NEW TOWN HALL MUNICH

Description

Essentials about the New Town Hall Munich in brief

Many visitors to Munich mistakenly think that the New Town Hall on Marienplatz is a centuries-old building. The truth, however, is that the New Town Hall was only built in the neo-Gothic style between 1867 and 1909 as the seat of the Lord Mayor, the City Council and the headquarters of the city administration. Nevertheless, due to its size and elegance, the New Town Hall is certainly one of the most beautiful buildings in the city and worth a visit not only because of its famous carillon and the magnificent view from the Town Hall tower.

The history of the New Town Hall Munich

The trigger for the construction of the New Town Hall was the premises in the Old Town Hall on the east side of Marienplatz, which had become too small in the middle of the 19th century. In memory of the bourgeois heyday during the Gothic period, the choice fell on a design in the neo-Gothic style, which provided an independent architectural accent in contrast to the buildings of the royal house.

The north side of Marienplatz was chosen as the building site, where the Landschaftshäuser (Landscape Houses) still stood, which had been erected in the late Middle Ages as a kind of representation of the landscapes to the Bavarian duke or elector. The first phase of construction of the New Town Hall began in 1867 according to plans by the architect Georg Hauberrisser. When it became clear that the new building would not be sufficient to accommodate the entire administration, the city began buying up all the properties adjacent to the Town Hall on Dienerstrasse, Landschaftstrasse and Weinstrasse starting in 1887.

In 1897, the Munich magistrate decided to add extensions to the city hall on Marienplatz to form a four-sided complex that would fill the entire area between Marienplatz and Landschaftstrasse on the one hand and between Weinstrasse and Dienerstrasse on the other. In 1898, work began on the extension with the town hall tower, also under architect Georg von Hauberrisser. In December 1905, the final construction phase was completed with the setting of the keystone on the 85-meter-high town hall tower. In the architectural design of the Munich Town Hall tower, Hauberrisser was clearly inspired by the late Gothic Brussels Town Hall tower from the 15th century.

Slightly damaged in the 1944 air raids on Munich, the New Town Hall was rebuilt after the war. The building sections on Marienplatz received an additional floor hidden behind the neo-Gothic balustrade, so that the old impression was preserved.

The architecture of the New Town Hall Munich

The Town Hall complex, made of brick and shell limestone, has six inner courtyards. The almost 100 meter long main facade facing Marienplatz is richly decorated. It shows the Guelph Duke Henry the Lion and almost the entire line of the Wittelsbach dynasty in Bavaria and is the most extensive princely cycle on a German city hall.

The central monument in the middle of the main facade above the guardhouse is an equestrian statue of Prince Regent Luitpold. Munich originals, neo-Gothic gargoyles in the form of grimaces and masks, allegorical pictures, themes from the lives of saints and popular legendary figures can be discovered on the main facade on Marienplatz and on the one in Weinstrasse. Numerous stained glass windows with local, regional, national, international and religious motifs adorn the building.

The view from the Town Hall tower

The 85 meter high Town Hall tower is crowned by the Münchner Kindl, which was created by Anton Schmid. Below the top is a viewing gallery from which you can enjoy a magnificent view over Munich. In clear weather, you can even see the Alps to the south. Even people who are tired of walking can enjoy the view from the Town Hall tower, as two lifts lead up to the viewing platform.

The carillon of the New Town Hall Munich

At the top of the tower is the fifth largest carillon in Europe, which several times a day causes even more crowding on the already crowded Marienplatz. Every day at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. (from March to October additionally at 5 p.m.) the 43 bells play four different melodies in succession, to which two events from Munich’s city history are depicted.

The first is the wedding of Duke Wilhelm V to Renate of Lorraine, celebrated in 1568. In honor of the bride and groom, a jousting tournament was held on Marienplatz at that time. The floor below shows the so-called “Schäfflertanz”. According to legend, after a severe plague epidemic, the barrel makers were the first to venture back into the streets of the city and cheer up the frightened population with their dances.

At 9 p.m. every evening there is the good-night story of the carillon. To the music of Richard Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” as well as Johannes Brahms’ “Wiegenlied”, the Münchner Kindl is put to bed, accompanied by a night watchman blowing his horn and an angel blessing him.

Guided tours of the New Town Hall Munich

Those who want to see the New Town Hall from more than just the outside can visit the premises on a guided tour. The tours provide exciting insights into the history and architecture of the New Town Hall. On the other hand, those who prefer to dine in front of the backdrop of the magnificent neo-Gothic building are in good hands in the Ratskeller in the basement of the Town Hall.