Picasso

The Brandhorst Museum has a collection of notebooks from Picasso on display so viewers can get a glimpse at some of the prolific artist's works. If you go to check out the exhibit you can see for yourself how Picasso used artistic license and inspiration from others to gain such a reputation.

In need of a change

Walking past many of the city's travel offices and outfitter shops it's difficult not to notice ads for Tunisia and Egypt still decorating the windows. The beat on the street is that Germany could do its small part to ease tensions by having Mubarak come here for his medical treatments. Human rights advocates may not favor this idea, but having peaceful protesters injured is also not ideal, so hopefully there is a resolution soon.

Stolperstein

Of roughly 10,000 Jewish citizens in Munich when Hitler came to power, only about 200 were left alive at the end of WWII.

Many cities throughout Germany and other affected countries have adapted these golden 'stumbling block' pavers, which can be seen in the lobby of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater on Arcisstraße.

You may wonder why they aren't included on our city streets. More information can be found on the Initiative Stopersteine site.

Paleontology

Getting out in the cold wet weather can take some effort, however there are really impressive things to see indoors. The Paleontology Museum always fascinates me, because they hold classes there for university students and they have interesting little treasures all around the building, like this ancient little marine crab from Verona (Munich's twin / sister city).

Student of Life

Being a perpetual student doesn't always require formally attending a school or university, but being willing to poke around and explore foreign areas of the city. This is the atrium of LMU, which is one of Germany's most prestigious universities. Does anyone know anything about the organ?

Obelisk

The obelisk at Karolinenplatz has been standing 29 meters tall since 1833 and serves as a memorial to Bavarian soldiers that died during the Napoleonic war. The plaza has many tales to tell and is also home to the former Bruckmann-House.

Ludwigskirche

Originally built in 1829 by Friedrich von Gärtner the Ludwigskirche has both an interesting interior and exterior. From 2007 to 2009 the roof was refurbished according to historic mosaic patterns. It was also the first church built in Rundbogenstil and has the second largest altar fresco in the world.

A Walk in the Park

I have shown the Alte Pinakothek before, but I’m amazed every time i see it – not so much because it holds one of the more important collections within Germany, but more because of the building itself.  You can see – in vivid detail – the scars left from the allied bombing in Munich.  The entire center section was destroyed during WWII, and you can see the distinction between the old & new.  Within its walls – old and new – you will find a mix of what was in the original Wittlesbach collection, dating back to the 1500s; but also vast artwork from Mannheim, Dusseldorf, and Zweibrucken – which were moved to Munich to protect during wars that followed the French revolution.  The building itself was originally built in 1848 to display the Ruben’s “Last Judgment” – one of the largest canvasses ever painted.  And the gallery became a model for those built in Rome, St. Petersburg, and Brussels.  Today, you find a mix of Germany, Dutch, Flemish, Italian, French & Spanish collections.

Empty Doors & Empty Windows

For all of those in Munich that are mourning a city without the popular Lenbach Haus (pictured here – under construction through 2011) and the ability to view paintings by the famous Blue Riders – we have good news.  The Lenbach Haus has a new exhibition of the Blue Riders in its excess showing hall across the street.  The hall, which is actually located at the Konigsplatz U-bahn entrance, is hosting the show from now until Sept 26.  The show has a broad selection of watercolors, drawings and prints, with many works being showed for the first time.  In addition, the exhibit will have more than 50 works by Wassily Kandinsky, highlighting the amazingly successful final show the Haus put on before closing.  If you want to know art that is specific to Munich, this is it.

Silent Protest

I’m not quite sure what to say about this photo, except that it shows some underlying thinking in Munich.  This is not a place where people generally speak out against the establishment – at least not publicly.  This certainly is not France, where labor unions are amazingly powerful – to the point where many businesses struggle to operate as unions regularly go on strike.  Also unlike the French, you don’t have these wide spread strikes in the public sector – crippling transportation.  Instead, you get more protests like this – as pictured in the University district – one that is behind the scenes and not where anyone has to come face-to-face with anyone else.  The one exception I can think of lately was also in the University district – where students took over part of the campus.

Courage & Conviction

I have previously written about the Munich Courage organization (see billboard in photo), set up to promote a community stance and defense against violence to individuals.  But I thought it was an appropriate placement of this image in front of what will open up as the Munich Documentation Center, which will investigate Munich’s role in the rise of the Nazi era.  The purpose of the center, which is slated to open in 2011, is to create an open debate and dialogue about how such a movement came about, and to ensure that we remember as to never repeat the historical tragedy.  I can tell you from a personal view that I’ve witnessed such a conflicted view of Munich’s history in the movement, and an incredible difficulty to even discuss such topics openly.  Perhaps the new center will be able to change that.

