Third Reich Munich Walking Tour (Self Guided), Munich

The Führerbau - translated as "the Führer's building" - is a Nazi party edifice located in Königsplatz and was built from 1933 to 1937 to the design of architect Paul Ludwig Troost. The first plans were made in 1931, and the building itself was completed three years after Troost's death by Leonhard Gall.

During the Nazi times, it served as a representative building for Adolf Hitler. The Führerbau has historical significance for being the place where Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler signed the Munich treaty in September 1938.

Architecturally speaking, the Brienner Strasse is a symmetry axis - at the Katharina-von-Bora-Strasse 10, a very similar building stands: The "Verwaltungsbau der NSDAP" (Administrative Building of the NSDAP). After the German surrender, the US occupation forces used both buildings as the "Zentrale Sammelstelle" (central collecting place) that cared about the looted pieces of art garnered by the Nazis throughout Europe. Today, the building houses the Hochschule für Musik und Theater (University of Applied Sciences of Music and Theatre), and its congress hall serves as a concert venue.

The Feldherrnhalle or Field Marshall’s Hall is a large loggia built to commemorate Bavarian military leaders and soldiers who fell during the Franco-Prussian War. The memorial was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and designed by Friedrich von Gartner. It was built between 1841 and 1844 on the site of one of the old city gates, the Schwabinger Tor, at the southern end of Ludwigstrasse, near the Palais Preysing. The design was modeled on the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence.

At the front, the building features large bronze statues of two revered Bavarian military heroes, Johann Tilly and Karl hilipp von Wrede, created by sculptor Ludwig Schwanthaler. In 1882, another sculpture paying tribute to the Bavarian army’s exploits during the Franco-Prussian war was created by Ferdinand von Miller Jr. and placed at the center. The steps leading up to the monument carry two lions, sculpted by Wilhelm Ruemann in 1906. The growling lion faces the Residenz Royal Palace while the other lion, with its mouth closed, faces the church.

The place is best remembered, however, for the skirmish between the Bavarian Police and Hitler’s followers in 1923, called the Beer Hall Putsch, resulting in the future Fuhrer and his supporters being arrested.

The Hofbräuhaus is probably the best-known “watering hole” in Munich. Dating all the way back to 1589, this beer hall was founded by the Duke of Bavaria, Wilhelm V, and originally, surprisingly enough, was not open to the public. Luckily for today's tourists and locals, though, in 1828 it finally opened up to the masses. Today, this hospitable spot, thick with traditional atmosphere and friendly vibes, is where you can come to enjoy typical Bavarian food to your heart's content, listen to the Oompah band play loudly on stage, and gulp down the rich Hofbräuhaus beer in large, one-liter steins, which the Germans call a Mass.

The Bavarian Beer Purity Law, passed in 1516, states that only natural ingredients can be used for beer brewing. To this day, this law is still duly adhered to and the beers of Munich, including Hofbräuhaus, are held to that high, delicious standard of beer making.

In case you want to take home one of the authentic huge Hofbräuhaus beer steins, you can find them at the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl gift shop at the cost of 10 to 15 Euros apiece. Just don’t tell any of your German friends that you might be willing to fill it up with something other than the pure, golden Hofbräuhaus beer. Never!!!

Opening Hours: daily 9:30 - 23:30

***Third Reich Walk***
Renowned for its beer, Hofbräuhaus also made mark in history on 24 February 1920, when Adolf Hitler held here one of his first propaganda gatherings.

Once the seat of the Munich Municipality, prior to the construction of Neues Rathaus in 1874, Altes Rathaus (the Old Town Hall) stands on the eastern side of Marienplatz. It was left untouched, unlike many other buildings that were demolished to make way for the building.

The Old Town Hall was constructed between 1470 and 1480, based on the design by Jörg von Halsbach, the renowned architect who also created the Frauenkirche in Munich. At the time of its construction, the building appeared Late Gothic in style, but was remodeled several times and ultimately altered to Neo-Gothic, between 1861 and 1864. To allow passage of traffic, throughout 1877-1934, two tunnels were built through the building. The Rathaus suffered greatly from the World War II bombings and was extensively restored, based on its 15th-century design.

Today, the building hosts offices of the city council, some administrative departments and a Toy Museum (Spielzugmuseum) set in four rooms within the tower. There is a souvenir & gift shop on the first floor that sells unique items such as, in particular, replicas of The Morris Dancers, wooden sculptures by Munich's Erasmus Grasser.

***Third Reich Walk***
This stately complex in the heart of Munich played a key role in the Nazi’s seizure of power. It is here that Joseph Goebbels gave his infamous speech that inspired Kristallnacht, or “the night of broken glass,” on November 9, 1938, a nationwide pogrom that led to the destruction of numerous Jewish businesses and arrest of thousands of Jewish citizens. Kristallnacht is generally considered to be the start of the “Ultimate Solution of the Jewish Question”, i.e. the Holocaust.

Why You Should Visit:
One of the finest historical buildings to see in Marienplatz. Just as the neighboring New Town Hall, it is open to climb upstairs to the top. Inside, the ground floor is just as gorgeous, exactly as one would expect a typical German building to look like.

Tip:
In addition to the Toy Museum, the Altes Rathaus offers yet another bit of fun in the form of the Juliet Capulet Statue, located on the side of the building, a gift from the city of Verona to Munich in the 1970s.

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am-5pm

The Sterneckerbräu was a brewery in Munich. The associated inn served as a meeting place for the first branch of the German Workers' Party (DAP) and, similarly to the Bürgerbräukeller, was a place of pilgrimage for the Nazi movement. The DAP members met once a week in the restaurant on the first floor of the building. On 12 September 1919, Adolf Hitler attended a DAP gathering on behalf of the intelligence command of the army, which took place in a meeting room of the Sterneckerbräu, and was invited to join the party. He accepted the invitation and, on that date, became the DAP's 55th member.

In October 1919, the first branch of the DAP was set up in a side room of the Sterneckerbräu. Later, in February 1920, it changed the name to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). In 1921, the Bavarian nationalist and royalist league In Treue fest was founded at the Sterneckerbräu. It was banned by the Nazis on 2 February 1933, and was re-established in 1952.

On 8 November 1933, Hitler opened the Museum of the Nazi Party at the Sterneckerbräu, which was also mentioned in the Baedeker. The first inventory and office furniture, as well as the members' rooms, can still be viewed here.

The building survived World War II. In 1957, the restaurant was closed and the first floor was converted into a store. The building is now used as a residential and commercial property, and is a registered monument on the Bavarian monument list.

After being discharged from the German Army in March 1920, Hitler returned to Munich and went to work full-time for the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party), which was headquartered in the city. He rented a small bedroom at Thierschstrasse 41, from 1920 to 1929. Later, he rented a second room to use as an office. The building still stands; Hitler's former room is used for storage.