500 – 15 B.C. Celtic tribes settle in the foothills of the
Alps. In 15 B.C. they are conquered by the Romans who incorporate the
region into their province of Raetia.
488 A.D. After repeated invasions by Teutonic tribes, the Roman
Empire abandons Raetia. Teutons and Roman stay-behinds merge to form the
clan of the Baiovarii.
526 The death of Theoderich leads to the dissolution of the realm
of the East Goths. Bavaria is one of the first states of post-antique
Europe.
1158 The Guelph Heinrich der Löwe (Henry the Lion) founds ‘Munichen’
(The monks’place). Their trading-and currency rights are confirmed by
Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa.
1214 Munich is first mentioned as a town.
1240 The town falls to the Wittelsbachs who turn her into their
place of residence in 1255.
1327 A fire destroys one third of the town.
1328 Ludwig IV, ‘The Bavarian’, from the House of
Wittelsbach, becomes Head of the Holy Roman Empire. Under his reign,
Munich blossoms into a metropolis. He strengthens her position by
granting the city the salt monopoly, thus assuring her of additional
income.
1505 Munich becomes the capital of Bavaria.
1632 Gustav Adolf II of Sweden captures the city during the
Thirty-Year War (1618-1648). The ramparts, of which the Isar Gate, the
Karls Gate and the Sendlinger Gate are still preserved, are built
between 1619 and 1632.
1705 The suppression of a peasant revolt against the Austrian
occupiers is described as ‘Sendlinger Assassination-Christmas’ in
the annals of Munich’s history.
1893 Munich possesses the best street lighting in Europe.
1900 The number of inhabitants has increased to over 500,000 in
little more than 50 years.
1911 First-ever exhibition of the romantic-expressionist artists’association
called ‘Blauer Reiter’ (Blue Horseman): Franz Marc, Wassily
Kandinsky et alia.
1913 With its 40 cinemas, Munich becomes one of the most
important movie centres.
1916 During air raids, three French bombs fall on Munich.
1919 Minister-President Kurt Eisner is assassinated in Munich,
and the short-lived Räte-Republic is proclaimed.
1920 The NSDAP (Nazi Party) organises its first mass
demonstrations in the Bavarian metropolis.
1923 Hitler’s Putsch is brought to a halt near the
Feldherrnhalle. For the Nazis, Munich is their movement’s ‘capital’.
1938 With the Treaty of Munich, the major European powers bow to
Hitler’s demand to absorb the Sudeten Lands into the Third Reich,
thereby hoping to stop the threat of war.
1939 The woodworker Georg Elsener fails in his assassination
attempt on Hitler in the Bürgerbräu-Tavern basement.
1943 The execution of the Scholl sisters weakens the resistance
movement against the Nazis.
1945 After 71 air raids over a period of five years, Munich is
largely destroyed.
1957 Munich’s number of inhabitants attains the million mark.
1966 Work starts on the U-Bahn, the underground railway.
Its inauguration takes place in 1971.
1972 Munich organises the XXth Olympic Games, tragically
overshadowed by a failed police action to liberate Israeli athletes from
their Palestinian hostage takers.
1983 The International Horticultural Exhibition bequeathes Munich
its West Park.
1988 Franz Josef Strauss, who in 1978 had succeeded Alfons Goppel
as Bavaria Minister-President, dies at Regensburg. During his term of
office, Munich develops into a high-tech city.
1992 Munich’s new Franz-Josef-Strauss airport is inaugurated.
The city’s international character is also evident from the fact that
23% of her inhabitants are foreign nationals.
1998 Inauguration of the Neue Messe, the new exhibition centre on
the site of the former airport of Riem. Reopening of the Alte Pinakothek
Museum.
1999 Munich experiences her worst floods of the century, which
holds victims, aid workers and the media in thrall and causes severe
damage.
2000 The 167th Oktoberfest is held on the grassy expanse
of Theresienwiese (meadow).
