DE-3976915 Marienplatz of Munich

Marienplatz is the heart of the city of Munich.  The square was originally known as Schrannen but it was renamed Marienplatz (St. Mary's Square) as a way to ask the Virgin Mary to protect the town from a cholera epidemic.

The large column at the centre of the square is known as the column of St. Mary. It was erected in 1638 to celebrate the end of the Swedish invasion. The statue is topped by a gilded statue of Virgin Mary. At each corner of the column's pedestal is a statue of a putti. The four putti's symbolise the city's overcoming of war, pestilence, hunger and heresy.

The square is dominated by the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus). The monumental, 79 meters (259 ft) high town hall was built between 1867 and 1909 in Flemish Gothic style.

Just east of Marienplatz is the Frauenkirche, the city's cathedral, officially known as the Dom zu unserer lieben Frau. The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid in 1468. The  Frauenkirche is a large Gothic building and it was constructed in a record time of just twenty years. The cathedral has three naves and it is 109 metres (358 ft) long and 40 metres (131 ft) wide. The two towers reach a height of 99 metres (325 ft). The monumental building still towers over the city of Munich. By law no new building is allowed to obstruct the view of the cathedral.

This postcard came from Lisa (4 March 2015) Postcrossing.