Some of Munich's districts look back on a longer history than the city itself. From 530 AD the city's area was settled by the ancient Bavarians who had come from the east. Settlings of the suffix "–ing" arose: Pasing, Sendling and Schwabing. The city's name, as well as the city arms, imply a monks' settling. Yet, there's no certainty about the founders of "Apud Muniche" - historians keep discussing with fervor. Anyways, the Munich coat of arms shows a monk as an emblem and the city's name insinuates the emergence of a monks' settling having been founded in the 10th century.

The red-bearded emperor Friedrich Barbarossa decided with the Augsburger Schied in 1158 to concede to the 200 year old settlement market-, coinage- and customs rights. Antecedated by a coup of Guelph duke Heinrich der Löwe who had burned the Isar river bridge and the place Feringa (today: Oberföhring) to lurch the bridge customs from the Freising bishop Otto. The date of the parliament document from June 14th, 1158, ever since represents the city's official foundation day.

Munich made it quickly to a residence city with the high customs of the salt traders. In 1240 the Wittelsbacher took over the city's reign which explains the city colors black and yellow. During the 15th century the Wittelsbacher expressed their grandeur with the black and yellow rhombs of the coat of arms  of Ludwig des Bayern. Circles closing and explaining the official coat of arms with the monk and the lion being present since 1313 and already refering to the Wittelsbacher at that point.

The famous Münchner Kindl, whose biggest model measures 1,80 m misst and which is enthroned in 85 m height on top of the city hall tower, has an eventful history: from the rejuvenation from monk to child as well as a sex change from boy to girl as well as a sexually neutral Münchner Kindl. The well-known Munich actor Ludwig Schmid-Wildy (back then 10year old son of the sculptor) posed for the artwork, which was created in copper in 1905.

Duke Ludwig II., called the strict, built the Alte Hof as his castle. His son Herzog Ludwig IV. der Bayer was elected king by the German princes in 1314 and received the imperial crown in 1328. Thus, Munich became the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. Great minds stayed in Munich around that time, among others Wilhelm of Occam and Bongratia of Bergamo.

The then raging plague wouldn't spare Munich, with the first one of 25 epidemics starting in 1349, and its last in 1680. The coopers ("Schäffler") of Munich presented their still conserved dance first in 1517, having survived the plague. Today the Schäffler-dance can be admired live every 7 years (next time in 2012), the new city hall's carillon shows the coopers' dance every noon.

Since Munich grew bigger and bigger Duke Sigmund (1439 – 1501) decided to build a central church. Jörg von Halsbach, carpenter and constructor of the old city hall, which is hosting the toy museum nowadays, accepted the tender and  after the cornerstone the towers were finished within the record time of 20 years. Legends accompany the continuation of the construction works, e.g. the one to leave out the tops, but to use the towers as a defence facility. Another nonsense was the idea that the statics wouldn't allow for gothic steeples and that those towers were more expensive than the then fashionable Welsh roof top. The fact of the matter is that the Frauenkirche, Munich's dome, was covered with cupolas in 1524 and that in 1525 the golden buttons were put by goldsmith Niclas Dazman.

Munich advanced to one of the leading commercial towns besides Nürnberg and Augsburg around 1300, the trading books show goods from the orient, as well as ebenso wie drapery from Flanders. During the Thirty Years' War Munich was occupied Swedish troops and redeemed itself for 450.000 gulden.

After the war the Italian baroque entered the city: merchants from Italy settled  down here and Italian masters of baroque transformed the cityscape. The Theatinerkirche attests to the art of building as well as the Palais Porcia, the Preysing-Palais and the Palais Holnstein, the current heutige residence of the archbishop. Until now Munich is called the most northern citys of Italy which today has its reasons in the fact that restaurants, cafés and beergardens place their chairs along the street with the arrival the first sun rays.

The biggest fair worldwide was constituted in 1810 with the first Oktoberfest on the occasion of the wedding of crown prince Ludwig with princes Therese (therefore Theresienwiese, or short "Wiesn"). In the 19th century Munich became a popular art city under the master builders Leo von Klenze and Friedrich von Gärtner. Ludwigstraße, Königsplatz and the extension of the Residenz are today's gorgeous proofs of this art.

King Ludwig II., famous as fairy tale king and Wagner-Fan, brought several debut performances of the composer from Bayreuth to Munich. Unfortunately, his approach to life led to his incapacitation and later drowned mysteriously in Lake Starnberg owing to unclarified circumstances.

During the years prior to World War I Munich underwent an economic and cultural boom. Under prince regent Luitpold, who ruled Bavaria from 1896 – 1912, the Prinzregententheater was built among others. Schwabing gained its  reputation as an artistic quarter during this time and the magazine "Die Jugend" (first issue in 1896) was eponym of the Jungendstil. Thomas Mann created the famous words "Munich shines", which reflect the booming times in his short novel „Gladius Dei“ from 1902.

After World War I the republic of councils was proclaimed in Munich and a period of agitation concussed the city. Georg Elser was the first assassin in 1924 who tried to eliminate Adolf Hitler, who lived in Munich at this time and spread his obscure thoughts of the National Socialismus. After World War II many traces of desctruction had to be removed. Hills of rubbish, like the Olympiaberg attest to that past. The Olympic Games 1972 gave the Bavarian state capital the final boom and more popularity than ever.

by Dietmar Stanka