Munich, << MYOO nihk >> (pop. 1,348,335), is the third largest city in Germany. It ranks next in population to Berlin and Hamburg. Munich lies in the southeastern part of Germany on the Bavarian plain.
Loading the player...Streets of Munich, Germany
The German name for Munich is München. Tradition says that the city was founded near an outpost of Benedictine monks called zu den Munichen, a German phrase meaning at the monks’ place. Over time, the name became shortened to München. A little monk is still a symbol of the city.
The Isar River flows through Munich toward the Danube River. The Maximilianeum, the seat of the Bavarian Parliament, lies along the banks of the Isar in Munich. It was built in the mid-1800’s. Munich lies less than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Brenner Pass in the Alps on the border between Austria and Italy. The location of Munich has made the city a major transportation center linking northern and southern Europe.
Economy.
Munich is one of Germany’s leading centers of economic activity. Its major industries include electronics, food processing, printing and publishing, and the production of chemicals, machine tools, optical instruments, and textiles. BMW, one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers, has its headquarters in Munich. The city is well known for its breweries.
The city.
Three of the most famous buildings in Munich are the Cathedral, the Palace, and the German Museum. But beautiful palaces, churches, and public buildings can be found throughout the city. The German Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world for exhibits in technology and science. The imposing State Library contains millions of books and thousands of manuscripts. The National Theater, one of the largest theaters in Germany, was bombed and destroyed during World War II (1939-1945). The building was completely restored beginning in 1958, and it reopened officially in 1963.
Three famous museums were almost destroyed by the bombings during World War II. They were the old Pinakothek, the new Pinakothek, and the Glyptothek. Many of the valuable works of art in these museums were saved, reassembled, and exhibited after the war.
Marienplatz and Frauenkirche skyline, Munich
Munich has many institutions of higher education. Ludwig Maximilian University, which was founded in 1472, moved to Munich in 1826.
History.
Munich was founded in 1158 by Duke Henry the Lion. In 1255, the city became the seat of a family of nobles called the House of Wittelsbach. The Wittelsbachs ruled Munich and the rest of Bavaria until World War I ended in 1918. Munich served as the capital of Bavaria for much of this time. During the 1800’s, Munich became an important cultural and artistic center.
The Nazi Party developed out of a small political group founded in Munich in 1919. In 1923, Adolf Hitler attempted to seize power following a mass meeting in a Munich beer hall. In 1938, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Germany signed an agreement at Munich to give the Sudetenland to Germany. Allied bombings destroyed much of the city during World War II. After the war, Munich was rebuilt in a way that restored much of its traditional appearance.
