Munich

Munich (Germ. Munchen), the capital of Bavaria and the fourth town for size in Germany, stands on a bare, lofty plateau, just N. of the Bavarian Alps, the river Isar skirting the eastern suburbs. The climate, therefore, is cold and unhealthy, but the central situation facilitates railway communication with all parts of the Continent. The old town, dating from the 12th century, has lost its walls and moat, but its gates and quaint old streets remain. The new quarters, originating chiefly with the impulse given by Ludwig I. (1835-68), present features of great beauty and interest. The Ludwigstrasse, in the Renaissance style, is one of the finest streets in the world, and other thoroughfares are of nearly equal beauty, and, like the many squares and open spaces, are adorned with good specimens of statuary. In the ancient part of the town are several interesting churches, e.g. St. Peter's, the Frauen Kirche (the cathedral), St. Michael's, and the Theatiner Kirche, where the tombs of the Royal Family still exist. Parks and public g.irdens add to the attractions of the place, and the suburbs of Au, Haidhausen, and Ober-Giesing contain many handsome private dwellings. The collections of pictures, especially early German and Flemish examples, of engravings, drawings, statues, and antiquities, including the famous .Eginetan marbles, constitute the chief glory of Munich, though the name is also associated throughout Germany with a particular kind of beer, consumed by the citizens at the rate of about 130 gallons per head annually. The death-rate reaches 30 per thousand. Furniture, musical and mathematical instruments, and works of art are produced.