Sightseeing tip: Tilly, the Feldherrnhalle in Schwanthaler and a look into history
Tilly's spy and a monument in the Feldherrnhalle, the Munich Loggia of the Feldherren by Ludwig Michael von Schwanthaler on Odeonsplatz in the heart of the Bavarian capital
A secret spectator, a pigeon, looks at the Odeonsplatz - Count von Tilly, the most famous general in the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648)
Munich. It's not just the generals in the Feldherrnhalle who look at the hustle and bustle on Odeonsplatz, but also a feathered friend. He sat comfortably on General Tilly's head for a long time and craned his head curiously. The general holds his position in the Munich loggia of the generals; it was dedicated to "the Bavarian army" and can be found opposite the distant Victory Gate at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich. Who was this Tilly? We look back into history (see below). In the following photos we see the spy on the "Point de vue", looking across Odeonplatz into Ludwigstrasse together with the general. A sightseeing tip worth seeing in Munich's old town is Odeonsplatz: Odeonsplatz is located directly on the Hofgarten - in the heart of Munich - and is lined by the Feldherrnhalle, the Theatinerkirche, the Residenz and Leuchtenberg Castle. By the way, Ludwig I gave the square its name in 1827. The famous “Odeon” concert hall and the old riding school were located here. - The former Odeon is now home to the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior and next door the Ministry of Finance in the Palais Leuchtenberg. -
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| The feathered spy on Tilly's head watched everything very closely, Photo: Helga Waess |
General Count von Tilly
The general's full name was Johann T'Serclaes Graf von Tilly. During the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648) he was the supreme military commander of the Catholic League and, in a dual role, also the supreme military commander of the imperial army.
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| General Tilly and the secret observer on his head, photo: Helga Waess |
Feldherrnhalle was built as a “point de vue”
The Feldherrnhalle was built by Friedrich von Gärtner as a commission from King Ludwig I. It is on Odeonsplatz directly in front of the residence (left).
The construction period was three years in total: 1841 to 1844.
The logia of the Feldherrnhalle
It reminds visitors to Munich of the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, which actually provided the inspiration for the building on Odeonsplatz.
Kelheim limestone was used as building material. The Feldherrnhalle forms the southern start of Ludwigstrasse. The axis view was considered the benchmark for the new, wide boulevards that were laid out in the 19th century.
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| Residenzstraße in the direction of Ludwigstrasse, the Residenz on the right, a side view of the Feldherrnhalle at the end of the row of houses on the left, photo: Helga Waess |
Count von Tilly and Prince Wrede
The two main bronze figures in the Feldherrnhalle are people from military history: Count von Tilly and Prince Wrede. The generals Tilly and Wrede were honored with bronze statues in this hall, which opened onto Odeonsplatz.
Both sculptures were designed by Ludwig von Schwanthaler. Bronze from melted cannons was used to create the general figures.
The Bavarian sculptor and Munich native Ludwig Michael von Schwanthaler (1802-1848) is the main master of sculpture in the Classicism period in southern Germany. His main work is on the Theresienhöhe above the Oktoberfest meadow: The Bavaria.
And that was the view of the dove on Tilly's head
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| This is what the pigeon saw at the city founding festival on Odenonplatz when looking towards the university and Ludwigstrasse, Photo press archive: Helga Waess |
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| General Count von Tilly The dove on the general's head was probably amazed at the crowds to the city's founding festival, photo Helga Waess |
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| The pigeon was certainly sitting on the best "point de vue" on the head of the General bronze of Count von Tilly, photo: Helga Waess |
