remained high. Prussians sometimes referred to Bavaria as a “political deformity that is unfit to survive.”

Ludwig I and Lola

Ludwig I was known for his appreciation of female beauty. In Nymphenburg Palace, his “Gallery of Beauties” displays thirty six portraits of girls and women whose looks he admired. He told his wife he only liked to look at them.

One portrait is of an Irish woman called Eliza Gilbert, who called herself Lola Montez and posed as a Spanish dancer. Ludwig fell passionately in love with her. He granted her a generous allowance from public funds and built her a palace, complete with a marble fountain that sprayed perfumed water in an arch of mist.

Lola was widely disliked by conservative circles. Prince Metternich of Austria, alarmed by her influence, offered her a large sum of money to leave Bavaria. She refused. Metternich then encouraged students to riot. Lola persuaded Ludwig to close the university, which caused further unrest. This time, tradespeople joined the protests, fearing the loss of student customers.

Munich was soon barricaded, and revolution seemed likely. “I will never abandon Lola,” the king said, “my crown for Lola.” In the end, Ludwig I was forced to abdicate because of the affair. Lola eventually left Bavaria and went to America to join the gold rush. Many stories tell of her affairs with figures such as Alexander Dumas and Franz Liszt. For her time, she was a remarkable and controversial woman.

Red Terror and the Rise of Hitler

The First World War ended Bavaria’s Golden Age. In 1919 Bavaria briefly became a Soviet style republic when Kurt Eisner, leader of the Independent Socialists, deposed Ludwig III. Revolutionary councils were set up but were swiftly crushed by right wing ex army volunteers called the Freikorps.

In the same year, an Austrian named Adolf Hitler, a former house painter, joined the small Munich based German Workers’ Party. By 1920 he renamed it the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), a name chosen to appeal to many social groups. Members soon became known as Nazis. Hitler adopted the swastika as the party’s symbol and created the brown shirted stormtroopers, the SA.

By 1923 Hitler believed the party was strong enough to attempt a seizure of power. With 55,000 members, it was the largest political party in Germany. He tried to capture Bavarian state leaders at a beer hall gathering, an event now known as the Munich Beerhall Putsch. The coup failed the following day, leaving sixteen Nazis and three policemen dead.

Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison but served only nine months, a sign of the Bavarian government’s right wing sympathies at the time. While imprisoned, he wrote Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”), setting out his goals of expansion and racial ideology. By the time he gained power in 1933, Bavaria was a strong center of Nazi support.

Nuremberg hosted the party conventions and rallies, and the racial laws were proclaimed there. Dachau, near Munich, became the site of the first Nazi concentration camp. Berchtesgaden in the Alps became Hitler’s mountain retreat. The Munich Agreement, where Neville Chamberlain tried to avoid another world war by appeasing Hitler in 1938, was actually signed in a residence near Berchtesgaden, not in the city itself, despite its name.

The Swastika

The swastika is an ancient symbol. Its name derives from a Sanskrit word meaning “object of well being.” Originating some 6,000 years ago in the Middle East, it had spread to Europe and parts of Asia by the early centuries of the Christian era. Traditionally it was a powerful sign of good luck, combining astronomical and religious meanings.

The Success of the Nazi Party

Several factors contributed to the success of the Nazi Party:

Nationalism – Many Germans felt they had suffered too much after the First World War. They believed their government had betrayed them by accepting blame for the conflict.
Hyperinflation – People lost their savings and struggled with hunger and illness. Many were desperate for an answer or a “saviour.”
Propaganda – Rallies, radio broadcasts, social clubs, incentive schemes and promises were used to build support.
Scapegoats – Nazis blamed Jews, Communists, Roma and Sinti, homosexuals and others for Germany’s problems.
Fear – Opposing the regime was extremely dangerous. People were encouraged to inform on relatives and friends to the Gestapo. Under Nazi law, more than 5,000 people were executed for minor offences such as making jokes about Hitler or listening to foreign radio broadcasts.

The White Rose Society

During this period, a small group of students at the University of Munich began a resistance movement against the Nazi regime. They were disillusioned by government brutality and horrified by the persecution of Jews. The movement became known as the White Rose.

Its leaders were Hans Scholl, a 25 year old medical student, and his sister Sophie Scholl, a 21 year old biology student. In mid 1942 they began distributing leaflets condemning Nazi crimes and calling for the overthrow of the government.

Hans and Sophie were seen throwing leaflets from a university balcony, reported to the Gestapo and arrested. In 1943 they and another collaborator appeared before the People’s Court, a Nazi institution notorious for its severity. Their trial lasted only four hours. They were convicted of treason and sentenced to death by guillotine and executed the same day.

