Welcome to Munich

 

View from Alter Peter: Frauenkirche and Neues Rathaus

If you arrive by plane in München, you will land at a very modern international airport, named after former Bavarian minister president Franz-Josef-Strauss (you either loved him or you hated him; there was no middle ground). It opened in 1992. We left Germany from here in 2001 when we started our life in California, but I don't remember it being so modern. What I do remember is the playground - perfect for our daughter who had just turned 3 four days before. I was pleasantly surprised about the efficiency of the airport and its public transport connection to the city (the airport is 28 km outside of Munich). Take note, NYC!

It is the only airport in the world with a beer garden and a Maibaum.

Let's take a walk at the heart of the city. We arrive by subway at Marienplatz - my favorite subway station of all the subway stations I've ever been to.

When a friend from Colorado saw this picture, she noted how clean it is. Well, everything is clean, not only the subway stations. The subways themselves, the trains, busses, highways, sidewalks, public restrooms, bus stops, train stations - everything. It was so pleasant (and quite shocking to come back to the US with all the trash).

Marienplatz is dominated by Neues Rathaus (new city hall) and the Mariensäule in front of it.

Neues Rathaus was built from 1867 to 1909 when Altes Rathaus (at the East side of Marienplatz) became too small (it houses a toy museum today). What I liked the most was the impressive front door to the inner court of the Rathaus.

Please note that there is a smaller door within the big door. 

Isn't this pretty?

However, Neues Rathaus attracts tourists from all over the world for a completely different reason: its famous Glockenspiel. It has 43 bells that play four different melodies while 32 figures depict the Schäfflertanz (a traditional dance that originates in Munich around 1702) and a knights' tournament (jousting) at the wedding of Bavarian duke Wilhelm V and Renata von Lothringen in 1568. I hope these videos of the Glockenspiel work, enjoy!

All around Marienplatz and its vicinity there are outdoor cafés and restaurants. 

Let's go North, to Odeonsplatz. We pass Viscardigasse which played an important role during the Third Reich for people who did not approve of the Nazi regime. During the Hitler years, everybody who passed Feldherrnhalle had to make the Hitler salute. The people who wanted to get to Odeonsplatz, but didn't want to make the salute, walked along Viscardigasse. Hence it was called "Drückebergergassl" ("shirker alley") in the vernacular. There is a bronze trace snaking through the paving stones that reminds of this silent form of resistance.

This is Feldherrnhalle on the southern side of Odeonsplatz. It was built in the 1840s as a memorial for the Bavarian army (Bavaria used to be a kingdom).

On the East side is Hofgarten - the formal court garden.

It has rows of majestic chestnut trees that were flowering - they are my favorite trees in Germany, along with copper beeches. Isn't that fence pretty? It reminds me of music clefs.

Of course there is an outdoor restaurant in Hofgarten and it was well attended. Who wouldn't like to sit beneath those trees?

Further up North from Odeonsplatz we reach the main building of the university, at Geschwister-Scholl-Platz. Have you heard of the Geschwister Scholl? I bet most of you haven't. Everybody in Germany has.

The Scholl siblings - Hans and Sophie - belonged to the non-violent, intellectual resistance group Weiße Rose (White Rose) in Nazi Germany. Most of its members were students in their early and mid 20's, as well as professors and lecturers at the university. They wrote and distributed leaflets and pamphlets that called for active opposition to the Nazi regime. On February 18, 1943 Hans and Sophie Scholl, after distributing leaflets in the corridors of the university so students could find them after lectures have ended, realised there were leaflets left in their suitcase and Sophie flung them down from the top floor of the Lichthof (artrium) in the university.

The janitor of the university had observed this and called the Gestapo. Hans and Sophie were arrested, stood trial before the "Volksgerichthof" where Roland Freisler, the head judge of the court (who was explicitly flown to Munich for this "trial"), sentenced them to death on February 22, 1943. They were executed by guillotine the same day. Hans was 24 and Sophie 21. The other members of the Weiße Rose were soon arrested and many of them were executed as well.

Sophie Scholl has been my heroine throughout my life. Of course I had to pay tribute.

At the entrance of the university there are bronze pamphlets in the pavement in order to remember die Weiße Rose. Across Germany, many streets, schools and other places are named after the Geschwister Scholl.

From many places in the inner city you can see the towers of the Frauenkirche - a true landmark of the city.

The manhole covers are adorned with the city crest, which shows a monk and is known as "Münchner Kindl". This is something I have noticed in other cities as well (like Freiburg). I find it pretty neat.

This ends our walk through the Innenstadt (inner city). I left out a few places - Viktualienmark and Englischer Garten - because they will get their own blogpost.

One more thing - I did love the pedestrian traffic lights!!!

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