The National Theatre (German: Nationaltheater) on Max-Joseph-Platz in Munich, Germany, is a historic opera house, home of the Bavarian State Opera, Bavarian State Orchestra and the Bavarian State Ballet.

Building

First theatre – 1818 to 1823
The first theatre was commissioned in 1810 by King Maximilian I of Bavaria because the nearby Cuvilliés Theatre had too little space. It was designed by Karl von Fischer, with the 1782 Odéon in Paris as architectural precedent. Construction began on 26 October 1811 but was interrupted in 1813 by financing problems. In 1817 a fire occurred in the unfinished building.

The new theatre finally opened on 12 October 1818 with a performance of Die Weihe by Ferdinand Fränzl, but was soon destroyed by another fire on 14 January 1823; the stage décor caught fire during a performance of Die beyden Füchse by Étienne Méhul and the fire could not be put out because the water supply was frozen. Coincidentally the Paris Odéon itself burnt down in 1818.

Second theatre – 1825 to 1943
Designed by Leo von Klenze, the second theatre incorporated Neo-Grec features in its portico and triangular pediment and an entrance supported by Corinthian columns. In 1925 it was modified to create an enlarged stage area with updated equipment. The building was gutted in an air raid on the night of 3 October 1943.

Third theatre – 1963 to present
The third and present theatre (1963) recreates Karl von Fischer’s original neo-classical design, though on a slightly larger, 2,100-seat scale. The magnificent royal box is the centre of the interior rondel, decorated with two large caryatids. The new stage covers 2,500 square metres (3,000 sq yd), and is thus the world’s third largest, after the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Grand Theatre, Warsaw.

Through the consistent use of wood as a building material, the auditorium has excellent acoustics. Architect Gerhard Moritz Graubner closely preserved the original look of the foyer and main staircase. It opened on 21 November 1963 with an invitation-only performance of Die Frau ohne Schatten under the baton of Joseph Keilberth. Two nights later came the first public performance, of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, again under Keilberth.

Image details
Date: 28 June 2023
Camera body: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6G ED
Focal Length: 18mm
Aperture: ƒ/4.5
Shutter Speed: 1/1,000s
ISO: 200
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

The National Theatre (German: Nationaltheater) on Max-Joseph-Platz in Munich, Germany, is a historic opera house, home of the Bavarian State Opera, Bavarian State Orchestra and the Bavarian State Ballet.

Building

First theatre – 1818 to 1823
The first theatre was commissioned in 1810 by King Maximilian I of Bavaria because the nearby Cuvilliés Theatre had too little space. It was designed by Karl von Fischer, with the 1782 Odéon in Paris as architectural precedent. Construction began on 26 October 1811 but was interrupted in 1813 by financing problems. In 1817 a fire occurred in the unfinished building.

The new theatre finally opened on 12 October 1818 with a performance of Die Weihe by Ferdinand Fränzl, but was soon destroyed by another fire on 14 January 1823; the stage décor caught fire during a performance of Die beyden Füchse by Étienne Méhul and the fire could not be put out because the water supply was frozen. Coincidentally the Paris Odéon itself burnt down in 1818.

Second theatre – 1825 to 1943
Designed by Leo von Klenze, the second theatre incorporated Neo-Grec features in its portico and triangular pediment and an entrance supported by Corinthian columns. In 1925 it was modified to create an enlarged stage area with updated equipment. The building was gutted in an air raid on the night of 3 October 1943.

Third theatre – 1963 to present
The third and present theatre (1963) recreates Karl von Fischer’s original neo-classical design, though on a slightly larger, 2,100-seat scale. The magnificent royal box is the centre of the interior rondel, decorated with two large caryatids. The new stage covers 2,500 square metres (3,000 sq yd), and is thus the world’s third largest, after the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Grand Theatre, Warsaw.

Through the consistent use of wood as a building material, the auditorium has excellent acoustics. Architect Gerhard Moritz Graubner closely preserved the original look of the foyer and main staircase. It opened on 21 November 1963 with an invitation-only performance of Die Frau ohne Schatten under the baton of Joseph Keilberth. Two nights later came the first public performance, of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, again under Keilberth.

