München - Ludwigstrasse

Ludwigstrasse is one of Munich's two great monumental avenues (the other being Brienner Strasse), extending about a kilometer from Odeonsplatz in the direction of Schwabing. It was laid out at the behest of King Ludwig I as a prestigious street worthy of his kingdom. The general plan of Ludwigstrasse was prepared by Leo von Klenze, who also designed the buildings in the southern part of the street, adopting a rigorously Neo-Classical style modeled on Early Renaissance architecture in Italy. The northern section was built by Klenze's successor as Court Architect, Friedrich von Gärtner. An adherent of the Romantic Christian school of architecture, he favored Neo-Romanesque. The change in architectural style, however, did not detract from the overall impression of uniformity, for Gärtner held firmly to Klenze's basic conception of broad-fronted buildings depending on their facades for effect, and narrow streets coming in on the sides. "Europe's most monumental street" (Wölflin) has thus been able to preserve its unity, with only a few facades altered from the original plan.

The terminal point of the street at the south end is the Feldherrnhalle, at the north end the Siegestor. The architectural pattern was set by the Leuchtenberg-Palais (1816-21). The last building erected in Ludwigstrasse by Klenze was the old Ministry of War, now occupied by the Bavarian State Archive. Friedrich von Gärtner designed the Staatsbibliothek (State Library; No. 16), Ludwigskirche (No. 20) and the University.