FELDHERRNHALLE

Description

Essentials about the Feldherrnhalle in brief

The Feldherrnhalle (Field Marshals’ Hall) is a neoclassical loggia at the southern end of Odeonsplatz in Munich’s old town. As part of the pedestrian zone, it is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists alike, who gather in front of or on the hall’s storied steps to chat or eat ice cream.

The history and architecture of the Feldherrnhalle

The Feldherrnhalle was built between 1841 and 1844 by the architect Friedrich von Gärtner on behalf of King Ludwig I. The Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence served as a model. The building was intended to be the southern prelude to Ludwigstrasse as a new boulevard and to provide a harmonious transition from the historic old town to Ludwigstrasse. The “Bauerngirgl” inn located on the site was demolished for this purpose. The hall dedicated to the Bavarian army corresponds with the Siegestor, a kilometer away. The Schwabinger Tor was also demolished so that the Feldherrnhalle was clearly visible as an eye-catcher.

Two major figures of Bavarian military history, Count Tilly and Prince Wrede, were honored by bronze statues. In the center of the hall stands the Army Monument, erected by Prince Regent Luitpold in 1892. This monumental bronze group by Ferdinand von Miller the Younger commemorates the Franco-Prussian War in 1870/71. The two marble lions at the side of the stairs found their place there only in 1906. Incidentally, they were designed after the appearance of a lion from Munich Zoo.

The Feldherrnhalle gained worldwide fame as the scene of the Hitler putsch in 1932. On the morning of November 9, 1923, Adolf Hitler and some followers from the NSDAP marched towards the Feldherrnhalle, where they had a confrontation with the Bavarian state police. The march of Hitler and his followers was stopped in blood. Four police officers, thirteen putschists, and an uninvolved bystander were killed in front of the Feldherrnhalle.

After the Nazis seized power in 1933, the Feldherrnhalle became a special place for Nazi propaganda. On the eastern side, a plaque was placed on the upper plateau with the names of the so-called “blood witnesses” of the time, who were honored by an honor guard of the SS. Every passerby who passed by this plaque was obliged to honor it with the Hitler salute. The plaque was removed after the U.S. invasion of Munich in 1945.

Those Munich residents who did not want to participate in honoring the putschists used the detour via Viscardigasse, located behind the Feldherrnhalle, to reach Odeonsplatz without giving the Hitler salute. This earned the small passage the name “Drückebergergasserl.” Today, golden paving stones in Viscardigasse commemorate this silent protest.