For the “I've never been to...“ series, our authors explore places in Munich that they have never visited before – although they have lived in the city for years or even for a lifetime. This time, Munich local Anja Schauberger embarks to the Residenz (city palace) for the first time in her life.
So far, I have always missed the chance to explore the Residenz. I was probably ill when we went there on a school trip and I wasn't there with my parents or friends, nor did I have a date there (which might have been a bit awkward indeed). I have always kept quiet when conversations centred around the city palace, embarrassed by my lack of knowledge about this important place: Who lived within these grand walls? What happened here? And what actually makes the Munich Residenz so special?
At the ticket office, photographer Frank and I get a ticket for the Residenzmuseum – the museum is so big that we could spend an entire day there. The tour begins with two highlights: the Grottenhof, an enchanting courtyard with fountains and sculptures crafted from thousands of painted shells, and the Antiquarium, the only room I already know from Instagram. Arriving early, we find ourselves almost alone in the impressive hall. Only one influencer is here already, eagerly capturing selfies.
Spanning almost 70 meters in length, the Antiquarium is the largest Renaissance hall north of the Alps. We sit down on one of the benches at the side and bask in the serene ambience of the room. The ceiling paintings portray over a hundred old Bavarian cities. In the 16th century, Duke Albrecht V collected antique sculptures in this room, which has now been impressively recreated in the museum.
“Arriving early, we find ourselves almost alone in the impressive hall. Only one influencer is here already, eagerly capturing selfies.“
After its destruction in the Second World War, the hall was rebuilt and now serves as a venue for festive occasions – like in the 16th century, when banquets were held at the long table. Photographer Frank and I imagine the spirit of those evenings. We wish we could have been there!
We move on to the next room: Up the “Gelbe Treppe“ (yellow staircase) to the Königsbau (royal building), hosting the East Asia collection. Antique porcelain doesn't particularly appeal to me, somehow everything looks the same. I prefer to crane my neck towards the imposing ceiling paintings, count dozens of chandeliers and marvel at a different wallpaper in every room.
It's amazing how well preserved the historic furniture is – and indeed: “What kind of absurd wealth was this back then?“, I wonder aloud, but Frank is no longer with me and seems to have vanished into one of the many adjoining rooms.
Apparently, there was a room for every purpose: for reading, sleeping, writing, working, governing, dressing and receiving guests. A few rooms further on, Frank and I meet up again and joke around: Nowadays, in big cities like Munich, you are lucky if you can do all these activities in a single room. In the past, the kings and electors even used to have “parade bedrooms“ that were just for display and never really used. However, the beds don't seem particularly comfortable: They stand there angular and square, with the semicircular neck bolsters being the only hint of comfort.
I am surprised when a door opens and I suddenly find myself in the upper tiers of a church. The former Allerheiligen-Hofkirche (church) was commissioned by King Ludwig I and designed by architect Leo von Klenze, who is known for numerous Munich landmarks – such as the Monopteros in the Englischer Garten (park), the Alte Pinakothek (art gallery), or the Glyptothek (art gallery).
“What kind of absurd wealth was this back then? Apparently, there was a room for every purpose: for reading, sleeping, writing, working, governing, dressing and receiving guests.“
The church also fell victim to the destruction of the Second World War, but is now used again for concerts and events, as the lined-up chairs testify. Having lost sight of Frank once again, I take a seat, hoping that he will just take a little longer and pass by after a while. The open aisles make it easy to spot each other in the church!
Other notable features are the chapels Hofkapelle and the private “Reiche Kapelle“ both built by Duke Maximilian I from 1600 onwards, with seating for his family upstairs and the court state below. This is the first time I have witnessed the concept of integrated churches: You can go straight from the dressing room to the altar without taking a step outside – kind of practical, yet perhaps a little bland, I think to myself. Back then, there probably wasn't much reason to spend time outdoors.
“You can go straight from the dressing room to the altar without taking a step outside. Back then, there probably wasn't much reason to spend time outdoors.“
As Frank and I wander through the rooms together again, we ask ourselves: Did the members of the Wittelsbach family ever get lost in the Residenz as we did? What was life like for them back then? They must have been cold without heating (well, I'm shivering even though I kept on my winter jacket) and maybe they were a bit bored. What did you do all day when you weren't ruling or attending parties? And where on earth is the loo?
Towards the end of our tour, we are once again enveloped in a wealth of splendour in the mirror and miniature cabinet. The reconstructed “Herzkabinet” (cabinet of hearts) leaves a lasting impression on me: It served as the most intimate space of Henriette Adelaide von Savoyen, who came from Turin to Munich at the tender age of 14 to marry Elector Ferdinand Maria, who was the same age. This comparatively tiny room in the Residenz is a tribute to their love: I spot hearts everywhere – adorning paintings and the gilded frames of the ceiling paintings. Incidentally, I later read that this room was originally only accessible via the bed recess.
“We ask ourselves: Did the members of the Wittelsbach family ever get lost in the Residenz as we did?“
After that, I indeed loose track a bit. By now, Frank and I have been exploring for over three hours and are bursting with impressions. The Residenz is one of the largest museum complexes in Bavaria and the largest city palace in Germany. It has a floor area of 40,000 square metres with 150 rooms – and I'm sure we've explored over 100 of them. Satisfied and tired, we make our way home.
I am glad that I finally took the time to familiarise myself with this important part of Munich's history. With hundreds of photos captured, the memories linger with me for days. I can finally join in conversations about the Residenz. And maybe the Residenzmuseum isn't such a bad idea for a date after all: you can spend many hours together and get to know each other. And if things don't work out, you can easily disappear between the “Zimmer der Ewigkeit“ (room of eternity) and the “Vierschimmelsaal“ (four-horse-hall) unnoticed.
