Obelisk am Karolinenplatz, War memorial obelisk in Maxvorstadt district, Munich, Germany
The black obelisk at Karolinenplatz rises approximately 29 meters above a three-tiered marble base situated in the center of the square. The structure combines brick construction with marble cladding and bronze elements to create a solemn monument.
King Ludwig I commissioned architect Leo von Klenze in 1833 to design this memorial to honor 30,000 Bavarian soldiers killed during Napoleon's Russian campaign. The project reshaped the urban character of the city as a permanent reminder of wartime losses.
The bronze plaques were cast from captured cannons and bear the names of soldiers who fell in battle. These inscriptions tell a story of loss that residents and visitors see as part of the city's collective memory.
The site sits at the intersection of Brienner Straße and Barer Straße, served by multiple tram lines that circle the square. This central location makes it easy to reach and simple to include in any walking route through the area.
The square was intentionally designed to mirror the radial layout of Paris's famous plazas, with streets spreading outward from the center. This represented Munich's first attempt to replicate the European model of a hub-and-spoke urban design.
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