Image details
Date: 28 June 2023
Camera body: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6G ED
Focal Length: 24mm
Aperture: ƒ/4
Shutter Speed: 1/1,000s
ISO: 360
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

The Mariensäule (lit. ‘Mary’s Column’) is a Marian column located on the Marienplatz in Munich, Germany. Mary is revered here as Patrona Bavariae (Latin: Protector of Bavaria).

It was erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation during the Thirty Years’ War, to be precise, following a respective vow by Duke Elector Maximilian I of Bavaria if the ducal residential cities of Munich and Landshut would be spared from war destruction. The column is topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a crescent moon as the Queen of Heaven, created in 1590. The figure was originally located in the Frauenkirche. Mariensäule in Munich was the first column of this type built north of the Alps and inspired erecting other Marian columns in this part of Europe.

At each corner of the column’s pedestal is a statue of a putto, created by Ferdinand Murmann. The four putti are each depicted fighting a different beast, symbolizing the city’s overcoming of adversities: war represented by the lion, pestilence by the cockatrice, hunger or famine by the dragon and heresy by the serpent.

The full inscription is as follows (with a translation)

Latin

DEO OPTIMO MAXIMO
VIRGINI DEIPARAE
BOICAE DOMINAE
BENIGNISSIMAE
PROTECTRICI
POTENTISSIMAE
OB PATRIAM
VRBES EXERCITVS
SEIPSVM DOMVM
ET SPES SVAS
SERVATAS
HOC PERENNE
AD POSTEROS
MONVMENTVM
MAXIMILIANVS
COM. PAL. RHENI
VTRIVSQVE BAVARIAE DVX
S.R.I. ARCHIDAP.
ET ELECTOR
CLIENTVM INFIMVS
GRATVS SVPPLEX
POSUIT A. MDCXXXIIX

Translation

TO GOD THE BEST AND GREATEST
THE VIRGIN, THE MOTHER OF GOD
MISTRESS OF BAVARIA
MOST BENIGN
PROTECTRESS
MOST POWERFUL;
BECAUSE THE HOMELAND
CITIES, ARMIES
HIS OWN HOUSE
AND HIS HOPES
WERE SAVED
THIS LASTING
MEMORIAL
FOR THOSE TO COME
MAXIMILIANVS
PALSGRAVE OF THE RHINE
RULER OF BOTH BAVARIAS
ARCHSTEWARD OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
AND ELECTOR
THE WORST OF HIS SERVANTS
A GRATEFUL SUPPLICANT
PUT UP IN THE YEAR 1638

Image details
Date: 28 June 2023
Camera body: Nikon D50
Lens: Tamron 70.0-300.0 mm f/4.0-5.6
Focal Length: 195mm
Aperture: ƒ/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/1,250s
ISO: 360
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

The Mariensäule (lit. ‘Mary’s Column’) is a Marian column located on the Marienplatz in Munich, Germany. Mary is revered here as Patrona Bavariae (Latin: Protector of Bavaria).

It was erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation during the Thirty Years’ War, to be precise, following a respective vow by Duke Elector Maximilian I of Bavaria if the ducal residential cities of Munich and Landshut would be spared from war destruction. The column is topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a crescent moon as the Queen of Heaven, created in 1590. The figure was originally located in the Frauenkirche. Mariensäule in Munich was the first column of this type built north of the Alps and inspired erecting other Marian columns in this part of Europe.

At each corner of the column’s pedestal is a statue of a putto, created by Ferdinand Murmann. The four putti are each depicted fighting a different beast, symbolizing the city’s overcoming of adversities: war represented by the lion, pestilence by the cockatrice, hunger or famine by the dragon and heresy by the serpent.

The full inscription is as follows (with a translation)

Latin

DEO OPTIMO MAXIMO
VIRGINI DEIPARAE
BOICAE DOMINAE
BENIGNISSIMAE
PROTECTRICI
POTENTISSIMAE
OB PATRIAM
VRBES EXERCITVS
SEIPSVM DOMVM
ET SPES SVAS
SERVATAS
HOC PERENNE
AD POSTEROS
MONVMENTVM
MAXIMILIANVS
COM. PAL. RHENI
VTRIVSQVE BAVARIAE DVX
S.R.I. ARCHIDAP.
ET ELECTOR
CLIENTVM INFIMVS
GRATVS SVPPLEX
POSUIT A. MDCXXXIIX

