Chinesischer Turm e.V.1789 to today
History of the Chinese Tower in Munich
Why does a wooden pagoda stand in the middle of a Bavarian park? The answer is a story of European fashion, enlightened city planning, one very sceptical garden director, a wartime fire and a city that rebuilt its landmark exactly as it was. Here is the history of the Chinese Tower in Munich's English Garden, from 1789 to today.
- Built
- 1789-1790 by Johann Baptist Lechner, after plans by Joseph Frey
- Model
- The Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens, London, itself inspired by a pagoda in Beijing
- Height
- 25 metres, five storeys, entirely of wood
- Restaurant opened
- 1 April 1792, older than the Kingdom of Bavaria and Oktoberfest
- Destroyed
- July 1944, air raids on Munich
- Rebuilt
- 1951-1952, true to the original
Why a Chinese tower? Europe's love affair with China
In the second half of the 18th century, chinoiserie swept through Europe. Porcelain, silk, lacquerware and garden pavilions in the Chinese style were the mark of a fashionable court. English landscape gardens, the new ideal of park design, were dotted with exotic follies: little temples, ruins, and pagodas.
When Munich began laying out the English Garden in 1789, one of the first public parks in the world, the man overseeing the work, Sir Benjamin Thompson (later Count Rumford), supported the construction of a grand Chinese-style tower in the still unopened park. The direct model was the Great Pagoda in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew near London, roughly twice as tall, which in turn imitated a famous pagoda in Beijing. Munich's version was designed by the military architect Joseph Frey and built 1789-1790 by the master carpenter Johann Baptist Lechner.
1792: the restaurant opens, a tradition begins
On 1 April 1792, a restaurant opened at the foot of the tower. To put that date in perspective: the Kingdom of Bavaria was founded in 1806, and the first Oktoberfest took place in 1810. The hospitality tradition at the Chinese Tower is older than both. In 1792 the English Garden itself opened to the public, and the tower served as a viewing platform for the citizens of Munich.
Through the 19th century, the square under the chestnut trees became one of the birthplaces of Munich beer garden culture: simple wooden tables, beer from the barrel, food brought from home, and music. It was here that the city's domestic servants gathered at dawn on summer Sundays to dance, the origin of the Kocherlball, which is still celebrated every July.
The man who wanted to tear it down
Not everyone loved the pagoda. Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell, the great landscape architect who managed Bavaria's court gardens from 1804, considered Chinese-style architecture unworthy of imitation and proposed in his 1807 redesign of the English Garden that the tower be demolished. He wanted a purer park with only a few restrained classical buildings. Munich, fortunately, ignored him. The tower stayed.
1944: fire, and 1952: resurrection
The wooden tower survived fires and repairs throughout its history, but not the Second World War. In July 1944, incendiary bombs set the tower ablaze during the air raids on Munich, and it burned to the ground. Between 1951 and 1952 it was rebuilt true to the original, and the reconstructed tower was ceremonially reopened in 1952. The restaurant tradition at the site continued almost without interruption, and the rebuilt pagoda quickly reclaimed its place as the landmark of the English Garden.
The building itself
The Chinese Tower is 25 metres tall and has five storeys, connected inside by a spiral staircase. Like a fir tree, the polygonal structure narrows towards the top, from about 19 metres in diameter at the base to about 6 metres at the highest storey. Each level carries curved shingle roofs, decorated at the corners with gilded bells. The tower is not open for climbing, but on beer garden days a brass band traditionally plays from the first floor, music drifting down over 7,000 seats.
Today
The tower stands at the centre of Munich's second largest beer garden and remains one of the most photographed sights in the city. Since 2019, the Chinesischer Turm e.V. (registered association, VR 208108, Munich district court) has kept the traditions at the tower alive: a monthly Stammtisch, the Kocherlball, and everyday beer garden culture, 234 years after the first Mass beer was served here. What that looks like in practice is on our page about Bavarian traditions at the tower, and how to visit is explained under visiting the Chinese Tower.
Frequently asked questions
When was the Chinese Tower built?
1789-1790, by Johann Baptist Lechner after plans by Joseph Frey.
What was the model for the tower?
The Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens near London, itself inspired by a pagoda in Beijing.
Was the tower destroyed in the war?
Yes, it burned down in July 1944 and was rebuilt true to the original in 1951-1952.
Can you climb the Chinese Tower?
No. The tower is closed to the public. Brass bands play from the first floor on beer garden days.
Explore further
A detailed architectural history is on Wikipedia; official visitor information on muenchen.de.