The Bavarian state parliament is currently being extensively renovated, and when President Ilse Aigner guided the press over the large construction site a good two months ago, from the basement to the roof, she repeatedly referred to the historic site. Renovating an almost 150-year-old building is “a big challenge,” said the CSU politician at the time between the scaffolding and the noise of machines, the building was not cast in one piece, it had been “tinkered” over and over again over the decades. Or something has been left behind, as is now shown by the spectacular find of ammunition in the Maximilianeum.
Weapons, ammunition and historical objects, probably from the First and Second World Wars, were discovered during construction work this week. Such a discovery once again makes it clear at what historic location the MPs are meeting, says Aigner. “We were and are always aware of that, but it is seldom as clear as it is today.” She is curious to find out more about the period from which the finds actually come – and above all, how and why they were stored there. At the same time, the Fund is a reminder to ensure peace and democracy.
Construction workers had come across the objects by accident, an excavator had pushed through a concrete ceiling, under which there was a cavity with – among other things – the ammunition boxes. Not deep in the catacombs of the parliament building, but in the southern courtyard – in an area where new rooms for administration and an elevator for the planned visitor center are to be built in the course of the renovations. After the discovery, the police and clearing service secured the finds and checked the risks. But there was never any danger to the operation of the state parliament or the environment, says a spokeswoman for the state parliament office, no mined area, no bomb or the like.
Surprising discovery: A construction worker unintentionally pierced a concrete surface with this excavator and found the cavity underneath with the remains of ammunition and old weapons.
(Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa)
Parliament will now itself commission a clearance squad to plow through the site and the adjacent areas. How long this work will take is still unclear. They could possibly start next week, when there are no meetings anyway because of the so-called information weeks. But even if the measure only starts in the following weeks, operations should not be restricted. The exact origin of the weapons such as the bottles, jugs and candlesticks found is now also being checked; maybe also for museum use.
The construction work in the Maximilianeum (all in all measures over 106 million euros) are on schedule and on budget, according to the site tour in August. Overall, the refurbishment, including improved energy structures as the largest financial item, should be completed by 2027. The aforementioned visitor foyer – currently there are up to 60,000 guests per year – should be there by next year’s state elections. The state parliament is also getting a new roof.
The reason for this are leaks in the previous glass roof, which was only used when the plenary hall was renovated in 2005. At that time it was probably botched; unfortunately the warranty had already expired when this was discovered. In the meantime even water had to be caught with buckets. Responsible for the new roof is a company from Austria, which has already built the roof of the British Museum in London, Hangar-7 at Salzburg Airport and the dome of the Reichstag in Berlin.