The Masters in Munich

On a perfect day (meaning the sun has shined for the first time since the Fall) in a perfect setting (outdoor stage at Konigsplatz), for the second straight year they invited the master Guitar player, Eric Clapton to play in Munich.  Then they made it one step better with Steve Winwood.  Here’s a quick pick an hour before the concert as thousands of people waited to enter the concert grounds.  I stopped by around 9 pm to hear a few of Clapton’s hits, and the sound just beyond the grounds was perfect.  I had hoped to continue the enjoyment from a terrace only 100M or so away, but I have to say I was blocked by the fifth floor karaoke party with a mix of some pretty bad singers.  I mean of any night they could have picked, they had to select the night when all the locals were out on their terraces catching the sounds of an outstanding concert?

Blurring Lines that Were Black & White

You may be witnessing one of the few occasions where lines in Germany have turned a shade of grey.  You know the context, certain lines should not be crossed in Germany, under just about any circumstances.  We’ve had neighbors bring our bag of trash to the door and tell us what we did wrong, and we’ve had recycling left week after week because cardboard wasn’t flattened or because it was pulled together in a sac.  But if you really, really want the garbage or recycling crews to make an exception, perhaps you just need to give them some incentive. Four bottles of Tegernseer Helles.  Yeah…that might do the trick.

Watching the World Go By

Welcome to one of the cooler parts of Munich.  Sandwiched somewhere between Schwabing, Maxvorstadt and the center of town is the University district.  Both LMU and TUM – Munich’s major Universities are centered only a few blocks from each other here, despite the fact that their facilities stretch all over town and miles into the suburbs.   What I like about this area is the endless set of cafes and little family owned shops.  You can sip coffee in one place, go next store for a vintage T-shirt (pictured), buy a mix of popular and never-before-seen artwork in the next, and then finally sip spirits at the local wine bar in the next shop.  The neighborhood is fiercely independent, extremely casual, and at the same time a bit sophisticated.  A really niche mix.

Rock Around the Clock

Speaking of doing things indoors (from yesterday’s post), be sure to visit the current exhibit at the Amerika Haus in Maxvorstadt.  Showing through the 28th of May is an exhibit documenting and celebrating more than 6 decades of Rock & Roll music.  You will find photos of everything from the Rolling Stones to Green Day, from Buddy Holly to AC/DC.  Here you have a glimpse of a signed guitar played by Bruce Springsteen from his Born in the USA tour.  You will also see all sorts of Rock & Roll memorabilia, including entry tickets to Woodstock.  Many of the photos were published originally in Rolling Stone magazine, to give you an indication of the quality of the exhibit.  The exhibit is free so check it out.

One-on-One With the Gods

A Spring time view of the top of a “German Athens” otherwise known as the Glyptotek, the showcase of the Konigsplatz area of Munich.  The entire area was designed by King Ludwig I as the location to house all the Greek antiquities.  And although the area is absolutely stunning, it pales in comparison to the buildings in their original form.  As an example, here is a picture of the lavish Glyptotek interior before the bombing of WWII.  If Adolph Hitler had his way, you would now see a grand boulevard on Brienner Strasse (one of the original royal roads) with endless museums lining the streets all the way from Konigsplatz to the other side of the Isar river.

Where’s the Flippin Beef?

In Munich, you are likely to find pork just about anywhere you go. In fact, in most of Germany you are about to find the same. I honestly don’t know the historical significance of Germany’s love affair with swine (aside from the fact that it’s cheap), but I can tell you that to find a good steak, you might as well drive the four hours across the border into France. So I was quite surprised to see this poster in the University district – set for Cohen’s Restaurant, with the slogan of “Cohen’s Restaurant goes with everything. Except Pork.” As it turns out, it’s a traditional Jewish restaurant with the influx of Oriental & Eastern European cuisine. Oh well, where have all the good steaks in Munich gone?

Welcome to University

Once you get within several blocks of the Munich University district, you know anything goes.  Restaurants suddenly transform into cafes, card shops are replaced with copy shops, and there is an over-abundance of free WiFi for all those web addicted students.  So I had to laugh when I came across this sticker posted all over the University district.  I suppose it’s just summing up all of what the University experience is supposed to be – free though, starting from scratch, and the ability to question anything (or at least that is what University is all about in the states – not so sure in Munich).  Or perhaps, it’s a mix of that with the over-dramatic style of the college kids.  Either way, I love it.

Body Awareness

For more than six decades, the Austrian artist Maria Lassnig has been painting through what she calls an exploration of the body. Now in her latest exhibit (promoted in photo above exhibit), at the Lenbachhaus Kunstbau, she highlights much of her post war abstraction images, but with a special focus on the past 10 years. Leveraging her time living in some of the art capitals of the world – Vienna, Paris, New York - Lassnig shows images that emerge from inner body sensations. Now, over the age of 90, she is revealing over 40 previously unseen works – including many large format images. The show runs through May 30.

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

I apologize for the lack of regularity in the posts, but in all honesty we just returned to Munich, only to be bombarded with another snow flurry. We had hoped that after 3 weeks, Spring would show up – like where we travelled. But no such luck. More below freezing temperatures, and more snow, much like the East Coast of the US. At least the sun came out later in the day, and it cleared off. Good news is that the temperatures are supposed to inch higher each day for the next 10 days. Fingers crossed, as Spring in Munich is FANTASTIC!