Munich - the city with great Culture

Munich - City of Culture

Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich

 

Munich - this name has come to be associated with the Oktoberfest and the Hofbräuhaus, the Olympic grounds and Fasching, the Viktualienmarket and Schwabing. However Munich also has an international reputation as a metropolis of art and culture.

Once the war damage was cleared away (a large part of the city was destroyed in the 2nd World War) Munich gleamed again in its old lustre and continues to attract tourists from all over the world with its various attractions to this very day. Culture in the Isar metropolis is particularly many-sided. Besides the traditional, large stages there are experimental theatres; the music scene ranges from classical to pop, and modern art co-exists together with the old masters, in what are often architectonically delightful museums. Munich is also Germany's media centre, the centre of its film industry and a bulwark of gastronomy.

Whoever takes a closer look at the history of Bavaria and Munich will soon find out that the conservation of art and culture has always been given a high degree of priority here. 700 years of rule by the Wittelsbach family gave the trading and residential city of Munich its present-day importance as a centre of European culture. King Ludwig I of Bavaria deserves special mention here. During the regency of this "Prince of the Muses", many of the sights of Munich were built, such as the Glyptothek, the Old Pinakothek, the Generals' Hall (Feldherrnhalle) and St. Ludwig's Church.

Creation, preservation and collection were tasks to which the Wittelsbacher were always dedicated. This tradition led to Munich becoming one of the richest museum cities to be found in Germany today.

Museums and Galleries

The inventories of Munich's museums and galleries belong to the most important in the world. From before the times of classical antiquity through the Middle Ages and up to the present day one can view, study or simply enjoy whatever takes one's fancy and thirst for knowledge. The entire palette of European culture can be admired in some 46 museums and collections and numerous galleries. The Old Pinakothek, presents European paintings from the 14th - 18th century. The collection has acquired an international reputation on account of great masters such as Dürer, Rembrandt, Rubens and Leonardo da Vinci. Close by, the New Pinakothek shows European paintings and sculpture of the 18th and 19th century (English landscape painting, the French Impressionists, Biedermeier, art nouveau). Munich's third Pinakothek, the Pinakothek der Moderne, exhibiting contemporary art, opened in september 2002. Paintings, graphics, sculptures, design, architecture and installations formerly only seen in numerous collections throughout the city can now be found in one building. Paintings of the "Blaue Reiter" ("Blue Rider") movement, to whom Kandinsky, Klee, Marc, Macke and Münter belonged, can be found in the Municipal Gallery in the Lenbachhaus.

The ancient art of the Greeks and Roman can be seen in the Glyptothek as well as in the State Antique Collection (Staatliche Antikensammlung). An important part of the art scene in Munich is the Kunsthalle der HypoKulturstiftung with spectacular exhibitions. It was reopened after extensive reconstruction in May 2001.

In the artists' studios in the "lothringer 13" and in the Aktionsforum Praterinsel exhibitions of contemporary art of an experimental character are continuously held.

Established by the engineer Oskar von Miller in 1903, the Deutsches Museum is today one of the world's major science and technology museums. With an exhibition area of over 50,000 square metres and comprehensive holdings of valuable original technical and scientific exhibits, the museum conveys, in a popular and exciting manner, what science and technology have achieved in the last 100 years and the changes in society which they have brought about. In 2003 the Deutsches Museum celebrated its centenary – the climax was the opening of the first stage of the extension to the Transport Museum on the Theresienhöhe.

The Münchner Stadtmuseum (Munich City Museum) on Sankt-Jakobs-Platz 1 is Munich's most varied and popular museum of cultural history, with an unsurpassed collection on the development of the city, featuring historical interiors, internationally orientated special collections, imaginatively presented changing exhibitions, lectures, films, and other events.
And a day visiting museums in Munich should also include a visit to the eccentric and enchanting Karl Valentin Museum in the Isartor.

Theatres and concerts

Some 58 theatres offer a varied program. The world's greatest opera and ballet stars appear in the Bavarian State Opera in the National Theatre. During the summer, the famous Opera Festival performances attract thousands of visitors. Renowned theatres are also the Gärtnerplatztheater und Prinzregententheater, which stages operetta, ballet and performances of the theatre academy. The Deutsches Theater puts on topical shows and musicals. The Münchner Kammerspiele, an Art Nouveau style building that was reopened in 2003 after being thoroughly redeveloped and restored, is one of the theaters in Germany with the highest reputation. The three venues of the Bayerisches Staatschauspiel (Bavarian State Theater) are the Residenztheater, the Marstall and the Haus der Kunst. The last of the three is a replacement for the Cuvilliéstheater, which has been closed since 1 January 2005 for the theatre facilities to be renovated. It is expected to be reopened in June 2008 for the city’s 850th birthday. During both Tollwood Festivals in summer and wintertime the tents offer further original locations for theatre, circus, opera performances and music.

Three large orchestras are domiciled in the Bavarian capital and three star conductors are working with them: Christian Thielemann conducts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Zubin Mehta the Bavarian State Orchestra. Even in future a top-class instrumentation of the orchestras will be assured: in September 2006 Kent Nagano will replace Zubin Mehta the principal manager of the Bavarian State Opera; at the same time Christoph Albrecht takes over the place of the theatre manager of the Bavarian State Oper.

The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra obtained its own premises in November 1985 with the opening of the Philharmonic Hall in the Gasteig Cultural Center. In addition to the Philharmonic Hall (2,400 seats) and the Carl Orff Hall (600 seats), the Gasteig also provides a small Concert Hall (190 seats), a Black Box for workshop and studio theater and a Lecture Hall (136 seats).
Neither, of course, should one forget the many small orchestras. Up-and-coming musicians are trained in the College of Music belonging to the University.

Palaces

Not only Upper Bavaria, but also the city of Munich has some splendid palaces to offer. Nymphenburg (see Palace 'Schloss Nymphenburg'), one-time summer residence of the Wittelsbach family, is a key feature of the sightseeing program for the city all through the year. From its foundation in 1664 until the middle of the previous century, construction continued on one of the largest baroque palaces that still remains intact today.

The Blutenburg Palace is situated on the western edge of the city, a hunting castle built in late gothic style by the Wittelsbachs in 1467. The Blutenburg Palace is today the headquarters of the International Youth Library.

The Schleissheim Palace, with its original baroque gardens was built in the 18th century; in this park, too, the Lustheim Palace housing an extensive Meißen porcelain collection.

Churches

All manner of styles can be found among the almost 300 churches in Munich. Munich's oldest parish church is St. Peter's Church ("Old Peter") dating back to the 11th century. In the center of the city we find the Cathedral Church of Our Beloved Lady, a city landmark and Metropolitan Church of the Arch-bishopric to Munich-Freising. This is a late Gothic hall-like construction of the 15th century and is decorated with works of art from five centuries. The Theatiner Church (1667) features Italian baroque, while the St. Anna Cloister Church (1733) is the first rococo church to be built in Munich and the Asamkirche (1733-46) is considered to be a brilliant masterpiece of Bavarian rococo.

Culture in Munich is an inexhaustible subject. Artistic events and cultural life in the Bavarian metropolis are so extensive that this text can only give a small impression of what Munich has to offer. In any event a visit to Munich is always worthwhile.

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