The History of the Gasteig

Located high above the Isar river, the Gasteig can look back on a long, eventful history that is closely linked to Bavaria’s capital of Munich. The name “Gasteig” derives from a steep path – the “gache Steig” – that climbed the slope from the river to the higher ground. The Gasteig arts centre was inaugurated on 10 November 1985 with a gala concert by the Munich Philharmonic. The vision of a major cultural venue for Munich go back much further, though. Here, you can read all about the history of the Gasteig, which is closely interwoven with Munich’s history in the latter half of the 20th century: from the “salt road”, beer cellars and the Hitler coup to how the idea of a public education centre on the Gasteigberg culminated in the Gasteig’s construction, whose own history spans 40 years in 2025.

The “salt road”

The history of Munich and, in particular, its Haidhausen district, is closely linked to the Isar bridge at the Gasteig and the salt road that lead to it. This “road to Vienna”, today’s Einsteinstrasse, Kirchenstrasse and Innere Wiener Straße, was the lifeline of the village that grew along this trading route from the 12th century onwards. Used by many tradespeople, the most important commodity transported on this direct route via the Gasteig was the precious “white gold”: salt.

The Gasteig leprosarium

In the 13th century, returning crusaders and pilgrims brought leprosy back home with them from the Middle East – at the time an incurable and barely known disease in Europe. This made it necessary to build self-contained houses to isolate terminally ill patients. As nobody wanted to be near the unfortunate patients, they were moved to the Gasteigberg outside the city gates. As the epidemic receded, the attention, at the Gasteig and elsewhere, shifted to treating other diseases. In 1795, work began on the construction of an almshouse – the “Armenversorgungshaus” – on the site of today’s Philharmonic Hall on the other side of Wiener Straße. In 1861, this was replaced by a hospital, which later became an old people’s home.

The Haidhausen beer cellars

In the 19th century, the brewery laws changed to allow brewing of beer also in the summer. This required cool store rooms, and the right bank above the floodplain of the Isar around the Gasteig and Rosenheimer Berg proved the ideal location. Soon, rows of beer cellars sprung up especially in the Wienerstraße, Rosenheimerstraße, Preysingstraße and Kellerstraße. But it was not until 1812 that their operators were permitted to serve their guests “beer and bread”, albeit not full meals. This is why customers are to this day allowed to bring their own snacks to the beer (cellar) gardens.

Bürgerbräu and Münchner-Kindl-Keller

On 27 October 1880, the “Bürgerliches Brauhaus” opened above the Gasteig. Popularly known as “Bürgerbräu”, the complex comprised halls and a large beer garden that could accommodate around 10,000 people. Just opposite, at Hochstraße 2, the large Münchner-Kindl-Keller restaurant was built in 1899. The new establishment was a sensation: All rooms and halls were equipped with electric light and state-of-the-art building services, and the 1600 square metre main hall alone offered seating for over 6000 people. After interim use as a food factory, the former brewery and pub premises fell victim to bombing raids in World War II. Thirty years later, a hotel complex and the Motorama shopping centre were to be built on its ruins.

The Beer Hall Putsch

In January 1919, the DAP, the forerunner of the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers’ Party), was founded in Munich. The DAP’s so-called “Working Committee” now met regularly in the Café Gasteig (later renamed Café Atlas) on Innere Wiener Straße. When Hitler joined the party in September 1919, he quickly demonstrated that he knew how to inspire his audiences. On 8 November 1923, amidst economic depression, he saw his chance: With a contingent of heavily armed men, he marched on the Bürgerbräukeller, where the Bavarian state commissioner, Gustav von Kahr, was delivering a speech. After Hitler announced the “national revolution”, von Kahr was forced to agree to the coup plans.

After the apparently successful coup, Hitler left the hall with some of his people. His General, Ludendorff, took command of the Bürgerbräu, but, much to the annoyance of the putschists, released von Kahr and the government officials von Lossow and Seisser. These soon distanced themselves from the concessions they had made under duress and planned to crush the coup.

The putschists, meanwhile, locked Jewish Munich residents in the Bürgerbräukeller, occupied Munich’s city hall the following day and forced their way into the city council’s meeting room. Soldiers under the command of the State Police Senior Lieutenant finally suppressed the coup at Odeonsplatz in an exchange of fire that cost 16 National Socialists and 4 policemen their lives.

Johann Georg Elser and the Hitler assassination attempt

On 8 November 1939, over 3000 Nazis met in the Bürgerbräukeller on Rosenheimer Berg, where Adolf Hitler, now Reichskanzler (Chancellor of the Reich), gave his annual speech to commemorate the attempted coup of 1923. No sooner had Hitler left the hall – earlier than usual – a bomb exploded immediately behind the lectern. The hall’s ceiling collapsed, killing eight people and injuring more than 60.

