At the close of each year, the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation unveils the latest additions to its list of protected landmarks. The 2025 newcomers vividly illustrate Munich’s evolution across various domains, ranging from the 18th century to the 1960s.
Mid-Century Modern and Social Housing Innovations
The most recent example among the newly listed is the “Atriumhäuser am Biederstein” at Artur-Kutscher-Platz 1 and 2 in Schwabing. Designed in 1959 and constructed between 1960 and 1962 by architect Ernst Barth, these two almost square, flat-roofed buildings exemplify a fresh approach to urban living in early 1960s Munich. Notably, one of its former residents was Cornelius Gurlitt, known for his monumental art collection, who lived there until his passing. The buildings are characterized by their nearly encircling balconies, featuring natural stone cladding and glass balustrades, which embody the modernist principles of light, air, and sunshine. Barth’s design pioneered a prototype of the point house, influencing 1960s residential construction and further developed in complexes like Cosimapark. The surrounding garden, created by landscape architect Alfred Reich, further enhances the concept of modern urban living in post-war Munich.
A glimpse into housing from a different era is offered by the small housing complex at Alois-Wunder-Straße 9/11 in Pasing, dating from 1927/28. At that time, Pasing was an independent town striving to provide affordable and high-quality housing. These two-room apartments, approximately 50 square meters in size, include a living kitchen and a naturally lit bathroom – a luxury not common during the Weimar Republic. Small gardens, originally intended for residents’ self-sufficiency, extend from the green courtyard. Architect Karl Grandy’s design for the long hipped-roof building transcends mere functional architecture, incorporating stairwell turrets and pointed-arch portals with integrated lighting. The interior features dark-stained wooden staircases adorned with intricate details. This complex thus demonstrates the fusion of social housing and expressionist design in the 1920s.
Industrial Heritage and Post-War Reconstruction
Also from this period, the power station of the present-day Isarwerk III at Hefner-Alteneck-Straße 24 in the Dreimühlenviertel does not outwardly resemble a modern power plant. This 1924 structure conceals within its walls the history of Munich’s post-World War I hydropower expansion. It also stands as a rare instance of a large technical facility deliberately integrated into the urban landscape. The broad hipped-roof building, designed by Hermann Leitenstorfer and Fritz Beblo, is situated above the “Großer Stadtbach.” Despite wartime damage and a renovation in the 1970s, its original structure, including the roof, facade elements, and parts of the historic windows and doors, has largely been preserved.
Earlier, in 1903, brickyard owner Johann Widmann commissioned a four-story corner building at Rosenheimer Straße 244 in Ramersdorf. Its historicist brick facade and interior brickwork, adorned with figures and ornaments, reflect the self-image of a building contractor keen to showcase his own production. This apartment building also marks the transition from the old village of Ramersdorf to the burgeoning metropolis of Munich. In 1934, housing officer Guido Harbers adapted the building to the contemporary taste of the Nazi era, aligning it with the adjacent model settlement of Ramersdorf: the roof acquired its current hipped form, and the facade was simplified. A Marian medallion mosaic was removed and re-inserted into the facade of the Ramersdorf parish house.
The Catholic Central Journeymen’s House, known as the “Kolpinghaus,” at Adolf-Kolping-Straße 1 near Stachus, was built in 1950/51 following plans by architect Ernst Barth. It stands on the site of Bavaria’s first journeymen’s house, opened in 1855 with the presence of Adolph Kolping. After its destruction in World War II, a new “father’s house abroad” was hastily constructed to accommodate hundreds of young men. Journeymen, industrial workers, and displaced persons found lodging, communal spaces, workshops, and a chapel under one roof. By the late 1950s, with up to 880 residents, it was considered the largest Kolpinghaus in Germany. The elongated, five-story building with a hipped-gable roof, shallow facade bay windows, and a slightly outward-curving hall section showcases the understated, traditional architecture of early post-war reconstruction.
Medieval Roots and Agricultural Transformations
The oldest new addition to the list is the former forge at Freihamer Allee in Freiham. This unassuming outbuilding reveals the history of a large estate over several centuries. The elongated structure forms the southern boundary of the Holy Cross churchyard and rests on a vaulted cellar, likely dating back to the late Middle Ages. An outbuilding was erected on it in the 18th century and expanded in 1789. Investigations date the roof truss to 1759-1761 and 1789, indicating the numerous construction phases the building has undergone. Together with the opposite horse stable, the building frames the former estate courtyard and marks the transition from the ecclesiastical to the agricultural domain. Its use also reflects the estate’s transformation: the building served as a forge, washhouse, and accommodation for farm laborers. In the 19th century, the von Maffei family unified the facade, adapting it to the estate’s appearance. Inside, vaulted forms and preserved fixtures and fittings up to the 20th century illustrate how the building’s requirements evolved.
Source: [abendzeitung-muenchen.de](https://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de/muenchen/stein-gewordene-zeitreisen-das-sind-die-neuen-denkmaeler-fuer-muenchen-art-1103717)
