Patrona Bavariae

On the richly-ornamented long wall of the royal Bavarian residence facing the Residenzstraße is dominated by a huge statue of Mary, Jesus’s mother, with a related inscription added. Another inscription, added in recent times, explains the historical importance of the building.

Mary’s statue

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Photos: Hans-Rudolf Hower, 2004

One of the decorated doorways

Inscription below Mary’s statue

For those who know modern Bavaria, this inscription does not tell truth. In fact, large parts of modern Bavaria (especially in the north) are inhabited by a protestant majority or at least an important protestant minority. And protestants do not glorify Mary as much as the Roman catholic church.

In fact, the royal residence was already built at the beginning of the 17^th century (see Modern Inscription) - not as a royal one, but as a ducal one. At the time, there was no Bavarian king (Bavaria only becomes a kingdom 200 years later, thanks to Napoleon I) and Bavaria consisted in a much smaller (and entirely catholic) southern Bavarian region comprising the still existing districts of Upper Bavaria (Oberbayern) and Lower Bavaria (Niederbayern) - the rest of modern Bavaria coming later, thanks to military and political luck during the Thirty Years’ War and the Napoleonian wars.

Maximilian I (1573 - 1651) governed Bavaria from 1597 to his death and obtained the dignity of Elector (the Electors elected the emperour of the German Empire) in 1623 because of his successful taking part in the Thirty Years’ War. In spite of many military victories (e.g. at the White Hill near Prague), he could not prevent the Swedish and the French armies from devastating Count Palatine, but finally the whole Count Palatine remained his and his dignity of Elector was maintained.

Maximilian I was educated by Jesuits and founded several Jesuit colleges in his country. This explains the origin of the inscription below Mary’s statue.

Author / Title	Notes	Info / Purchase
Brockhaus Conversations-Lexikon (17 volumes, about 1885)	German language. Excellent 19^th century source of information	second-hand booksellers

Address / Owner	Content / Subjects
[To be completed.]

The nearest subway stations are Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz. At Odeonsplatz (southern exit of the subway), look in the direction of the centre of the city and you will see the royal residence in front, slightly to the left. From the Marienplatz square, take the street at the right side of the so-called “new” city-hall and go straight ahead to the royal residence, which you will see on the right side.

Indications concerning the arrival correspond to our personal knowledge or even experience, but we cannot assume any responsibility for their rightness. When you are reading this page, things may have changed in reality.

Inscriptions of Munich

Patrona Bavariae