Translation

TO GOD THE BEST AND GREATEST
THE VIRGIN, THE MOTHER OF GOD
MISTRESS OF BAVARIA
MOST BENIGN
PROTECTRESS
MOST POWERFUL;
BECAUSE THE HOMELAND
CITIES, ARMIES
HIS OWN HOUSE
AND HIS HOPES
WERE SAVED
THIS LASTING
MEMORIAL
FOR THOSE TO COME
MAXIMILIANVS
PALSGRAVE OF THE RHINE
RULER OF BOTH BAVARIAS
ARCHSTEWARD OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
AND ELECTOR
THE WORST OF HIS SERVANTS
A GRATEFUL SUPPLICANT
PUT UP IN THE YEAR 1638

Image details
Date: 28 June 2023
Camera body: Nikon D50
Lens: Tamron 70.0-300.0 mm f/4.0-5.6
Focal Length: 150mm
Aperture: ƒ/4.5
Shutter Speed: 1/1,250s
ISO: 200
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

The Mariensäule (lit. ‘Mary’s Column’) is a Marian column located on the Marienplatz in Munich, Germany. Mary is revered here as Patrona Bavariae (Latin: Protector of Bavaria).

It was erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation during the Thirty Years’ War, to be precise, following a respective vow by Duke Elector Maximilian I of Bavaria if the ducal residential cities of Munich and Landshut would be spared from war destruction. The column is topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a crescent moon as the Queen of Heaven, created in 1590. The figure was originally located in the Frauenkirche. Mariensäule in Munich was the first column of this type built north of the Alps and inspired erecting other Marian columns in this part of Europe.

At each corner of the column’s pedestal is a statue of a putto, created by Ferdinand Murmann. The four putti are each depicted fighting a different beast, symbolizing the city’s overcoming of adversities: war represented by the lion, pestilence by the cockatrice, hunger or famine by the dragon and heresy by the serpent.

The full inscription is as follows (with a translation)

Latin

DEO OPTIMO MAXIMO
VIRGINI DEIPARAE
BOICAE DOMINAE
BENIGNISSIMAE
PROTECTRICI
POTENTISSIMAE
OB PATRIAM
VRBES EXERCITVS
SEIPSVM DOMVM
ET SPES SVAS
SERVATAS
HOC PERENNE
AD POSTEROS
MONVMENTVM
MAXIMILIANVS
COM. PAL. RHENI
VTRIVSQVE BAVARIAE DVX
S.R.I. ARCHIDAP.
ET ELECTOR
CLIENTVM INFIMVS
GRATVS SVPPLEX
POSUIT A. MDCXXXIIX

Translation

TO GOD THE BEST AND GREATEST
THE VIRGIN, THE MOTHER OF GOD
MISTRESS OF BAVARIA
MOST BENIGN
PROTECTRESS
MOST POWERFUL;
BECAUSE THE HOMELAND
CITIES, ARMIES
HIS OWN HOUSE
AND HIS HOPES
WERE SAVED
THIS LASTING
MEMORIAL
FOR THOSE TO COME
MAXIMILIANVS
PALSGRAVE OF THE RHINE
RULER OF BOTH BAVARIAS
ARCHSTEWARD OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
AND ELECTOR
THE WORST OF HIS SERVANTS
A GRATEFUL SUPPLICANT
PUT UP IN THE YEAR 1638

Image details
Date: 28 June 2023
Camera body: Nikon D50
Lens: Tamron 70.0-300.0 mm f/4.0-5.6
Focal Length: 105mm
Aperture: ƒ/4.2
Shutter Speed: 1/1,000s
ISO: 200
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

The Ludwigsbrücke is a road bridge over the Isar in Munich, which consists of two consecutive bridge structures separated by the Museum Island. Both parts of the bridge are arch bridges made of reinforced concrete that are clad with natural stone.

The Ludwigsbrücke connects Munich city center with Haidhausen and the Au. Coming from the Isartor, Zweibrückenstraße leads to the first part of the bridge, the Inner Ludwigsbrücke, which crosses the Great Isar to the Museum Island, on which the Deutsches Museum stands. The second bridge structure, the Äußere Ludwigsbrücke, leads from there over the Kleine Isar to Rosenheimer Strasse, from which the Inner Wiener Strasse branches off after a few meters at the Gasteig.

