Odeonplatz in Munich

Odeonplatz is a large square located in the very center of Munich. The characteristic appearance of the square is a work of a famous architect Leo von Klenze (court architect of Bavarian King Ludwig I). The square was named after the concert hall, which was also built by Klenze. In 1862, a monument of Ludwig I on horseback was placed on the square, and in the base of this monument, there are four statues representing art, religion, poetry and industry.

The idea of the Odeonplatz building came to being during the reign of Ludwig I who wanted to demolish the old city walls and make a grand passage from his residence to the Nimferburg Palace in Munich.

On Odeonplatz there are many cultural monuments that one might like to visit:

1.  Theatinerkirche - a church that was built according to the wishes of Prince Ferdinand and his wife  Adelaide Savoy in honor of the birth of their son.
2.   Feldherrnhalle - a famous lodge built between 1841 and 1844. The lodge that is 20 feet high is dedicated to the Heroes of Bavaria. Here the statues of the Count Tilly are located (Catholic troop commander in the Thirty Years War against Protestants, Danes and Swedes), the Count Werde, the Marshal of the Age of Napoleon, and an allegorical statue that represents the army of Bavaria. All statues mentioned above are the work of the German sculptor, Ferdinand von Miller. The grandiose statues of lions located on both sides of the lodge were added only in 1906 (the work of William von Ruman).
3.  Hofgarten - on the Odeonplatz there is an entrance to the royal garden Hofgarten.
4.  Lohtenberg Palace – officially the largest palace in Munich. The Bavarian Ministry of Finance is currently located here (once on the first floor there was a large gallery that was open for visits).
5. Odeonplatz traditionally represented the gathering place of the inhabitants of Munich. It was the center of numerous cultural events and even funerals. The annual Parade of Oktoberfest traditionally includes this route.

On November 9^th 1923, in Odeonplatz, Hitler and his supporters tried to instigate a coup d’ etat against the Bavarian government. The coup d’ etat was a failure and in this tragic event four police officers and sixteen Nazi supporters were killed. Ten years later, Hitler took over the state power and held a commemoration event at Odeonplatz to honor his supporters who died during the coup. The Nazi eagle was set up in the square and guarded by Special Forces for 24 hours. A part of Hitler's speech was: "Feldherrnhalle is related for eternity to the names of people who gave their lives on November 9^th 1923, for the movement and re-birth of Germany."