Munich - Military Commanders' Hall

(Local Name: Feldherrnhalle) The Feldherrnhalle (1841-44), a 20m/65ft open loggia designed by Friedrich von Gärtner and modeled on the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, closes the vista at the south end of Ludwigstrasse in Munich. Its bronze figures are by Anselm Sickinger and Francesco Sanguinetti.

Commissioned by King Ludwig I as a tribute to the Bavarian army, the loggia boasts bronze statues of the Bavarian generals Tilly (1559-1632) and Wrede (1767-1838) executed from drawings by Ludwig Schwanthaler. The Bavarian Army Memorial commemorates the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. The two lions on the steps were the work of W. Ruemann (1906); one is popularly said to be growling at the Residenz, the other to be keeping its mouth shut towards the church. After the failure of Hitler's attempted putsch and the subsequent "March to the Feldherrnhalle", the building became a Nazi rallying-point. Today its excellent acoustics make it a popular venue for musicians and singers.