„Da geht’s ja zu wie am Stachus!“. Ein Spruch, der in ganz Bayern bekannt ist und ausdrückt, dass draußen gerade eine Menge los ist. Denn ganz gleich zu welcher Jahreszeit, Tageszeit oder unter welchen Wetterbedingungen: Der Karlsplatz München, welcher unter den Münchnern bevorzugt ,,Stachus’’ genannt wird, ist immer voll. Unser Boutique Hotel Atrium in München ist nur wenige Gehminuten vom Stachus entfernt und möchte Ihnen diesen im folgenden Beitrag genauer vorstellen.
The history of Karlsplatz Munich
The site of today's Karlsplatz in Munich was still known as the Salt Road in the Middle Ages. Duke Henry the Lion moved it from Föhring to Munich, bringing prosperity to the Bavarian capital.
The well-known Karlstor was built towards the end of the 13th century and was intended to form a second city gate. The gate was named after the next village to which the road led: "Neuhauser Tor". The gate was first mentioned in a document in 1302.
In the 17th century, a rampart fortification was built around Munich. Instead of today's traffic circle, a bastion of the rampart was built on today's Karlsplatz in Munich. On March 18, 1791, Elector Karl Theodor had the bastion razed. In its place, Karlsplatz Munich was created in its current outline. The access road was also redesigned. After the reconstruction work, the square was officially called "Neuhauser-Tor-Platz", named after the Neuhauser Tor gate located on it.
Just one year later, in July 1792, the Neuhauser Tor was renamed Karlstor - in honor of the Bavarian Elector Karl Theodor. The name of the square was also changed to "Karls-Thor-Platz" in 1793. Since April 27, 1797, the official name has been Karlsplatz München.
The Munich S-Bahn was built in 1970. With the expansion of the infrastructure, the famous Stachus Passagen were also built. These are even considered to be the largest underground shopping center in Europe. The underground S-Bahn and U-Bahn station at Karlsplatz in Munich is located below this. The square was considered the busiest in Europe until the section from Neuhauser Straße to Färbergraben was converted into a pedestrian zone.
This is why Karlsplatz in Munich is called "Stachus
"Stachus" is the colloquial name for Karlsplatz in Munich. The square is even preferably called Stachus and the nickname is also mentioned in the S-Bahn and U-Bahn announcements.
There are two theories about the origin of the name:
Theory 1: The house of the Föderl innkeeper family was located near today's Sonnenstrasse/Bayerstraße. Around the 1730s, they regularly served beer in their inn. Due to the unpopular Elector Karl Theodor, many citizens at the time refused to call the square Karlsplatz and named it after the popular innkeeper, Mathias Eustachius Föderl, known as "Eustachi". Over the years, the name "Eustachi" eventually evolved into "Stachus".
Theory 2: In 1815, historian Felix Joseph von Lipowsky derived the name "Stachus" from the "Stachelschüsse", a medieval shooting range that existed on today's Karlsplatz in Munich.
Since the theory with Mr. "Eustachi" Föderl has more points in its favor, it is considered the official origin of the name.
Karlsplatz Munich Today
Karlsplatz Munich is THE connection point for all kinds of S-Bahn, U-Bahn and streetcar lines as well as buses. Karlsplatz Munich is also the starting or finishing point for an extensive shopping tour. The popular Munich shopping mile of Neuhauserstraße and Kaufingerstraße begins right behind the gate. Numerous stores and restaurants can be found there.
The large fountain in the middle of the Rondell with its many fountains is a popular meeting place on hot summer days. In winter, the Munich Ice Magic at Stachus invites skaters of all ages to take a few laps on Bavaria's largest mobile ice rink. Thanks to the snack hut and mulled wine stands, there is also plenty to eat and drink.
Karlsplatz Munich is definitely worth a visit. Don't miss it on your next city trip to Munich. If you have booked our Book a hotel in Munichwhich is only a few minutes' walk from Stachus. The Boutique Hotel Atrium Munich is looking forward to welcoming you!
Photo © Kavalenkava - stock.adobe.com
