The ducal residence of Upper Bavaria, then, since 1506, the capital of reunited Bavaria, Munich became In 1806 the capital of the new Kingdom of Bavaria. By the mid 19th century, Munich was growing in leaps and bounds, and the city council determined that more space was needed to house government offices so they embarked on plans for a new town hall. A site at the Marienplatz, the city's main square since 1158, was chosen and two dozen buildings were demolished in order to make way for the grand New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), which was designed by 24-year-old Georg von Hauberrisser. It was built between 1867 and 1908 in a Gothic Revival architecture style.
The 100m long main facade towards the Marienplatz is richly decorated. It shows the Guelph Duke Henry the Lion, and almost the entire line of the Wittelsbach dynasty in Bavaria. The central monument in the center of the main facade between the two phases at Marienplatz above the guard house, is an equestrian statue of Prince Regent Luitpold. The bay of the tower contains statues of the first four Bavarian kings. Its main tower has a height of 85m and is available for visitors with an elevator. The crowning glory of the Neues Rathaus is its glockenspiel, the fourth largest in Europe. Each day at 11 am, noon, and 5 pm, thirty-two near life-size figures give a performance for the crowds that gather at Marienplatz to watch.
About the stamp
The stamp is part of the definitive series Marianne et l'Europe, about which I wrote here.
References
New Town Hall (Munich) - Wikipedia
New Town Hall - A View on Cities
Sender: Ana
Sent from ??? (??? / France), on 10.08.2012
Photo: S. Godecke
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