When the construction machines came up in front of the small and rather shabby-looking house on Seestrasse in Alt-Schwabing three years ago, neighbors, passers-by or local politicians did not have pleasant memories. In 2017, the illegal demolition of the listed watchmaker’s house in the Feldmüller estate in Obergiesing triggered a violent public protest and caused a sensation far beyond Munich. The reckless handling of the building on Obere Grasstrasse had become a symbol of the greed for profit on the Munich real estate market, and the legal dispute continues to this day.
In Schwabing, however, the demolition drama did not repeat itself, the story turned out well. The little house built around 1800, right by the English Garden, which is surrounded by magnificent Wilhelminian style buildings, Suresnes Castle in the park of the Catholic Academy or the Seidlvilla cultural center on Nikolaiplatz, has been completely renovated. Behind it, a slim, multi-storey new building with a dark brick facade rises on the narrow property. An outstanding example of how one can preserve half-ruined architectural relics from Munich’s past and give them an architectural future in the cityscape.
The district of Upper Bavaria promotes the preservation of monuments and has now awarded a monument prize for the first time. The small house in Schwabing and the cemetery of the old parish church of St. Martin in Moosach received recognition for exemplary renovations. “It is above all thanks to committed citizens that such monuments, which are important for the identity of a city and which are part of the collective memory of the city, are preserved,” says Norbert Göttler, district home administrator of Upper Bavaria.
Of course, there was enormous construction pressure on the corner lot on Seestrasse, which had changed hands several times. What is reminiscent of the once village character of Schwabing and the petty-bourgeois rural past of the district should, according to investors, give way to lucrative housing construction. From the cowshed to the milk house – the small building that has seen many uses would have disappeared forever. “I liked it immediately, I wanted to keep it,” says Cornelia Werdich, the current owner of the property.
The native of Allgäu had to spend a lot of money on the extensive renovation: “The house is something special for me, it is not easy to get such an old treasure back.” Inside, a 43 square meter living area was created, a staircase leads to the bedroom. Box windows shape the image to the outside. The original ceiling beams have been preserved. The floor and the furniture are made of old spruce wood.
The narrow, modern extension to the fire wall of the neighboring house on Werneckstraße stands in clear contrast to the house. It was designed by Werdich’s husband, the architect Manfred Ehrle. The new building, which has a total of 230 square meters of living space, does not come threateningly close to the historical structure. The two-dimensional cube appears loosened up through projections and recesses as well as the play with the floor heights. The dark bricks give the facade a special structure. The co-operation with the monument protection authorities was good and helpful, reports the owner.
The small rural house has survived structural interventions and wars. Also attempts to remove the “foreign body”. It goes without saying that the corner of Seestrasse and Werneckstrasse, on the way to the Englischer Garten and the Kleinhesseloher See, now shines in new splendor.
The cemetery at the old parish church of St. Martin in Moosach has been around since 1315.
(Photo: Cornelia Scheuerer)
Decay and decline – this fate could also have befallen the cemetery at the old parish church of St. Martin in Moosach, if no one had been committed to it. The church was first mentioned in a document in 815, according to a description of the history of the cemetery. Gravestones and inscriptions indicate that people have been buried there since 1315. “The church and the cemetery form a wonderful and unique village ensemble,” says Cornelia Scheuerer from the Catholic Church Foundation St. Martin-Moosach. Together with other Moosachers, she made a significant contribution to preserving the cemetery.
A new wall was built around the area decades ago because the old one was in danger of collapsing. Plants grew over the tombs, and many of the stones and crosses had to be restored. From 2011 on, these tombs were documented together with the State Office for Monument Preservation and gradually restored. The district of Upper Bavaria, many other institutions and citizens participated financially.
Some Moosacher would have liked to keep the “jungle”
The last funeral took place in late 1909. From this date onwards, graves were planned for the Moosachers in the Westfriedhof. For many decades there were no more funerals in the Old St. Martin’s Church. This was not the case again until 2016. Cornelia Scheuerer’s initiative ensured that the cemetery was not forgotten. This did not only refer to the renovation of the tombs. The paths around the church were partially widened and laid out in such a way that barrier-free access was possible. New works of art should set special standards. This includes the spherical cross by Susanne Hlawaczek, which points in all directions. Or the four-meter-high stele by Michael Schoenholtz, made of local stones, with the always burning dead light.
Like the former Milchhäusl in Schwabing, the cemetery in Moosach is a testament to Munich’s history. Demolition and rebuilding did not play a role in Moosach, but design issues were also an issue here. Would an “overgrown garden” have been a possibility instead of ordered paths? According to the history of the cemetery, some Moosachers would have liked to keep the “jungle”. But only if one can read the grave inscriptions and the graves are in an orderly condition, a conscious memory of the deceased is possible. “We want a simple and beautiful village cemetery,” says Cornelia Scheuerer: “For visitors, it is a unique place of peace, history and memory.”