The Ludwigsbrücke is at a historically important place: This is where the Isarbrücke stood, with which Heinrich the lion redirected the salt trade from the Isarbrücke near Oberföhring to his sovereign territory in 1158. However, it is not clear whether this bridge was built at this time, which is often equated with the founding of the city of Munich, or whether goods traffic across the Isar initially led through a ford, since the Augsburger Schied of 1158 does not yet mention an Isar bridge near Munich , but only in 1180 in the Regensburg dispute. After the Föhringer Bridge was destroyed by Heinrich the Lion, the bridge near Munich remained the only navigable Isar bridge between Bad Tölz and Freising for a long time.

The original bridge was a simple, continuous, wooden pier or yoke bridge over the river, which did not then have the later formed island. Over the centuries that followed, the bridge was repeatedly damaged or destroyed by flooding and had to be rebuilt. A standardized construction with fixed dimensions for pillars and beams was therefore introduced, which gave the bridge the same appearance over the centuries. By the 15th century at the latest, the bridge had a small gatehouse with a guard, as can be seen in the 1493 view. After the bridge had to be renewed again in 1501, the Red Tower was built between 1517 and 1519 as a defense system towering over the bridge.

In 1705 the Isar had formed a gravel island, today’s Museum Island, so that the Great Isar ran to the west of the island and to the east of the island was the Small Isar and the Auer Mühlbach, which was still open there at the time. Between 1723 and 1725 part of the wooden bridge was replaced by an outer bridge over the Kleine Isar and the Auer Mühlbach. The pillars were made of stone, but the superstructure was again made of wood. The outer bridge over the Isar was only “vaulted” in 1759-1764 under the chief master builder Ignaz Anton Gunetzrhainer, i. H. built on the existing pillars as a stone arch bridge. After Gunetzrhainer’s death in 1764, the inner Isar bridge with three stone arches was rebuilt according to his plans in 1767-1772. The part of the bridge over the Auer Mühlbach was also called the Schwanenbrücke or Schleifferbrücke.

During fighting between Austrian and French troops, the Red Tower was set on fire on September 8, 1796 and largely destroyed, so that it later had to be demolished. Only the side buildings remained, which were used by the coppersmith Feßler and the tower inn, which existed until 1890.

On September 13, 1813, the part of the bridge leading over the Kleine Isar collapsed during a strong flood because the stone pillars erected in 1725 had been washed away. About 100 people died in the process. At first only a wooden emergency bridge was built. The then general director of the Bavarian road and hydraulic engineering von Wiebeking presented plans for a wooden, a stone and an iron bridge and King Maximilian I decided in favor of the stone one. When construction had already begun, concerns were raised about the intended span widths of around 30 m. New plans were submitted, e.g. by Georg von Reichenbach for a cast-iron tubular bridge, by his rival Joseph von Baader for a wrought-iron bridge and by the city building officer Carl Probst for a stone bridge. In October 1823, work began on the construction of the outer bridge based on Probst’s design with the architectural design additions made by Leo von Klenze. At that time, the Auer Mühlbach had already been built over by the Rosenheimer Straße, but the bed of the Kleine Isar was a little wider than it is today. The bridge, which was inaugurated on May 3, 1828, was named Ludwigsbrücke in honor of the then King Ludwig I. The bridge now rested on a strong oak sill covered with planks. The bases of the pillars and abutments as well as the area of the walkways consisted of red sandstone that had been quarried in Neubeuern am Inn. The Nagelfluh came from Garmisch and Schäftlarn, from which the abutments consisted from the base to the arches. The piers themselves, the frontal arches, the main cornice and the railings were made of greenish-grey sandstone brought from Kelheim. The roadway was paved with boulders made of gneiss that had been picked up near Wangen in the Allgäu and near Neufahrn between Starnberg and Schäftlarn. The decoration between the breast railings was created in the royal iron foundry of Bodenwöhr.

In 1877, the inner bridge was widened by adding a cast iron construction.

In 1891-1892 the inner Ludwigsbrücke was replaced by a wider new building with three concrete arches and the outer bridge with four widened concrete arches

Image details
Date: 28 June 2023
Camera body: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6G ED
Focal Length: 48mm
Aperture: ƒ/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/1,000s
ISO: 320
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International