Munich’s 840th Birthday

The original city goes back to the 8th century.

This was held officially on June 13th 1998.

Munich’s 840th Birthday party. Munich was a small monastic settlement known as “bei den Munichen” (by the monks). The actual founder of Munich was “Duke Henry the Lion”. He destroyed a toll bridge over the Isar river near Freising, that used to carry the salt trade and built another one in “Munichen”. This redirected the wagons over his bridge, were he collected the toll.

The Bishop of Freising complained and Emperor Frederick Barberosse called a Reich-Council meeting in Augsburg on June 14th 1155 and confirmed the Dukes action. This became the official birthday ( Geburtstag ) for the City of Munich. Each year Munich celebrates this anniversary with a two day festival, and other events throughout the summer.

The main area for the celebrations was in Marienplatz, Weinstrasse, and the Odeonsplazt, with craft stalls, music, and plenty of beer and food available. Kodak had kindly provided me with one of their new DC120 digital camera’s for free to take photographs of Munich. This site started in 1996 so having digital images was a major step forward. This information was one of the early pages created for Munich’s 840th Birthday party, and use an early digital camera from Kodak to take these photographs.

It is very normal in Munich for local people to dress in the Bavarian style when going out. This is called “Bayerische Tracht”.

Munich’s famous “Schuhplattler”, an old dance were the men slap their on their knees and shoes, in time with the music.

A view from Marienplatz towards Odeonsplatz in Theatiner Strasse.

The Geburtstag (Birthday) stage set-up in the Munich Marienplatz. Many thousands of people packed the area to see the dance events and music.

These “Gaukler”  are part of the festival. This picture was taken in the open square behind the Munich Rathaus (townhall) called Marienhof.

A horse drawn Munich bus that was used in the city between 1873 and 1905. The name is a “Pferde-Trambahn”

“Handwerhof” (Handicraft centre) was set-up in Odeonsplatz. Naturally there was good Munich beer and food available.

These traditional music players are called a “Blasmusik Kapelle” and will be seen in most parades.

“Volkstanzgruppe” performing a traditional Bavarian dance.

The “Schffler tanz” is another part of the parade

This “Hochradfahrer” (high bike rider) certainly gets a great view of all the Munich celebrations.

These ladies from the “Heimat- und Brauchtumsverein Lechler – München e.V” are hand making the decorative costume jewellery used on most traditional dresses. The full name is “Biedermaier Tracht“.