Building bridges - Munich celebrates its 850th anniversary

Even if 850 years may not be very old for a European city, you just have to think about Athens, Rome or London, it still is stunning how a monk's settling has become a popular city within a short period of time - with culture pure and hightech par excellence. Under the motto „Building bridges“ Munich celebrates a special anniversary in 2008. Stretching over centuries Munich wants to display its lively, colorful and traditional culture.

The anniversary is accompanied by three big parties and many other activities showing Munich in a very particular light. The annual city founding festivities on June 14-15 are decorated with a special culture for this occasion. One of the highlights is the area festival of the local customs associations "Isargau" with more than 10.000 participants. The groups present themselves with ancient customs, music and dance as well as a pageant, which probably outdoes the pompous pageant on the first Sunday of Oktoberfest.

Legs will be shaken quite a lot on this weekend damsels invite the citizens to learn the „Münchner Française“, this dance derived from "Contretanz"of the 17th and 18th century. A great spectacle is performed by 100 rafters from the Oberland: with raft-horse harnessed teams they gather at Rindermarkt and set-up a raft there.

The city's longest party mile ever shall lure guests to the "Altstadtringfest" one month later. The then car-free belt will present itself as a mix of theatre,music, dance, games and sports as well the arts and science on July 19-20. Diverse in-stops invite to explore Munich's history, present and the future.

The festival's name will be honored from August 1-3. The Isarbrückenfest puts the Cornelius-, Ludwigs- and Maximilansbrücke into the right light. The Isar river will then be the center as the lifeline and invite to music under bridges, dancing at the beach, lights on water and culinary surprises along the river's shores.

Another highlight will be the reopening of Germany's greatest rococo-theatre. The Cuvilliés-theatre celebrated on June 14 with a new staging of Mozart's „Idomeneo“. This opera was premiered at this historic venue on January 29, 1781.

Citizens' projects complement the city's festivities and show the population'shigh commitment. Diverse exhibitions, sports and dance as well as music, film and literature invite locals and guests to discover Munich newly and to dwell in the familiar. All informations on the anniversary can be found at www.muenchen850.de.

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