The building of the Fürstenried school center on Engadiner Straße, known as the “bunker” by the residents of the district, is to be included in the list of monuments. Teachers, local politicians and residents consider this a dubious idea, if not a bad joke. The architectural style of the building complex, which was put into operation in 1971 and which houses a state high school and a secondary school, is officially called “brutalism”. The massiveness, which architect Peter Lanz relied on, would probably no longer be conveyable today. But conservationists see the building as a testimony to the modern age. And the color concept comes from Rupprecht Geiger, a renowned artist who has left some traces in Munich.
The district committee Thalkirchen-Obersendling-Forstenried-Fürstenried-Solln has other, more serious concerns than mere stylistic concerns because of the planned classification of the school building as a monument. The district committee fears that the monument property could hinder the urgently needed modernization and expansion of the complex in Fürstenried-West. Almost 2000 schoolchildren come and go there, and their number will skyrocket over the next few years due to the ongoing influx. “The protection of historical monuments cannot be more important than the educational opportunities of our students and a high-quality school operation”, one finds therefore in the city district committee. And the structural condition of the building complex is “definitely not worth protecting”.
“It is not wrong to see the school building as a document of the times.”
Less critical voices could also be heard. Peter Sopp (Greens), deputy district committee chairman, warned not to rush to dismiss the protected status. It should also be appreciated that one has a “relatively established, interesting architectural style” in front of them. In this respect, it is “not wrong to view the school building as a contemporary document”. In order to sound out whether the diverging interests can be balanced out, the local politicians want to seek a discussion with the school administrators concerned, the monument protection authorities and the municipal department for education and sport before making a final statement.