Page 221 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

MUNICH  219

Grasser (1480) are kept in the The origins of the museum’s
Town Museum (Stadtmuseum). collection go back to 1782,
The lofty tower rising above when curios taken from the
the old city gate (Talbrucktor) treasures of various Bavarian
was remade in 1975 based rulers were exhibited in a gallery
on pictures dating from 1493. in the gardens of the residence.
Since 1983, the tower has Attention began to focus on
housed the toy collection ethnography after expansion
of the Spielzeugmuseum. of the collection in 1868. The
museum currently houses some
300,000 exhibits depicting the
q Neues Rathaus art and culture of non-European
New Town Hall nations, with a particular
emphasis on the Far East (China
Marienplatz 8. Map 2 B4. Tel (089) and Japan), South America and
233 00.  or  Marienplatz.
Open Town Hall and Tower: May–Oct: Eastern and Central Africa. The
10am–7pm daily; Nov–Apr: 10am–5pm Richly decorated entrance to collection is presented in a
Mon–Fri. 0 - Carillons: Mar–Oct: the Museum Fünf Kontinente series of changing exhibitions.
11am, noon, 5pm daily; Nov–Feb: w Museum Fünf
11am, noon daily. e Hofbräuhaus
Kontinente
The Neo-Gothic new town hall Five Continents Museum Platzl 9. Map 2 C4. Tel (089) 290 136
standing in Marienplatz was 100.  or  Marienplatz. Open 9am–
built by Georg Hauberrisser in Maximilianstraße 42. Map 3 D4. 11:30pm daily. ∑ hofbraeuhaus.de
1867–1909. Its 100-m (330-ft) Tel (089) 210 136 100. v 19. Open
high façade features a fascinating 9:30am–5:30pm, Tue–Sun. & - The Hofbräuhaus is the most
set of statues depicting Bavarian popular beer hall in Munich
dukes, kings and electors, saints, On the opposite side of the and a great tourist attraction.
mythical and allegorical figures ring road from the Maxi- Established as a court brewery
as well as a variety of gargoyles milianeum (the Upper Bavaria in 1589 by Wilhelm V, it was
inspired by medieval bestiaries. Government building) is originally housed in Alter Hof,
The central façade features an the Bavarian museum of but moved to Platzl in 1654. In
80-m (260-ft) high ethnography. Built in 1858–65, 1830 permission was granted
clock tower, known to a design by E Riedel, its to build an inn where beer
as Glockenspiele. façade is decorated with could be sold to the public.
Each day, at eight figures personifying The Neo-Renaissance form of
11am and the virtues of the Bavarian the building dates from 1896.
5pm, the bells people: patriotism, diligence, The Schwemme, on the ground
ring out a carillon, magnanimity, piety, loyalty, floor, is a large hall with painted
while mechanical justice, courage and wisdom. ceiling and room for about
knights fight a Originally intended to house 1,000 guests. The Festsaal, on
tournament and the Bavarian National Museum the first floor, has a barrel-
a crowd dances. (now in Prinzregentenstraße), shaped vault and can
The latter is a the building has been home accommodate 1,300 guests.
reenactment of to the ethnography museum In a courtyard, surrounded
the first coopers’ since 1925. It is the second by chestnut trees, is the beer
dance, which was largest (after Berlin) ethno- garden, which is always very
held in 1517 to graphic museum in Germany. popular during the summer.
boost the morale
of citizens when
the town was
beset by the
plague. Other
mechanical figures
Statue on appear in the
façade of windows on the
Neues Rathaus seventh floor in the
evenings (9:30pm
in summer, 7:30pm in winter).
These are flanked by figures of
the town guardsman carrying a
lantern and the Guardian Angel
blessing a Munich child, the
“Münchner Kindl”. The famous, historic Hofbräuhaus is still owned by the Bavarian state

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