The Maximilianstraße in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
is one of the city's four royal avenues next to the
Brienner Straße, the
Ludwigstraße and the
Prinzregentenstraße. It starts at ''
Max-Joseph-Platz'', where the ''
Residenz'' and the
National Theatre are situated, and runs east-west. Planned and begun in 1850 by King
Maximilian II of Bavaria, the street takes his name. The lead architect was
Friedrich Bürklein. Today, Maximilianstraße has the distinction of the highest retail rents in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
Architecture
With this project, the king also aimed to "invent" a new architectural style which would combine the best features of historical models combined with then modern building technology. The avenue is framed by mostly
neo-Gothic buildings influenced by the English
Perpendicular style. The opening in the middle of the Maximilianstraße for the new circular road ''Altstadtring'' after World War II nowadays disturbs the appearance.
Opposite to the National Theatre the north facade of the ''
Old Mint Yard'' got its neogothic decoration when the Maximilianstraße was built to fit it with the concept of this royal avenue. The new buildings house, among others, in the western portion of the street the ''
Schauspielhaus'' (built by
Max Littmann, 1901) and in the eastern portion several state buildings like the ''building of the district government of Upper Bavaria'' (Friedrich Bürklein, 1856–1864), the ''
Museum Fünf Kontinente'' (Museum of Ethnology, built by
Eduard Riedel, 1858–1865) and the ''building of the
Wilhelmsgymnasium'' (built by Carl Leimbach, 1875–1877).
Between the district government building and the museums are monuments for
Deroy (1856),
Rumford (1866),
Schelling (1861) and
Fraunhofer (1868).
The ''Maxmonument'' in the middle of the eastern part of the avenue is dedicated to King Maximilian II of Bavaria and was sculpted by
Kaspar von Zumbusch (1875). In the south of the monument the nearby dome of ''
St. Lukas'' is visible.
After crossing the river
Isar
The Isar () is a river in Austria and in Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel mountain range of the Alps. The Isar river enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Krün, Wallgau, Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching ...
further east, the avenue circles the palatial ''
Maximilianeum'' (Friedrich Bürklein, 1857–1874), home of a gifted students´ foundation and the
Bavarian Landtag (state parliament). Due to statical problems at the bank of river Isar the construction was only completed ten years after the King's death and the facade of the building which was originally planned also in neo-Gothic style had to be altered in
neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...
. The ''Maximiliansbridge'' with the statue of Pallas Athene was built in the years 1857-1863 as an extension of Maximilianstraße to the Maximilianeum, and broadened in 1903.
Shopping street
The western portion of Maximilianstraße is known for its galleries, designer shops, luxury boutiques, jewellery stores, and one of Munich's foremost five-star hotels, the ''
Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten'' (Kempinski, built by Rudolf Gottgetreu, 1856–1858).
Dolce & Gabbana,
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...
,
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
,
Dior,
Chanel,
Escada,
Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss AG (stylized in all caps) is a designer fashion company headquartered in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company sells clothing, Fashion accessory, accessories, footwear, and Leather, leather goods. Hugo Boss is one of the ...
,
Gucci
Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...
,
Gianfranco Ferré,
Bulgari and many other famous shops keep branches in the Maximilianstraße. They have increasingly ousted the traditional shops, art galleries and restaurants.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maximilianstrasse (Munich)
Streets in Munich
Tourist attractions in Munich
Shopping districts and streets in Germany