Sunday in Munich

Munich isn’t exactly what you’d call a bustling city. It’s moniker “Das Millionendorf” or “Village of a Million” is closer to it. Its population has passed the million mark since the nickname was invented – now something like 1.4 million – but the atmosphere has remained the same. We’re not in the same league as Paris, London or Rome. Which has its advantages. Downtown Munich can be very peaceful on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Street musician in the Theatiner Arcades

Click the image for full screen and higher resolution. Here are some more of my Sunday pictures, and from other days as well.

The Private Sphere

Let’s get away from the public architecture that I have posted in my recent blogs and see what there is to photograph in the domestic realm. I wanted a photograph of a stylish domestic interior (the assignment in my photo course) and realized I didn’t have a clue where I would find it – but I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be in my apartment. Nevertheless, I got busy, enthusiastic for the new project.

Here’s a shot from our shower stall.

Building Blocks in Ceramic, Glass and Stone

Prompted by my search for photo opportunities, I’ve been taking a closer look at what Munich has to offer in the way of modern architecture. Up until now, I had felt a kind of nostalgia for what Munich must have looked like before it was bombed in WWII and I’ve often lamented the loss of so much traditional architecture. Indeed, much of the early post-war architecture was pretty shoddy.

By now, more than half a century later, there is more to see. I’m beginning to appreciate the aesthetics of the  clean, crisp lines of the new buildings, their elegance. Granted, they often don’t blend into their surroundings, the neighborhoods haven’t grown organically as in past centuries. But perhaps that kind of neighborhood is also a concept of the past.

Here are some examples from our century, all blocks built in different materials.

Museum Brandhorst, Munich: Created by Sauerbruch Hutton architects, 2009 – a multi-coloured facade composed of ceramic louvres in 23 different coloured glazes

Church of the Sacred Heart, Munich (Herz-Jesu-Kirche): Created by Allmann Sattler Wappner Architects, completed 2001 – a glass shell

Ohel Jakob Synagogue, Munich: Designed by architects Rena Wandel-Hoefer and Wolfgang Lorch, completed 2006 – structure of travertine stone topped by a glass cube.

 

Household Gods

I was wondering why the new synagogue in Munich is called Ohel Jakob, “Jacob’s Tent”. Perhaps, with some stretch of the imagination, you could say the upper dome resembles a tent. And what about Jacob? Since I am shamefully ignorant of the stories in the bible, I decided to read up on Jacob and the tent. Here is the story in a tiny nutshell.

The story of Rachel and Jacob’s love and marriage is a good one. In the end, after something like 20 years of intrigue and deception between Jacob and Rachel’s father, Jacob and his wives set out on their own. At this point and unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel decides to steal the small figurines that represent the protective deities of her father’s family, the teraphim or houshold gods.

This is where the tent comes in. Laban, Rachel’s father, misses the teraphim and searches Jacob’s tent – but does not find what he is looking for since Rachel successfully conceals the stolen goods.

The location of the synagogue is St. Jacob’s Square. The name appears in Munich’s annals as early as 1310 so it isn’t far-fetched to include the name Jacob. But is the story of Jacob and the tent intended as some kind of parable for Munich’s synagogue? And if so, what is it supposed to illustrate? Does it mean the teraphim are protected?

By the way, I like the architecture, even if it doesn’t look like a tent to me. (Click the image for an enlarged, higher resolution version.)

Ammersee – He or She?

See is German for sea or lake, depending on the gender. Die See is the feminine form and it denotes the sea or ocean. Der See is masculine and refers to the more limited body of water, a lake. Interesting.

We spent two days at Ammersee, a lovely lake located southwest of Munich. The weather wasn’t cooperating so we couldn’t ride our bikes there and only with some effort could I get a few pictures without getting my camera wet.

Here is a shot from Ammersee on a chilly and wet spring day.

And here are a few more pictures.