The culprit, Johann Georg Elser, was arrested on the border with Switzerland and taken to Wittelsbacher Palais in Munich. After several days of interrogation, Elser confessed and was taken to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. In April 1945, three weeks before the end of the war, he was executed in the Dachau concentration camp.

An “island of American culture”: the Bürgerbräukeller after 1945

Munich was occupied by the Americans and on 30 April 1945 the Second World War came to an end. The military government declared the Bürgerbräukeller a leisure and cultural establishment for US soldiers. The programme included square dancing and classical concerts as well as tennis lessons and discussions on socially controversial topics. So it was that the Haidhauser Bürgerbräukeller soon developed into Munich’s premier entertainment venue for the Americans. It was not until 1958 that it would revert to being a restaurant again.

Initial ideas for an adult education centre

In April 1944, the Odeon and the Tonhalle – Munich’s two largest concert halls – were reduced to rubble in a devastating bombing raid on the inner city. This left the Munich Philharmonic without a home base. From now on, they had to contend themselves with temporary accommodation. And they were not alone: Despite its large number of branches, the public library had neither a head office nor sufficient storage space; the adult education centre had to run its extensive range of courses as a tolerated guest in various schools; and the Richard Strauss Conservatory was also inadequately housed in rented accommodation.

Development of a spatial and functional concept

Borne by the sustained economic growth of the 1960s, Munich was able to plan ambitious large-scale construction projects. The city’s broad-based urban development plan included a cultural centre. Possible locations under discussion were a site near the Hofgarten, Neuperlach and the city-owned “Am Gasteig” property.

Call for ideas

In 1971/72, the city, together with the Löwenbräu AG brewery, announced a competition for the entire site between Gasteig and Rosenheimer Platz with the aim of finding a convincing solution in the larger urban context. From the award-winning design by architects Raue, Rollenhagen and Lindemann, the final concept was characterised by two essential ideas: the orientation of the large concert hall towards the bank of the Isar and continuous pedestrian routes through the entire complex.

Green light from the city council for the Gasteig project

The economic recession of the mid-1970s necessitated the first course correction: dispensable parts of the Gasteig project, such as the planned 1000-bed hotel, were struck, the number of car parking spaces was drastically cut and a multipurpose use of the concert halls was considered. With these concessions, the city council gave its green light for the architectural competition in 1974/75. This was again won by the architectural partnership Raue, Rollenhagen, Lindemann and their new partner, Grossmann. After being commissioned with the Gasteig project, their plans were approved by the city council on 7 April 1976.

Construction begins and soon hits hurdles

The ground-breaking ceremony took place in April 1978 under the then Lord Mayor Kronawitter. But progress was soon hampered by complications that even threatened to bring the entire project to a grinding halt. Noise measurements showed that railway traffic might cause intolerable noise in the future concert hall. The new city council demanded changes, resulting in many, in some cases fundamental, changes to the architecture. The resulting strain on budget and time line coincided with an uptick in the construction industry, and this drove up prices still further. In 1980, the estimated costs reached the astronomical sum of 372 million German marks.

First tenants in the Gasteig

Even before the Philharmonic Hall opened its doors, the Munich Public Library, the Münchner Volkshochschule adult education centre and the Richard Strauss Conservatory moved into their new domicile in the Gasteig in 1984. With the Small Concert Hall and the Black Box, the first auditoriums opened their doors to audiences for music and theatre.

The official opening

On 10 November 1985, with the official opening of the Gasteig, one of Munich’s most ambitious construction projects was finally completed: an imposing building complex of 80,000 m² on an approx. 23,000 m² site with a brick-clad façade punctuated by a 32 metre high glass avant-corps. The Munich Philharmonic celebrated their move into their new home – the Gasteig’s Philharmonic Hall – with a gala concert. They performed Richard Strauss’ Feierlicher Einzug (“festive entry”) under the baton of Sergiu Celibidache to an audience of 2400.

The Gasteig turns 10 – cause for celebration

In 1995, to mark its tenth anniversary, the Gasteig invited the people of Munich to a gala concert in all of its halls. There were performances from students and lecturers of the Richard Strauss Conservatory; the Münchner Volkshochschule adult education centre and Gasteig München GmbH (then still known as Gasteig Betriebsgesellschaft mbH) exhibited the results of a joint photography competition; the public library held an open day.

