The Max-Joseph-Platz in front of the opera will have a green, circular center around the king’s monument. The bumpy stones that are currently being laid there, called Isar pebbles, are to give way to a short-cropped turf circle that is broken up by gravel paths. These will lead away from the statue in a star-like and strictly geometric manner.
In addition, the previously wide access to the underground car park, which will continue to be in operation, will in future be made as narrow as possible from Maximilianstrasse to the entrance. These plans were unanimously and expressly approved by the city council as a temporary solution for the coming years until a final reorganization can take place.
“Max-Joseph-Platz is in dire need of renovation,” explained building officer Jeanne-Marie Ehbauer (Greens) after the meeting. The concept that has now been decided takes into account its historical and urban significance and at the same time creates a new green area in the old town.
However, Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) sees no reason for euphoria. “Basically, everything is nicer than the current situation with the wide entrance to the underground car park. However, this interim solution is also far away from my idea for one of the most beautiful squares in Munich,” he commented on the decision after the meeting.
This means that the debate about the future of Max-Joseph-Platz, which has lasted for many years, has come to an end, at least for the time being. The city and the monument protection agency had a serious disagreement over the design. “The most important square in the city of Munich” must be treated with dignity and not be degraded to a “playing field,” said Bavaria’s top monument conservationist, General Conservator Mathias Pfeil, in an interview with the SZ in August 2023. The city’s original plans for shrubs, grasses and wildflowers in the center would have “abused” it.
The green meadow-like planting was presented publicly for the first time by the then Green Party mayor Katrin Haben Schaden in autumn 2022. The people of Munich should receive a replacement green in the center for the Marienhof, which has long served as a construction site for the second S-Bahn main line. In the spring of 2023, the city council decided on the interim solution, literally a “feast for the bees and for the eyes”. Afterwards, the monument conservationists protested massively, and the State Monuments Council rejected the draft.
In the fall, the city administration and monument conservationists presented the compromise, which is now being implemented. It is based on plans from around 1825 that were found in the main state archives. In keeping with the original concept, large flowering shrubs are to be placed in metal containers in the strict green circle based on the historical model.
Benches installed there are intended to invite you to linger in the sun or shade. The future very narrow access road will be demarcated by curbs. The remaining tar area will be covered with a beige layer of glued aggregate, matching the color of the residence. Recreational areas will also be created here.
However, the monument conservationists only want to tolerate this design for about five years. However, it remains to be seen whether the much-desired final redesign of the square can be achieved with the long-demanded closure of the underground car park or at least the relocation of the entrance.
In the coming years, the transport trucks from the nearby construction site of the second main route will still roll past here. This could actually be over in about five years, but the bigger problem remains: the city has given the underground car park at Max-Joseph-Platz a long-term lease until 2061. It is unclear whether and how she will get out of this contract. That would be expensive in any case.
The interim solution will cost the city 3.87 million euros, and work is scheduled to begin in September this year. The stands for the Oktoberfest parade can be built this year and next year, but there will be a break in construction for the International Motor Show in autumn 2025. The “Opera for All” event will probably have to find an alternative location next year. The building department wants to have completed the redesign in December 2025.
The three major factions in the city council can live with the compromise for the time being. “The new, green Max-Joseph-Platz is a benefit for our heavily sealed old town,” said Mayor Dominik Krause (Greens). It was possible to “further develop the city while preserving our historical heritage and to respond to new challenges such as hot summers.”
The CSU now also agrees; it did not support the original plans. You couldn’t have just planted bushes and half-height grasses on it, said city councilor Alexander Reissl after the current decision. Now the concern for the historical heritage should be taken into account.