Most strollers will probably know the Alte Akademie in Munich’s pedestrian zone as the former Hettlage fashion house. The complex is currently a disused construction site. The area is part of the portfolio of René Benko’s insolvent Signa Group. The Free State of Bavaria gave it to Benko in 2013 in return for a payment of 230 million euros for 65 years under leasehold. Benko wanted to turn it into a modern commercial and residential building, and now the Old Academy is becoming a symbol of the failure of a man who systematically bought up the most expensive properties, not only in Munich. Duke Wilhelm V had the building built for the Jesuit order from 1583 onwards; He maintained a monastery and a school there for 200 years. It is considered an example of monastic monumental architecture of the Renaissance; the spacious square has several inner courtyards. The Jesuits were followed by the Academy of Sciences as users, hence the name. The first lectures at the Ludwig Maximilians University were also held here. The complex was largely destroyed during the Second World War and later rebuilt based on the historical model. It was most recently used commercially and as a government headquarters.
Old Academy – Munich – SZ.de
