"Munich, Marienplatz" a Munich Travel Page by flyingscot4

This mid-seventeenth statue to Virgin Mary, patron saint of the city, the Mariensäule (Column of Mary) was built to commemorate two events. It stands in the center of the square and the celebrates first, the survival of the city from the Swedish army during the Thirty Years War, and second, survival from the plague. The area was called the Marktplatz until the erection of the statue at which time the name of the square was changed to Marienplatz. The picture shows both the statue and the Glockenspiel.

The Neues Rathaus, built in medieval neo-Gothic style, was actually built in the early 20th century. Following WWII it was rebuilt in the same style. Besides the TI (Tourist Information) inside the building, one can climb the stairs to an observation deck and look out over the city. The "Ratskeller" is a well-known restaurant located in the lower level. To the right of the Neues Rathaus is the Altes Rathaus which dates back to the fourteenth century in its present form. On the side of the Altes Rathaus are the coats of Arms of Bavaria and there is a "Spielzugmuseum" (Toy Museum) inside.

Each year hundreds of thousands of visitors stand waiting for one of the three or four daily "performances" of the Glockenspiel. Essentially, it is a uninspiring carillon depicting mechanically, two events. On the top the figures rotate in both directions showing a joust and eventually one knight defeats the other. The historical significance was a joust at the wedding celebration of the Duke of Bavaria. The lower part shows "The Dance of the Coopers" who showed the population that it was safe to venture outdoors after the plague. The photo shows the unseating of the losing knight.