Hofgarten and War Memorial, Munich

The Hofgarten is a serene green space nestled in the heart of Munich, situated between the Residenz Royal Palace and the English Garden.

This garden was commissioned by Elector Maximilian I and designed in the Italian Renaissance style between 1613 and 1617. It is organized around two central pathways that converge at a structure known as the Temple of Diana, which was designed by architect Heinrich Schön the elder in 1615. Originally, a 1623 sculpture of Bavaria by Hubert Gerhard stood on the rooftop, but now only a replica is on the Temple, while the original is in the Residenz. The Hofgarten was damaged in World War II but was later restored to its original design.

Maintaining its 17th-century charm, the garden features meticulously arranged lawns and flower beds. The original water features and fountains have been restored and are in working order. In the northeast corner of the garden stands a square black granite monument dedicated to the White Rose group, a gathering of philosophy students who were executed following an unjust trial for their non-violent resistance against the Nazi regime. T.S. Eliot references the Hofgarten in his poem, "The Waste Land," symbolizing the decline of European royal families and the hollowness of aristocratic life.

Towards the eastern end of the Hofgarten, in front of the Bayerische Staatskanzlei, you'll find the Kriegerdenkmal, a memorial to commemorate the Munich citizens who lost their lives in World War I. Inside a rectangular enclosure, an open crypt holds a statue of a fallen soldier. Inaugurated by Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, in 1924, it was completed in 1928 and now enjoys cultural heritage status.