Sophie Scholl arrived in court with a broken leg after harsh interrogation, yet still defied her accusers and stood by her beliefs. Today, at Geschwister Scholl Platz at the University of Munich, bronze leaflets set into the ground look as if they have just been scattered from a window, forming a memorial to the Scholls and their fellow resisters.

The First Oktoberfest

Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) married Princess Theresa of Saxony Hildburghausen on 12 October 1810. Citizens of Munich were invited to celebrate on fields outside the city gates with food, beer and horse races. It was a festival for the entire country.

The horse races were repeated the following year and the tradition continued, eventually evolving into the modern Oktoberfest. Every three years an agricultural show is also held on the site. The fields are now known as the Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s fields”), but locals simply call them the Wiesn.

Lifestyle: Shopping and Leisure

Munich features streets lined with exclusive designer boutiques and “schicki micki” clientele, but you are just as likely to see farmers strolling along in Lederhosen on their way to street markets or beer gardens.

The most famous beer hall is probably the Hofbräuhaus, where riotous songs and dancing break out nightly to the sound of an oompah band. It is crowded and smoky and frequented by tourists and pickpockets, so many locals avoid it.

In summer, the English Garden becomes the city’s green heart. Visitors and residents stroll along paths and meadows, past a Japanese tea house, a Chinese pagoda and several beer gardens. Many locals sunbathe naked by the icy river.

The 1972 Olympic Games brought major athletic facilities, the Olympiapark residential complex and the U Bahn subway system. Unfortunately the Games are remembered chiefly for the killing of eleven members of the Israeli team by terrorists. A trip up the Olympic Tower provides a superb view over the city.

The Munich Oktoberfest runs for two weeks every year in late September and early October. Nearly seven million visitors attend. Large beer tents, funfair rides, sideshows, souvenir stands and stalls selling pretzels and traditional sausages (such as Weißwurst with sweet mustard) make it the largest festival in the world.

Munich’s breweries include Paulaner, Spaten, Hacker Pschorr, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu and Augustiner. They take great pride in their beer and follow strict purity laws. Each has its own tent at the Oktoberfest. The largest tents seat around eight thousand people inside, with additional seating outside.

A full Maß (a litre of beer) weighs more than two kilograms. Waiting staff often carry eight at a time, sometimes even twelve. The beer is specially brewed and stronger than usual. On opening day at exactly midday, rockets are fired to mark the official start. Traditionally the mayor taps the first barrel to shouts of “Ozapft is” (“it is tapped”).

On the first Sunday, the “Costume and Riflemen’s Parade” marches through the city. The procession, around three miles long, includes marching bands, beer wagons and people in traditional dress.

Art

Munich has more than forty museums and galleries, with collections ranging from traditional woodcarvings and Greek sculptures to Impressionism and cutting edge modern art. Some modern works are housed in the Haus der Kunst, a former Nazi building that still bears carved swastikas.

Many German artists have been overshadowed by their Italian contemporaries. While names like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are widely known, artists such as the Master of the Saint Bartholomew Altarpiece or the Master of the Mornauer Portrait, both represented in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek, are less familiar. Wars and invasions displaced or destroyed much art, and the fact that commissions were often arranged orally rather than in writing contributed to the loss of many artists’ names.

Despite this, some figures, such as Dürer and Cranach, remain well known.

The Baroque

Baroque art and architecture flourished in Munich and southern Germany in the 17th century. Originating in Rome, Baroque expressed the spirit of the Counter Reformation, aiming to draw people back to the Catholic Church after the divisions of the Reformation and religious wars. Bavaria was traditionally strongly Catholic and embraced this style.

Baroque painting, sculpture and architecture are often described as dynamic, theatrical, exuberant, extravagant, daring and sensual. The simplicity of Romanesque, the soaring austerity of Gothic and the balanced order of Renaissance design gave way to curling, ornate, celebratory forms. The word “Baroque” may derive from a Portuguese term for a misshapen pearl, and was initially used to suggest something strange or excessive.

In southern Germany, Baroque church and palace interiors are especially impressive. Ceiling frescoes use perspective to create illusions of figures rising into the heavens, whether mythological or Biblical. Artists considered the vantage point of the viewer so that people felt part of the scene, making religious experience more emotional and immersive.

