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Published: February 28th 2010
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Glokenspiell timeMUNICH Day 37
Usually I avoid guided tours at all cost. I have not taken part in any throughout my whole trip thus far. But having arrived in Munich I decided to take part in the free (not so free, tip based) tour of Munich. Usually I feel that my own wanderings around a city are enough but because there is a lot of history that impacted on the whole world from within Munich I decided that I should do the tour so I could get some of the details that I wouldn’t have been able to get on my own. It was definitely a good choice.
The tour began at Marian Platz where the Glockenspiel tower clock is located. It is a funny clock that starts a mechanical show at 11 and 12 each day. It portrays the wedding of the King of Bavaria to a French princess. And people dance and then two knights on horse joust. The next scene depicts the dancing of these people who make barrels for beer. Now it is strange that they would have these people dancing but there is a reason. Apparently, during the plague the economy began to suffer
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The beginning of the night of broken glass so these people would dance in the streets to try to bring people out to buy beer and other things to kick start the economy. And that is pretty much the crazy clock.
Next we entered into the new municipal buildings to see the shield of Munich. On the shield is a monk, because Munich (or munchen meaning monks) is where a large congregation of monks used to live. These monks liked to drink a lot of really strong beer. Apparently, they did this while they fasted because the beer was the only way to still get nutrients and energy. It also meant they were really drunk all the time. So a bishop of some sort decided to pass a law saying that the monks were only allowed to drink 3litres of this super strong beer per day. The monks didn’t like this and because it was a law based on the honour system it was not really followed and the monks continued to be drunk all the time.
We followed the drunk monk story to the church around the corner. This church has the two largest towers in all of Munich. The story goes that the church
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New Municipal building was built with the help of Satan, who was tricked into helping by his own stupidity. It is said that Satan was traveling through Munich and decided to visit this church that was being built. He entered at night and saw that it had no windows and was really excited at the thought of a dark menacing church without windows so he struck a deal with a builder that if he left the church as it was without adding any more windows he will make sure he has enough money to finish and that it is completed on time. If the builder adds more windows he will lose his soul to the devil. So the builder agrees and the devil leaves and returns in ten years to see the church. He now enters in daylight and from the side entrance and is furious to find out that there are many windows. He storms off to find the builder and asks him why he would be so stupid. The builder takes him to the main entrance and shows him that there were always windows but Satan didn’t seem them because the church was built so that they would be hidden from
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May pole in the market the main entrance and only visible from the altar so that the light is at the most holy place. Satan stomps his foot and leaves a golden footprint in the main entrance.
The truth is that the golden footprint is that of the architect who wanted to leave his imprint as a signature. But it is a funny story though. Also, the busts of the many architects who assisted with the building can be found throughout the ceiling. Each architect made his own bust and placed it into the arches. Sadly, much of the church was lost during the bombings of WWII.
Next we walked back to Marian Platz to the old municipal buildings. It is in the building that on in Nov. 1938 that Hitler sat inside and received the news that a German was killed in France. This evening initiated the Night of Broken Glass, being the anti-Jewish campaign to destroy all Jewish businesses/buildings/synagogues/cemeteries and drastically increased the numbers of Jewish people being sent to Dachau concentration camp. It is hard to imagine that all this began in just one small room in one small building. After this we passed one of the many monuments to
the victims of the Nazi regime. The monuments can be found throughout Munich and point out places where Jewish business once stood prior to the holocaust.
Following this sobering portion of the tour we passed the market where the may pole stands. Every year, much like in Czech, the may pole is guarded from other villages. If one village successfully captures the others pole then the latter must host a large party for the winning village in order to receive their pole back. Apparently, in 2005 the may pole was stolen from Munich airport by their own security guards. The guards said they would only return it if the staff were given a party. The airport acquiesced, the party was had, and everyone kept their jobs.
Next stop was the Hofbrauhaus, which is the royal’s brewery. This place seems really gross for a few reasons. The first, the visitors of the establishment were too lazy to go outside to the bathroom so they would simply pee on the floor under the tables. They wouldn’t even get up! Every night the staff had to hose down the floor. Now this doesn’t happen anymore but the second reason does. The
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The alley used by anti-nazi supporters second, in the men’s bathrooms you can find a vomitorium. Now as you might guess this is a basin for people to vomit into so that they can exit the bathroom and continue to drink. EWWWWWWWWWWWW! After the rather gross Royal brewery we went on to the Royal Residence. This was much nicer and also was the location of the opera house.
The tour then returned to the more sullen history surrounding Hitler. It is on the street in front of the royal residence that Hitler staged his Beer Hall Putsch. This was his attempted overrunning of Berlin by beginning his walk in Munich with a couple thousand untrained farmers. The Putsch did not make it very far and resulted in the death of 21 people. Hitler’s own bodyguard was shot 11 times protecting him. It is from this event that Hitler decided to move away form the rebellion style takeover and towards legitimate politics to accomplish his goals.
At the sight of the Putsch during Hitler’s rule there was a plaque commemorating the day. During that time guards stood on each side of the plaque and forced passer byes to salute the plaque in the Hail Hitler
style. The large percentage of locals who did not support Hitler or his policies began to avoid walking past the plaque and used an alley near by instead. The guards caught on to this and a law was passed that no one was allowed to use the alley to avoid passing the plaque and if caught would be sent to Dachau concentration camp. Those against Hitler continued to use the alley and many suffered by being sent the Dachau and even losing their lives. The plaques are no longer there but the alley way has some copper coloured bricks in it to remember those who risked their lives in order to preserve their own ideology and not have Hitler’s forced upon them.
On a brighter note, in front of the residence are four lion statues. It is said that if you rub their mouth you will get good luck. But you’re only allowed to rub a maximum of three of the four or you are considered greedy and will not get good luck. I saw many older people walking by who casually would touch the mouth as they went as if they didn’t even know they were doing it.
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Royal Brewery... does anyone need to use the bathroom? Don't bother getting up...ewwwww After the tour ended I headed to a dirndl shop I had seen on the way in. I have been dying to get a dirndl dress since Oktoberfest came to Dublin. I even wanted a pair of lederhosen but they are very expensive. So I tried on many a dirndl and found one I liked along with a suede vest that is meant to go along with lederhosen. They are really awesome and I love them and they are the best souvenirs ever! I really don’t like the traditional souvenirs that all the shops sell. They are incredibly tacky and I don’t want a house filled with stupid little figures and patches from different countries. I like souvenirs that are practical and I could keep for the rest of my life and not see and think ‘goodness that thing is stupid’. Something you can actually put up in your home and doesn’t scream souvenir but if someone sees it and asks about it you can remember your trip. The downside of these souvenirs is they tend to cost more then the 5 or 10 bucks for a stupid plastic thingymabob.
After my grand purchase I headed to St.Peter’s
church to climb the insane number of stairs to the top of a great view of Munich. I then headed back to the hostel for dinner and to catch up on this lovely blog of mine.
Can I also mention how much I love that people in Bavaria will wear lederhosen and other traditional clothing on regular days. They enjoy it so much that they wear it just because. And it is not as though they do it as a joke they really and truly enjoy their traditional clothing... and I do too!
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