Munich new town hall. New Town Hall in Munich: let's admire the neo-Gothic architecture and listen to the chimes. Video about the New Town Hall
Address: Germany, Munich
Start of construction: 1867
Completion of construction: 1908
Height: 85 m
Coordinates: 48°08"16.4"N 11°34"32.7"E
Short description
Millions of tourists every day go on exciting and exciting, bewitching and amazing journeys, get acquainted with the sights, architectural monuments and mysterious legends, myths and scientifically proven facts associated with them.
View of the Town Hall from the observation deck of St. Peter's Church
Curious travelers are interested in various tourist destinations and, I must say, many of them are truly amazing. However, in this material we will talk about a country whose indigenous population is known to the current generation for their punctuality, restraint and pedantry. Probably, from the above words one can easily guess that we will be talking about Germany. More precisely, about its landmark, called the New Town Hall.
Germany, for numerous travelers, has been one of the most popular tourist destinations for several decades now. It has been competing with Italy for quite some time with its forums and incomparable fountains. Of course, among the variety of architectural monuments that exist in almost any German city, the New Town Hall, located in the very center of Munich on a square called Marienplatz, deserves special attention. A majestic building of extraordinary beauty, made in the neo-Gothic style, takes the breath away of everyone who barely finds themselves on the famous Munich square. Indeed, this building fascinates travelers, and it is worth adding that the New Town Hall in Munich is beautiful both in the light of the sun’s rays and extremely beautiful at night, when hundreds of special spotlights are turned on, illuminating even its smallest architectural elements.
Facade of the town hall
New Town Hall - history
Despite the apparent “oldness”, the New Town Hall in Munich is a rather “young” architectural structure, which, in principle, becomes clear from its name. The construction of the Town Hall began in the mid-19th century, namely in 1867 on the initiative of the Munich City Council. And, it must be said that long before the end of construction in 1874, the Munich city council decided to quickly move from the Old Town Hall to the New Town Hall, located on a nearby street. In general, the construction of a new building in the very center of Munich in the neo-Gothic style lasted until 1908, and for another year (until the end of 1909), its individual parts were completed and expanded. In total, this unique architectural structure has 400 rooms of different sizes and purposes, in which more than 600 people currently work.
For all tourists who come to Marienplatz, it will be interesting to know that for the construction of the New Town Hall, almost thirty residential buildings were demolished on the square, which, naturally, was greeted by the indigenous population, to put it mildly, unkindly. However, the Bavarians were also concerned about the height of the Town Hall tower: in their opinion, the 85-meter tower with a spire decorated with the figure of a baby should in no case “eclipse” the main city cathedral - the Frauenkirche Cathedral (its height is 99 meters ).
Town Hall Tower
However, when passions calmed down a bit, and the Town Hall was rebuilt, the townspeople got used to the new building, and today the New Town Hall in Munich is nothing more than one of the main attractions of the capital of Bavaria. Going back a little in time, it is necessary to add that the development of the New Town Hall project and its implementation were entrusted to the then famous architect Georg Hauberisser, who was the first to use neo-Gothic elements in the urban planning of Munich.
The facade of the Town Hall, which is a combined complex of buildings, constantly attracts the attention of tourists, and this is not at all accidental. The thing is that the facade of the monumental structure, reaching a height of almost 90 meters, is decorated with sculptures of historical figures and characters from numerous German legends. Here you can see counts and Catholic saints, dukes and kings from the ancient Wittelsbach dynasty, chimeras and other mythical characters. Incredibly, all the details of the building are thought out to the smallest detail: even seemingly simple drainpipes, the purpose of which is to “collect” rainwater, have a fantastic shape. An attentive visitor to the city will be able to guess the outlines of some mysterious and fabulous creatures in the gutter.
carillon
Unlike the Old Town Hall, in which the transition from floor to floor was carried out by stairs, the New Town Hall has an elevator. With the help of technological progress, today you can easily climb to the highest point of the tower and from a bird’s eye view observe all the splendor that opens to every guest of the Bavarian capital.