Good examples in Munich include the interiors of Nymphenburg Palace and the Theatinerkirche. To contrast Baroque with Gothic, you can compare these with the Neo Gothic Town Hall on Marienplatz. Other notable southern Baroque sites include Melk Abbey in Austria and the Jesuit Church in Lucerne. The Wieskirche near Neuschwanstein shows High Baroque and Rococo features. Rococo, an even more ornate development of Baroque, often makes buildings look like elaborate wedding cakes, with white stucco and gilded decoration.

Neoclassicism

When Ludwig I returned from travels in Italy and Greece, he declared that he wanted Munich to look like “Athens on the Isar.” Neoclassical architecture in Munich features clean lines, symmetry and classical columns inspired by ancient temples.

A good example is the Königsplatz, with its ensemble of neoclassical buildings arranged around a grand square.

The 20th Century in Munich

In the early 20th century, Munich became home to a group of young artists who felt that the arts had become too fragmented. Their movement, called “Der Blaue Reiter” (“The Blue Rider”), sought to bring together visual art, theatre and music. The group took its name from a painting by Wassily Kandinsky showing a rider in a blue cloak galloping through a landscape on a white horse.

They advocated art “with forms that mean nothing and represent nothing and recall nothing, which move us as profoundly, as strongly as hitherto only the sounds of music have been able.” Their work is often described as Expressionist. They focused on color, rhythm, dreams and feelings rather than on realistic depiction or straightforward storytelling.

Key figures include August Macke, Kandinsky and Paul Klee. When the First World War began, the Russian born Kandinsky was forced to leave Munich. He entrusted his possessions to his companion, the artist Gabriele Münter. When he later married someone else, she returned his furniture but kept his paintings. She eventually donated them to the city. They were placed in the Italian style Lenbach villa, now the Lenbachhaus museum.

Literature

Many major German writers lived or worked in Munich. The Schwabing district was the city’s bohemian quarter, where writers such as Thomas Mann and Rainer Maria Rilke met in cafés to discuss their work. Schwabing was known as a gathering place for Bolsheviks and bohemians.

Until 1924 the poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht also lived in Munich. He studied medicine from 1917 to 1921 and worked in an army hospital. During this time he developed a fiercely anti bourgeois attitude, reflecting his generation’s disillusionment with the society that had collapsed at the end of the First World War.

Some of Brecht’s friends were members of the Dada movement, which aimed to attack what they saw as the false values of bourgeois art through mockery and radical experimentation. Munich, however, was too conservative for Brecht’s developing ideas. He embraced Marxism and moved to Berlin, where he created a revolutionary style of theatre that broke the illusion of the stage and directly confronted audiences with social and political questions.

Under Hitler, Brecht fled Germany to avoid persecution for his left wing views. He went into exile in Switzerland and then the United States, and eventually returned to settle in East Germany.

Science

Munich is home to the headquarters of BMW, Daimler Chrysler Aerospace and other high tech industries. The Deutsches Museum, located on an island in the River Isar, is one of the largest science and technology museums in the world. You would need to walk many miles to see everything.

Highlights include:

The first German submarine
A Wright Brothers airplane
A space capsule
A reconstructed coal mine
A planetarium

BMW: A Brief History

1916 – BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke, Bavarian Motor Works) is founded in Munich as an aircraft engine factory. The logo represents a spinning propeller.
1922 – BMW builds its factory on what is now the main site, formerly Munich’s Oberwiesenfeld, now the Olympic Centre.
1923 – First motorcycle produced.
1924 – First BMW powered intercontinental flight.
1927 – Of 87 world aviation records, 29 are set by BMW.
1928 – BMW buys a car factory at Eisenach in Thuringia and obtains the licence to build a small car called the Dixi. The company also signs a licensing agreement with Pratt and Whitney to build radial aircraft engines.
1929 – The Dixi becomes the first BMW car. It is developed in Munich but built in Eisenach up to the 1940s.
Early 1930s – The company expands in all three fields: aircraft engines, motorcycles and cars.
1937 – BMW sets a world speed record for motorcycles at 174.7 mph, which remains unbroken for 14 years.
Second World War – BMW produces planes and motorcycles and develops jet engines and rockets. Its factories, including Eisenach, are targeted and heavily bombed by the Allies. At the end of the war, what remains of the Munich factory is dismantled, and the Allies ban all production for three years.
1948 – BMW resumes production with a single cylinder motorcycle. The two cylinder engine, still in use today, returns in 1950.
1951 – Production begins on the first post war car.

From the 1950s onwards, BMW has experienced sustained growth and expansion. It is now one of the world’s leading car and motorcycle manufacturers, producing hundreds of thousands of vehicles each year.