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In the Munich city quarter of Schwabing, you can meet a big stone lion whose original place was not the present one.
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The displaced lion. |
Arrival
Photos: Hans-Rudolf Hower, 2012 |
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Inscription
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Comment
Initially the big lion stood in front of the Wittelsbacher palace in the Brienner Straße, together with a similar sculpture of another lion, and it was not a memorial but a symbol of the Wittelsbacher family's power. (Nowadays there are hundreds or even thousands of stone lion imitations of all sizes throughout Bavaria as a symbol of the Free State of Bavaria.)
The misplaced lion is generally called SWAPO. Half of its jaw was destroyed during World War II. The inscription described here was only added after the lion's transfer to its present place, in front of the Catholic Academy.
For the moment, I do not know when, why, and by whom this lion was called SWAPO. If you have some information on this, please tell me, and I will publish it here. Thanks a lot in advance!
The Dachau concentration camp was the first established in Nazi Germany, and many anti-Nazi resisters were imprisoned and murdered there. One of the first victims was Fritz Gerlich, a well-known Munich journalist and historian who wrote violent articles against Hitler, his national socialism, and his Nazi organizations. He wrote for example (according to Wikipedia):
„National Socialism means: Enmity with neighbouring nations, tyranny internally, civil war, world war, lies, hatred, fratricide and boundless want.“
He was right but the Nazis had the power and murdered him during the so-called Night of the Long Knives. For details of this first murderous Nazi purge, which not only killed many resisters but also many SA members and leaders, see Wikipedia.
Bibliography
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Author / title |
Notes |
Info / purchase |
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Munich, Bavaria and the Black Forest |
A guide to southern Germany. |
amazon.de/at: English. amazon.es: English. amazon.fr: English. amazon.it: English. |
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Bavaria |
A specialized guide to Bavaria. |
amazon.de/at: English. amazon.es: English. amazon.fr: English. amazon.it: English. |
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The SS state: The system of German concentration camps, by Eugen Kogon |
Standard work on the Nazi state. Translation from German. |
See my critique. |
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William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany |
Shirer's book is one of the great classics of historiography on the 3rd Reich. |
See my critique. |
Internet
Please be aware of our legal reservation concerning any Internet reference.
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Address / Owner |
Content / Subjects |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on the city of Munich. |
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By Google Maps. |
Zoomable city map of München. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the architectural sights of the city of Munich. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the secret police of Nazi Germany. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the Wittelsbach family and its historical role in Europe and Bavaria. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the South West Africa People's Organization, which is a homonym of the big lion of Munich. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on this German journalist and historian mentioned in the inscription described here. He was murdered by the Nazis in the concentration camp of Dachau for having resisted Hitler. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on this concentration camp that was the first one established in Nazi Germany. It is a memorial area now. Fritz Gerlich is mentioned in the article as one of the writers murdered in the camp. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on this picturesque Bavarian town situated northwest of Munich. Its former concentration camp has been transformed into a large memorial area. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on this 1934 Nazi purge that was a murderous action against many resisters and dissenters within and outside the Nazi organizations. The arrestaions, deportations, and murders took place between June 30 and July 2, 1934. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on this cofounder of the SA. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the Stormtroopers (SA). This paramilitary organization was dissolved during the Night of the Long Knives. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Short encyclopaedic article on this sculptor who created the big lion described here. There is a much more detailed article, with more of Halbig's works, in the German Wikipedia. |
Arrival by Public Transport
The nearest subway station is Münchener Freiheit. You can walk for the rest: Exit the station in the direction of Freilitzschstraße, go a little along this street, which is a crossroad of the eastern side of the Leopoldstraße, and turn to your right at the Gunezrainerstraße. After some fufty meters, you will see the big lion on the right.
To see the place where the lion was situated initially, take the same subway till Odeonsplatz, exit the station in the direction of the Brienner Straße, take this street for some 50 meters, and have a look at the square you will see on your right.
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.
Hans-Rudolf Hower, 2012
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Last updated: April 4, 2016
