Bavaria, Munich

Bavaria is the monumental statue before you: a woman embodying Bavaria and its strength. The work is cast in bronze, and its creation was commissioned by King Ludwig I. It was built from 1843 to 1850, as part of the architectural ensemble with the Ruhmeshalle above the Theresienwiese.

Leo von Klenze was the architect behind the project. Its scale reflects an extraordinary technical achievement. The statue measures 18.52 metres in height and weighs about 87.36 tons.

Because it was made in sections, the interior could contain a circular stairway leading into the head. Four openings in the helmet provide views across the Theresienwiese and Munich; those openings are the concrete detail that turns this immense emblem into a place you can enter. The statue belongs to a wider ensemble with the Hall of Fame and a stairway.

Ludwig I chose Klenze’s design in 1834, after a competition for the hall project. The contract for production was signed in 1837 by Ludwig, Klenze, the sculptor Ludwig Schwanthaler, and the founders Johann Baptist Stiglmaier and Ferdinand von Miller. What you see is both a personification of Bavaria and a remarkable feat of cast metal.