Special bookstores in Munich – Munich

Queer feminist books

The Glitch bookstore has a book machine for the undecided. Sarah Leuchtenberg, Liz Ickerott and Johanna Hopp (from left) also provide advice themselves. (Photo: Robert Haas)

In the cozy rooms of the queer-feminist Glitch Bookstore, visitors are greeted with coffee and cookies. The store looks like a living room for friends – and that’s what it is. The former rooms of the women’s bookstore Lillemor’s, founded in 1975, should still be a neighborly, solidarity-based and, above all, safe place today. “It is predominantly the voices of marginalized people that we want to give space to,” says Johanna Hopp, one of the co-founders. Run on a voluntary basis and as a collective by “many different minds and hearts,” Glitch is “a collaboratively curated bookstore that simultaneously invites you to linger, exchange ideas, meet and debate.” The goal for the future: “We would like to continue to explore our role as a queer feminist bookstore in current political events” – and would like to be able to “maintain Glitch in the long term” in difficult times for owner-managed bookstores.

Glitch Bookstore, Barer Straße 70, 80799 Munich, glitchbookstore.de

Books in English, Spanish and French

Word’s Worth by Bärbel Goldschmidt specializes in English-language literature. She also offers gift items. (Photo: Robert Haas)

The English-language bookstore Word’s Worth has been located in the heart of Maxvorstadt for almost 40 years now. The bookstore also has a wide range of products beyond literature: gift items, tea towels, English wine, tea and jams can be purchased here. “Despite the current challenges, we want to bring a piece of Great Britain to Munich for our customers,” says owner Bärbel Goldschmidt. Other bookstores for foreign language literature are the Libreria Española and the Librairie Française, which sell Spanish and French books in shared rooms as independent bookstores. The wide range of offerings that can be found here is unique for southern Germany. Cecilia Estrada, owner of the two bookstores, says: “It would be nice if more people and Spanish and French cultural institutions supported bookstores.”

Word’s Worth, Schellingstraße 3, 80799 Munich, wordsworth.de

Libreria Española & Librairie Française, Georgenstraße 43, 80799 Munich, libreria-espanola-munich.de, librairie-francaise-munich.de

Crime novels

Anyone who looks through the large windows of the Glatteis bookstore from the outside may at first seem harmless. But the stories that are hidden in the books on the tables, window sills and shelves are anything but that. Because here you can find crime literature in all its facets – from classics to mysteries and thrillers to neo-noir, with and without Munich reference. Monika Dobler has been running the bookstore in the Glockenbachviertel for 24 years now. The idea for the concept came from her friend Gabriele Fause. As a trained bookseller, Dobler worked in a publishing house at the time and had little contact with crime novels. “Before the opening I learned like vocabulary, I just read day and night,” she remembers. And when her friend died eight years ago, she carried on alone. She has long known her way around: “Crime stories aren’t always just about a murder happening, a detective investigating, and the case being solved,” says Dobler. “You get to know society and the social structures.” There are plenty of opportunities to do this at Glatteis – in addition to a large selection of books, the store also stocks audio books, CDs and DVDs.

Glatteis Crime Bookstore, Corneliusstrasse 31, 80469 Munich, glatteis-krimi.de

Texts and conferences

Books, cake, coaching – the “Kitchen2 Soul” has everything that keeps body and soul together. (Photo: Florian Peljak)

Kitchen2Soul is, as the name suggests, a place for the soul – a place for well-being, encounters and inspiration. Conferences, further training, coffee and, above all, books have been offered here since 2015. This makes it the first coaching and seminar café with a bookstore in Germany. You can purchase guides, specialist and non-fiction books, fiction, children’s literature and travel guides. “Our book selection is small but fine and includes a select range. Furthermore, we are not only booksellers, but also authors. So you can also find our own books on our shelves,” explains managing director Katrin Große. As a café, place for further education and bookstore at the same time, it invites you to network. “We are very grateful that there are still customers who prefer small local retailers to large mail order companies,” said Große. In any case, a visit to Kitchen2Soul is “self-care for body and soul”.

Kitchen2Soul, Schlörstraße 1, 80634 Munich, kitchen2soul.com

All about art

In the specialist bookstore Walther König, those interested will find a real art paradise. From art books and art postcards to knick-knacks and high-quality interior products, there is a wide range of offerings here. Architecture, design, fashion, photography, film and theory enthusiasts can also find what they are looking for in the Walther König bookstore. The specialist bookstore, founded in Cologne in 1969, quickly developed into a hot spot for artists. As an address for literature on contemporary art, branches are now spread internationally. There are three branches in Munich’s museums. “In all three bookstores, the range and selection is tailored to the museum and its collections and always reflects the in-house core range,” says managing director Franz König.