At the beginning of the 20th century, when the construction of the New Town Hall was almost completed, a unique clock mechanism, a carillon, was installed in the tower itself. Even today it inspires admiration among all tourists without exception. Once a day in winter and three times in other seasons, along with the ringing chimes, 32 puppet figures “come to life” on a special two-story balcony, which for 15 minutes entertain the gathered crowd with small performances from the history of the city of Munich. Among the “actors” are Duke William V with his wife Renata of Lothargin; Bavarian knights and their opponents; local residents performing their dances to the sound of 43 bells. By the way, the Munich figures moving to the beat of the chimes occupy an honorable fifth place among “their own kind” in Europe.
New Town Hall through the eyes of a modern tourist
What can a traveler see once inside the New Town Hall in Munich? Of course, this is a play of light on polished granite and marble, which were widely used as finishing materials during the construction of the building. Visitors to the Town Hall are invited to explore the Great Meeting Hall, on one of the walls of which there is a painting, impressive in its size, by the artist Karl Pilotis “Monachy”, which is translated from the “dead” Latin language and means the name of the city - “Munich”. Opposite the largest room is a gallery that introduces guests to the features of public meetings, which are depicted in numerous paintings. In addition, every tourist can visit the Small Meeting Hall and see firsthand all the luxury and splendor for which this room is famous with its oak ceiling and chandelier with 24 arms cast in bronze. You can also see a unique library, occupying 2 floors. Its area is just over 120 square meters. meters. There, even today, most of the exhibits included in the priceless collection of books are located on ancient massive shelves made of high-strength and durable wood.
The New Town Hall is one of the most famous buildings in the city of Munich in Germany, which is located in the northern part of Marienplatz square. This complex is intended for such local structures as: City Council, Mayor and city government.
History of origin
Construction of the New Town Hall in Munich began in 1867 and was completed only in 1908. This complex is entirely built of stone and brick, and its main building is a tower, which reaches a height of about 85 meters. The building has a very large facade, which stretches about 100 meters in length. The entire facade is decorated with figures of famous historical characters and heroes. If before this the city council was located in the Old Town Hall building, then in 1874 it completely moved to the New Complex. The city council is located in the New Town Hall building to this day. At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was slightly expanded by adding some buildings. Today, the entire complex includes about 400 rooms, which are located on an area of 9,000 square meters. meters.
Architecture
The construction of the building took place under the leadership of the German architect Georg von Hauberrisser. The tallest building of the complex is an 85-meter tower. It is equipped with a modern elevator so that anyone can climb to the very top and admire the landscape that opens up to their eyes. From the height of this tower, you can see almost the entire city of Munich. Most of the premises are located on the 3rd floor of the complex. The largest and most significant room is the Great Hall, intended for official meetings. The main attraction of the entire complex is stored in this room. We are talking about a unique canvas created by Karl Pilotis. This canvas is so large that it occupies almost the entire end wall of the hall. There is also a smaller meeting room in the building. This room stands out for its unusual interior design. Visitors' attention is immediately drawn to the beautiful oak ceiling, decorated with unusual carvings, as well as a beautiful bronze chandelier.
There is a library on the second floor of the complex. Another attraction of the complex is a unique percussion instrument, which is located under the very roof of the building. On the main tower of the building there is a clock - another decoration of the New Town Hall. Every day these watches put on a whole performance. The figures perform a performance with scenes from the life of the city. All the events presented in this production are connected with 1568, when the city was ruled by Duke William the Fifth and his wife Renata of Lorraine. When their wedding took place, one of the largest knightly tournaments was organized in honor of this event. Trumpeters pass before the eyes of amazed tourists, as well as knights dressed in ancient armor and their squires. The Duke gives the command signal and the two knights rush towards each other. After the tournament ends, the coopers' dance begins, dedicated to the victory over the plague in 1517.
Neighborhood
Marienplatz is considered one of the most popular attractions in Munich and is also the historical center of the city. It is from this square that almost all excursions in Munich begin. Every year the square attracts crowds of guests and tourists who come to Germany.
Note to tourists
At 11 o’clock, all 43 bells on the New Town Hall begin to chime, after which the clock windows swing open and a performance opens before the eyes of tourists and guests of the city, which is played by 32 figures whose height is similar to that of a human.
The first thing that catches your eye when you stand on Marienplatz is the New Town Hall. The monumental neo-Gothic structure is the hallmark of Munich.
Construction of the New Town Hall lasted for seven years from 1867 to 1874. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the building was reconstructed and expanded, resulting in a glockenspiel on the main tower. Since the completion of construction to this day, the New Town Hall has been occupied by the City Council.
