KARLSTOR

Description

Essentials about the Karlstor in brief

The Karlstor (Charles Gate) is probably the most ignored historical sight in Munich. This is due to the fact that most people on the way from Karlsplatz to the busy Munich pedestrian zone and shopping mile Neuhauser Strasse and Kaufingerstrasse are already with the thoughts of shopping. At the same time, the Karlstor as the western historical city gate of Munich is definitely worth a look.

The history and architecture of the Karlstor

Like the Isartor (Isar Gate) in the east of Munich’s old town, the Karlstor was built as the western entrance as part of the second Munich city fortification between 1285 and 1347. The gate was first mentioned in a document in 1302. Over the centuries, the Karlstor was continually expanded and fortified. In 1791, Count Rumford, then commander of the Bavarian army, had the two flank towers rebuilt. In the same year, the gate, which until then had been called “Neuhauser Tor”, was renamed “Karlstor”.

In 1857, the black powder stocks stored in the annex of the main tower exploded, damaging it so badly that it later had to be demolished. The two flanking towers were remodeled and later connected with a new neo-Gothic bridge. In 1861/62, the architect Arnold Zenetti completely redesigned the Karlstor in neo-Gothic style.

During the construction of the so-called “Stachus-Rondell” by Gabriel von Seidl from 1899 to 1902, the two flank towers were included and redesigned accordingly. Badly damaged during World War II, the Karlstor was rebuilt after the war in a somewhat simplified form.

On the central vault of the Karlstor, four small stone sculptures protrude from the corners, depicting Munich personalities. These are, in the northeast, the bandmaster and folk singer Josef Sulzbeck, in the southeast, the musician and humorist Georg Pranger (the last Bavarian court jester under King Max I Joseph), in the southwest, Joseph Huber (a grocer and bearer of love letters) called “Finessensepperl”, and in the northwest, the racing stable owner and horse dealer Franz Xaver Krenkl.

In addition, on the north side of the main arch is a monument to Herbert Jensen, who proposed the establishment of a pedestrian zone. The three children playing music are by the sculptor Konrad Knoll, who had created them for the fish fountain in 1866, but they were not used again when the fountain was redesigned.