Munich

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For other uses of "Munich" or "München", see Munich (disambiguation).

Munich

München

From top: Marienplatz with Neues Rathaus

 and Frauenkirche in the background,
Nymphenburg Palace, Englischer Garten, BMW
Welt, Feldherrnhalle and Allianz Arena

Flag

Coat of arms

show
Location of Munich

Munich

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Coordinates:  48°08′N 11°34′ECoordinates:  48°08′N 11°34′E

Country Germany

State Bavaria

Admin. region Upper Bavaria

District Urban district

First mentioned 1158

Subdivisions
25 boroughs[show]

Government

 • Lord mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD)

 • Governing parties Greens / SPD

Area

 • City 310.43 km2 (119.86 sq mi)

Elevation 520 m (1,710 ft)

Population

 (2019-12-31)[2]

 • City 1,484,226

 • Density 4,800/km2 (12,000/sq mi)

 • Urban 2,606,021

 • Metro 5,991,144[1]

Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)

 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)

Postal codes 80331–81929

Dialling codes 089

Vehicle registration M

Website www.muenchen.de
Mariensäule at Marienplatz

Aerial view of Munich

Lion sculptures by Wilhelm von Rümann at the Feldherrnhalle

Munich (/ˈmjuːnɪk/ MEW-nik; German: München [ˈmʏnçn̩] ( listen); Bavarian: Minga [ˈmɪŋ(ː)ɐ]) is
the capital and most populous city of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395  inhabitants as of
July 31, 2020,[3] it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg, and thus the
largest which does not constitute its own state, as well as the 11th-largest city in the European
Union. The city's metropolitan region is home to 6 million people.[4]
Straddling the banks of the River Isar (a tributary of the Danube) north of the Bavarian Alps, it is
the seat of the Bavarian administrative region of Upper Bavaria, while being the most densely
populated municipality in Germany (4,500 people per km2). Munich is the second-largest city in
the Bavarian dialect area, after the Austrian capital of Vienna.
The city was first mentioned in 1158. Catholic Munich strongly resisted the Reformation and
was a political point of divergence during the resulting Thirty Years' War, but remained
physically untouched despite an occupation by the Protestant Swedes.[5] Once Bavaria was
established as a sovereign kingdom in 1806, Munich became a major European centre of arts,
architecture, culture and science. In 1918, during the German Revolution, the ruling house of
Wittelsbach, which had governed Bavaria since 1180, was forced to abdicate in Munich and a
short-lived socialist republic was declared. In the 1920s, Munich became home to several
political factions, among them the NSDAP. After the Nazis' rise to power, Munich was declared
their "Capital of the Movement". The city was heavily bombed during World War II, but has
restored most of its traditional cityscape. After the end of postwar American occupation in 1949,
there was a great increase in population and economic power during the years
of Wirtschaftswunder, or "economic miracle". The city hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics and
was one of the host cities of the 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.
Today, Munich is a global centre
of art, science, technology, finance, publishing, culture, innovation, education, business,
and tourism and enjoys a very high standard and quality of living, reaching first in Germany and
third worldwide according to the 2018 Mercer survey,[6] and being rated the world's most liveable
city by the Monocle's Quality of Life Survey 2018.[7] According to the Globalization and World
Rankings Research Institute, Munich is considered an alpha-world city, as of 2015.[8] It is one of
the most prosperous[9] and fastest growing[10] cities in Germany.
Munich's economy is based on high tech, automobiles, the service sector and creative
industries, as well as IT, biotechnology, engineering and electronics among many others. The
city houses many multinational companies, such
as BMW, Siemens, MAN, Linde, Allianz and MunichRE. It is also home to two research
universities, a multitude of scientific institutions, and world class technology and science
museums like the Deutsches Museum and BMW Museum.[11] Munich's numerous architectural
and cultural attractions, sports events, exhibitions and its annual Oktoberfest attract
considerable tourism.[12] The city is home to more than 530,000 people of foreign background,
making up 37.7% of its population.[13]

Contents

History[edit]
Main articles: History of Munich and Timeline of Munich

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Munich city large coat of arms

Etymology[edit]
The name of the city is usually interpreted as deriving from the Old/Middle High
German term Munichen, meaning "by the monks". It derives from the monks of the Benedictine
order, who ran a monastery at the place that was later to become the Old Town of Munich.[14] A
monk is also depicted on the city's coat of arms.
The town is first mentioned as forum apud Munichen in the Augsburg arbitration of June 14,
1158 by Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich I.[15][16]
The name in modern German is München, but this has been variously translated in different
languages: in English, French and various other languages as "Munich", in Italian as "Monaco di
Baviera", in Portuguese as "Munique".[17]

Roman origins[edit]
The ancient Roman road, Via Julia, which connected Augsburg and Salzburg, crossed over the
Isar River south of modern-day Munich, at the towns of Baierbrunn and Gauting. A Roman
settlement north-east of downtown Munich was excavated in the neighborhood of
Denning/Bogenhausen.

Post-Roman settlements[edit]
In the 6th Century and beyond, various ethnic groups, such as the Baiuvarii, populated the area
around what is now modern Munich, such as in Johanneskirchen, Bogenhausen and Pasing.
The first known Christian church was built ca. 815 in Fröttmanning.

Origin of medieval town[edit]

Munich in the 16th century

Plan of Munich in 1642

The first known settlement in the area was of Benedictine monks on the Salt road between
Augsburg and Salzburg, crossing the Isar River. The foundation date is not considered the year
1158, the date the city was first mentioned in a document. The document was signed
in Augsburg.[18] By then, the Guelph Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, had built a toll
bridge over the river Isar next to the monks' settlement and on the salt route. But during the
archaeological excavations at Marienhof in advance of the expansion of the S-Bahn from 2012,
shards of vessels from the 11th century were found, which prove again that the settlement of
Munich must be older than their first documentary mention in 1158.
In 1175 Munich received city status and fortification. In 1180 with the trial of Henry the
Lion, Otto I Wittelsbach became Duke of Bavaria, and Munich was handed to the Bishop of
Freising. (Wittelsbach's heirs, the Wittelsbach dynasty, ruled Bavaria until 1918.) In 1240,
Munich was transferred to Otto II Wittelsbach and in 1255, when the Duchy of Bavaria was split
in two, Munich became the ducal residence of Upper Bavaria.
Duke Louis IV, a native of Munich, was elected German king in 1314 and crowned as Holy
Roman Emperor in 1328. He strengthened the city's position by granting it the salt monopoly,
thus assuring it of additional income. In the late 15th century, Munich underwent a revival
of Gothic arts: the Old Town Hall was enlarged, and Munich's largest Gothic church –
the Frauenkirche – now a cathedral, was constructed in only 20 years, starting in 1468.