The name gives it away: The Literaturhaus is all about books and reading. Visitors can exchange their views on political and cultural events at various exhibitions and debates, and writing workshops and seminars are also offered.
The Literaturhaus is a meeting place with a special flair. Intrigued visitors step into a whole new world as soon as they enter the ground floor by the brasserie that exudes the charm of a coffee house. Changing exhibitions encourage people to leave their everyday lives behind, and children can discover their creativity with Loriot or the illustrator Christoph Niemann. On the upper floors, guests can listen to exciting readings or debate with prominent figures from political and cultural circles.
One thing’s for sure: When you visit the Literaturhaus at Salvatorplatz in the middle of Munich, you’re in a historic location. If you take a walk in the immediate vicinity, you’ll find the pedestrian zone and the two churches Theatinerkirche and Frauenkirche. It’s also worth visiting the Salvatorkirche on Salvatorplatz itself, located right by the Literaturhaus. It was built in 1480 as a cemetery church for the Frauenkirche.
The cemetery that originally surrounded the church became a marketplace in the 18th century. The idea was to fill the place with life. But before today’s Literaturhaus developed into a cultural meeting place, the building was mainly used for educational purposes, as the city of Munich decided to build a school on Salvatorplatz in 1885. In 1925, the original primary school became Bavaria’s first ever secondary school for girls. The building was also home to the Municipal School of Music and the Russian Orthodox community until 1995.
The renovated building was finally reopened as the Literaturhaus in 1997 and has since become an important meeting place in the literary world. It’s also the home of institutions like the Academy of German Media, the Institute for Copyright and Media Law, and the German Association of Publishers and Booksellers.
The Literaturhaus gives writers, publishers and literature enthusiasts the chance to regularly meet and exchange views. Hundreds of readings, discussions and conferences are held every year. And panel discussions bring together guests from the world of politics, business and philosophy. These events revolve around interesting topics and attract lots of interesting people and often famous people, such as the cabaret artist Gerhard Polt, the former Lord Mayor of Munich Christian Ude, and the journalist Deniz Yücel, who was imprisoned in Turkey.
The programme is rounded off with several exhibitions throughout the year, including one on the topic of nature in literature and another on the graphic artist and illustrator Christoph Niemann, who expresses his creative process in a very special way. The “Flower Children” exhibition was dedicated to the turbulent year of 1968 in Munich. One thing’s for sure: There’s an infinite range of topics, and each one is about making literature and creativity accessible and understandable.
If you’d like to start writing yourself, or if you’ve already started and need a bit of support, you can attend seminars and writing courses at the Literaturhaus. The Bavarian Academy of Writing plays a huge role in the promotion of literature. Numerous universities in Bavaria work with the Literaturhaus to offer targeted seminars for students. Young authors can also attend workshops on various literary genres. After all, the main aim of the Literaturhaus is to promote young talent by encouraging people to exchange views and inspiring them to discover their own creativity.