Lenbachhaus, Luisenstraße 33, 80333 Munich, buchhandlung-walther-koenig.de

Haus der Kunst, Prinzregentenstrasse 1, 80538 Munich

Museum Brandhorst, Theresienstraße 35 A, 80333 Munich

Children’s and young adult literature

Susanna and Johannes Rieder not only run a children’s and young adult book publisher, but have recently also run a bookstore with a corresponding range. (Photo: Florian Peljak)

There are also special places for young people interested in literature (or their parents and grandparents) to browse. One of them is the Book Palace. The bookstore on Max-Weber-Platz has a wide range of children’s and young adult literature and fiction. But that’s not all: “With readings and a variety of hands-on events, both indoors and outdoors, we have developed into a cultural center in Haidhausen,” says Friederike Wagner. She founded the Book Palace together with Katrin Rüger in 2014. The youth reading club “Book Eaters” has now become firmly established, where young people meet weekly to read and discuss together. And there has recently been another literary meeting place for children and young people in Bogenhausen: the Prinz Eugen bookstore, founded by siblings Susanna and Johannes Rieder, opened at the beginning of September. Here, young readers will not only find a wide range of children’s and young adult books, but also fiction, graphic novels, non-fiction books, cookery and travel books and regional titles. When it comes to children’s books, the siblings place “particular emphasis on outstandingly beautiful illustrations and originality.” In addition to books from their own children’s book publisher, they also offer titles from other independent publishers that often don’t find space on the shelves in other bookstores.

Buchpalast, Kirchenstraße 5, 81675 Munich, buchpalastmuenchen.de

Prinz-Eugen-Buch, Eugen-Jochum-Straße 3, 81927 Munich, eugenbuch.de

Jewish literature

The literary store can also be found behind the glass facade of the Jewish Museum. (Photo: Stephan Rumpf)

The Literaturhandlung has been an important place for Jewish literature and culture for decades and offers much more than just books. Founded in 1982 by the literary scholar and journalist Rachel Salamander in Munich’s Maxvorstadt, there is now a nationwide network with branches in several cities; The Munich literary store can now be found in the Jewish Museum. Books on Jewish history, tradition and contemporary Judaism aim to make Jewish life and culture tangible. More than 40 different subject areas cover all aspects of Jewish life, past and present. In addition to novels, biographies and children’s and young adult books, the offering also includes CDs and DVDs. The literary store has made it its mission to promote intercultural dialogue through literature, music, film and events and to offer an open house for everyone who is interested in Jewish culture.

Literaturhandlung, St. Jakobs-Platz 16, Im Jewish Museum, 80331 Munich, literaturhandlung.com

Literature, music and more

The Buch & Tone bookstore in the heart of Haidhausen attracts both those interested in literature and music. In addition to books, including a “modern antiquarian bookshop”, the shop reflects a second passion: “tones”. Here you will not only find audio books, but also music CDs, mainly from the classical, jazz, folk and soul genres. The bookstore was founded by Thomas Voglgsang, who describes the shop’s philosophy as follows: “We like people as much as we like books and are in constant mutual resonance.” Book & Sounds has been a permanent institution in the district for 20 years. Less sounds, but there is coffee at Buch & Bohne. Owner Marianna Geier has been running the cozy shop in the Schlachthofviertel, which combines a bookstore and a café, for 14 years. Here you can browse through books on site while sitting on comfortable, lovingly put together furniture. There is also fresh coffee from the portafilter machine and homemade cakes. For all those who want to live out their creative side and are looking for inspiration and material, the Wortwahl bookstore has numerous treasures in store. In addition to a large selection of cookbooks, plant guides and city travel guides, the shop in the Glockenbachviertel also offers a wide variety of craft materials. The walls are decorated with postcards – you’re guaranteed to find the right motif for every occasion.

Book & Sounds, Weißenburgerstraße 14, 81667 Munich, buchundtoene.com

Buch & Bohne, Kapuzinerplatz 4, 80337 Munich, buchbohne.de

Wortwahl, Reichenbachstraße 15, 80469 Munich, wort-wahl.net

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