Munich: Interesting Churches

Do you want to go to Munich in lovely Bavaria? Here are some tips, which will contain some special places of interest.

Munich is not only the "Oktoberfest", which is described nicely at
http://www.h2g2.com/A297092" >http://www.h2g2.com/A297092. />There you find also a hint about "Weisswuerschtl", absolutely true.....taste them!

Perhaps you want to see some baroque churches? Some of that jewels are hidden in the streets of Munich (not only the "Wies" is a juwel).
First Munich´s "Asamkirche" (1733-46):
It was meant as a privat church of the famous baroque artist Egid Quirin Asam (sounds like a name taken off of the hitchhiker´s guide... doesn´t it?). It´s located near the "Marienplatz", in Sendlinger Str. Get inside (right after your "Weisswuerschtl"-Lunch) and take a deep breath: It´s almost totally dark in the first place. Then you catch sight of a golden shimmer, which gets stronger every second. A golden glow sweeps in through a window high above the altarpiece.
I will not bore you with the catholic details and the symbolism (I´m NOT catholic ;-), but these people knew how to dramatise their religion).
The patron saint is Johann Nepumok of Prague. The Fresco on the ceiling (painted by Cosmas Damian Asam, the architect´s brother) shows a phantastic view of the baroque Prague, with the Dome of St. Veit and other well known buildings.
A balcony runs along both walls and over the oval entrance room. This makes the church look like the chapel of a king´s palace. Egid Quirin had a little window at the left side, so he could watch the mass from his bedroom, too.

Another unknown church: "St. Anna im Lehel" (1727/33)
Near the metro station "Lehel", no, not the big church, the tiny one facing the facade of the big one! (Take a look inside the big one - it´s fake medieval - romanesque style of the 19th century)
This is an oval church like the famous "Wies".
Enjoy the curves and waves and the warm colours of the fresco by Cosmas Damian Asam. The architect´s name is Johann Michael Fischer. This bavarian artist invented new concepts of baroque interiors. His and his consignors´ favourites were centrally planned buildings. Such churches own the character of a reliquary or treasure box.(Visit his churches in Ottobeuren, Rott am Inn, Diessen am Ammersee (fine holyday resorts, too))

Another kind of typical bavarian church can be found on the Neuhauser Str., the "Michaelskirche" or St. Michael. If you are looking for towers, forget it. There´s only a broad facade with a triangular pediment and many, many niches, which contain bronzen figures of bavarian kings and dukes and, of course, Saint Michel himself, stabbing the evil...This kind of facade is typical renaissance. The date of the foundation is 1583 - you see: renaissance began very, very late in Germany (compared to Italy).
If you step inside, you might be overwhelmed. It´s not only the biggest renaissance church north of the alps. The room itself has been a new invention, which was the prototype for many of the baroque churches in southern germany. Once there was also a big tower at the right hand side of the church, but it collapsed in the year 1590 and most of the church was destroyed. Duke William V. of Bavaria interpreted this as a sign of god: The church was too big! But in 1597 the last parts of the church were completed.
The huge tunnel vault covers all of the building. German Architects always preferred big rooms, where everybody was in sight. But Gothic churches were dark. One of the great ideas of the architect Friedrich Sustris (1540-1599) were the niches, which allowed the light to float into the room unhampered. The white walls support this effect. But even in art nothing is made without motive. In this church the hugeness, the broad light and the clear visibility were part of the religious program.
St. Michael was built by the jesuits in the aera of counter-reformation. The catholic church tried to regain the symathy of the people (in Bavaria they were very successful ;-)). The religious masses were theatralic and spectacular - like theatre shows.


I hope this descriptions were useful. Take a look, before you go to the HOFBRAEUHAUS. Cheers!

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