End of an era: Brigitte v. Welser replaces Dr Eckart Heinz as Managing Director

The year 1999 saw the beginning of a new era: Dr Eckard Heintz, the previous Managing Director of Gasteig Betriebsgesellschaft GmbH, who had played a key role in shaping the arts centre’s fortunes for 16 years, handed over to Brigitte v. Welser, whom the Supervisory Board elected as his successor. It was also then that the Gasteig Betriebsgesellschaft GmbH was renamed Gasteig München GmbH. With Brigitte v. Welser at the helm, a comprehensive package of modernisation measures was initiated.

Synergy and brush-up

Under the working titles “Synergie” and “Brush up”, the Gasteig was fully renovated between 2003 and 2005 while continuing its normal programme. The renovations focussed mainly on the foyers, bars and restaurants and included a redesign of the cafeteria, the intermission bar and a conversion of the Café Gasteig into a restaurant. On entering the Gasteig, one would also have noticed the redesigned lighting system, the transformation of the Black Box’s exterior into a colourful, oscillating light cube and the renewal of the floor coverings and ceilings in the corridors and foyers.

The Gasteig turns 20

On 12 November 2005, the Gasteig celebrated its 20th anniversary with a packed programme throughout the building. The new “gast” restaurant also opened: A design of architects Lüps and Bahls transformed the rather unassuming Café Gasteig into a restaurant with cosmopolitan flair and suffused with light.

RSK becomes HMTM

On 1 August 2008, the Richard Strauss Conservatory (RSK) was integrated into the Munich University of Music and Theatre (HMTM), making it the last municipal conservatory in Bavaria to be transferred to state sponsorship. The classrooms as well as administrative and other rooms in the Gasteig used by the Richard Strauss Conservatory continued to be permanently available to the Munich University of Music and Theatre after the merger. The University, meanwhile, continued to run the full range of the Conservatory’s events in the Gasteig that served the training of young artists.

The Gasteig turns 25

The Gasteig’s 25th anniversary was duly celebrated with numerous special events throughout the 2010/2011 season, including festivals, performances, music nights, themed exhibitions and campaigns to publicise the anniversary. The Gasteig Elements event on the final weekend of the celebrations alone comprised 250 events that attracted 33,000 people.

The Gasteig turns 30 – celebrating with dance!

The Gasteig’s 30th season was celebrated in May 2016 with a participatory dance event. The anniversary celebration began at noon with folk music and dancing, a clear blue sky contributing to its total success. After a varied daytime programme with dances from different regions and eras, the celebrations culminated in an exuberant party at midnight in the Philharmonic Hall. Festooned with chandeliers, this was transformed into a magnificent dance floor.

Fit for the future: Max Wagner takes over as Managing Director

After 18 years as the Gasteig’s Managing Director, in which she had overseen important milestones in the art centre’s modernisation, Brigitte v. Welser took went into well-deserved retirement. Max Wagner, who had already spent a year familiarising himself with the Gasteig as its Deputy Managing Director, succeeded her on 1 March 2017.

The law graduate and trained singer had previously been Executive Director of the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and of Munich’s Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz. His vision for the Gasteig’s future: “I want the Gasteig to become even more of a vibrant, pulsating heart of culture and education that radiates far beyond Munich – self-confident, open, surprising, modern and networked with all players in culture and education.”

The city council declares the Gasteig’s 2021 move

In January 2018, Munich’s city council decided that the Gasteig would be refurbished. In the meantime, the arts centre was to move to a site in the Sendling district belonging to utility company Stadtwerke München for an expected period of five years.  The Gasteig’s renovation, estimated to cost up to 450 million euros, would constitute one of Europe’s largest construction ventures in the arts sector. Winners of the architectural competition were the Munich-based architectural firm Henn, which presented the preliminary plans to the city council in 2020.

The Gasteig HP8 opens its doors

On 8 October 2021, after a mere 18 months of construction work, the Gasteig HP8 interim premises opened in Sendling with a gala concert by the Munich Philharmonic in the new Isarphilharmonie. Located next to Heizkraftwerk Süd power station on the premises of utility company Stadtwerke München, the new venue offers the same range of events and services that visitors to our arts centre in Rosenheimer Straße are familiar with.

In October 2023, Max Wagner left the Gasteig, handing over the key to Stephanie Jenke, the Gasteig’s long-standing legal advisor and authorised signatory. She has been the Gasteig’s Managing Director since 1 October 2023.

The Gasteig turns 40 – the success story continues

In 2025, Gasteig celebrated its 40th anniversary with a whole season of festivities. Under the motto ‘Celebrate culture!’, numerous special promotions, festivals and events will took place. More information on “40 Years Gasteig”