Of particular interest is the façade of the New Town Hall. It is decorated with numerous historical figures, each of which is worthy of special attention.
Old Town Hall in Munich
The Old Town Hall is located on Munich's Marienplatz square and is one of the main attractions of the city.
The Old Town Hall is famous for the proclamation of Joseph Goebbels's speech in 1938 on the eve of the Jewish pogroms called Kristallnacht.
The town hall, built in the Gothic style, was first mentioned in documents from the 1310s. With the growth and numerous changes of the city, the town hall also changed: it was rebuilt in the late Gothic style, in the neo-Gothic style, and later Renaissance elements were added to the building.
Since 1874, the city council moved from the Old Town Hall to the New Town Hall, where it is still located today. Now the old building houses a toy museum, and ceremonial events are held in the hall.
The new town hall in neo-Gothic style was built in 1867. The height of its tower is 85 meters. The observation deck can be reached by elevator. The town hall clock with 43 bells and 32 figures is also one of its attractions.
New Town Hall in Munich (Germany) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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Truly the seat of Munich's city government, the New Town Hall is a stunning example of the neo-Gothic architectural style. Even if architecture is not your thing, you will certainly be fascinated by the huge 100-meter facade with a lot of characteristic Gothic elements, which, it seems, can be pricked even by looking at it! You will also be greeted by an abundance of sculptures of historical figures, folklore and religious characters and as many as 6 courtyards with well-groomed flower beds and comfortable benches. The 85m-high town hall tower, equipped with an elevator, offers magnificent views of Munich, and on its façade a fantastic show of mechanical puppets takes place three times a day.
It is from the New Town Hall that it makes sense to start getting acquainted with Munich: it is not only one of the main attractions of the city, but also the location of the Munich Tourism Office, where travelers will be provided with a ton of useful information.
A little history
With the expansion of Munich's borders and the increase in the number of city government officials Old Town Hall in the 19th century it became too cramped. There was a need to move the city hall to a more spacious building, but there was no suitable space among the existing buildings. Then in the 1860s. it was decided to build a new building. Construction began in 1867 and continued intermittently until 1909, but the city hall moved to the New Town Hall already in 1874. The architect of the project was Georg von Gauberrisser; He based it on the neo-Gothic style that was current at that time, with its sharpness of Gothic lines brought to the maximum and the careful inclusion of details of other styles. A distinctive feature of the appearance of the New Town Hall was the abundance of sculptures, a string stretching along its main facade, and an almost record-breaking tower of 85 meters in height for those times.
On the tower of the New Town Hall, at 11:00, 43 clockwork bells begin to chime, and 32 human-sized figures act out scenes from the life of Munich.
What to see
The new town hall in Munich appears to invariably delighted tourists with an abundance of interesting details. The first thing to do is to enjoy the view of the 100-meter facade, which, due to numerous reconstructions of the town hall, is actually made up of 5 separate buildings with their own unique appearance. Everything here is beautiful: the recognizable Gothic lancet windows, the arches stretching upward, and the abundance of sharp spiers and turrets. Numerous cafes and restaurants found their way into the ground floor arcade. On the spire of the 85-meter tower, it is worth seeing the figure of the “Munich baby”, holding the Gospel with one hand and blessing the city with the other; at its foot are statues of the first four Bavarian kings. Along the facade of the town hall there are sculptures of Bavarian dukes, kings of the Wittelsbach dynasty, folklore characters and saints.
The interiors of the New Town Hall brilliantly maintain the splendor of the neo-Gothic style - it seems as if you are under the arches of a huge temple. Of the 400 rooms with a total area of more than 9 thousand square meters. Only a tenth of m is open to the public, but this is quite enough to appreciate the richness of the interior decoration with its wood carvings, abundance of gilding and stone decorations.
You should definitely find yourself in front of the façade of the town hall tower at 11:00 - 43 clockwork bells begin to chime, and 32 human-sized figures act out scenes from the life of Munich: knightly tournaments, processions of heralds, folk dances. In summer the performance is repeated at 12:00 and 17:00.
Practical information
Address: Munich, Marienplatz, 8.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, in summer - until 19:00.
Entrance and lift to the tower - 2.5 EUR, children - 1 EUR. Prices on the page are as of November 2018.