Munich was first mentioned in official documents in 1158. If you love the Bavarian capital and home of Oktoberfest, you may have heard the following story.
The story of one dispute, or How the first mention of Munich appeared
In 1158 Munich was also called “Munichen” (from the word “monks”). There was a major controversy that year, involving Bischof Otto von Freising and Heinrich der Löwen, monarch of the Welf dynasty. At the time, the salt business was extremely profitable. A customs house was located on the bridge over the Isar, which brought a good income to the local church feudal lord – the bishop. Henry the Lion ordered the destruction of the bridge along with the customs and built his own – just upstream, thus taking control of the salt trade. The settlement “with the monks” soon turned into a major center of trade.
The dispute was ended by Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa by issuing a special decree in favor of Henry the Lion, who at the same time had to pay the bishop a third of the proceeds from the sale of salt. In those days, the first mention of Munich appeared, from which its chronology went, and Heinrich Leo went down in history as the founder of the city.
A new turn in the history of Munich
Now back to the sensational find! What archaeologists have found in the very center of the Old Town, perhaps, will force the rewriting of the history of the Bavarian capital.
According to archival documents, it is believed that Munich as a city has existed for about eight centuries. However, an archaeological find indicates that urban life began here several decades earlier.
Ceramic and wood products, remains of furnaces – such a find was discovered by archaeologists at the end of last year. Remains of an old settlement were found on an area of approximately 150 square meters. Recently, scientists presented their conclusion: the age of the objects found dates back to approximately the XI or XII centuries.
It was ceramics that attracted the attention of archaeologists
And these are the oldest objects ever found in the historic center of Munich. Scientists attach great importance to ceramic products. “This sheds a whole new light on the history of the city,” Mathias Pfeil, head of the land department for the protection of historical monuments, told German news agencies. Probably, earlier this place was focused on pottery and turning.
What will be done with the archaeological find?
According to the official, no one had ever imagined that outside the city wall erected in the 13th century, public life already existed. This settlement existed here, presumably, until the XIII-XIX centuries, later becoming a suburb of the newly formed city.
The archaeological find was made by accident – while preparing the site for the construction of a new hotel on Hochbrückenstraße. It is about 300 kilometers from the Old Court, which was considered the birthplace of the city.
If the assumptions of archaeologists are correct, then Munich as an urban settlement appeared 60-70 years earlier than it is generally believed. And now what to do with such an unexpected find? All data has now been transferred to the scientists working on the “Archäologie München” project. They will have to figure out a difficult issue. Only after that will it be decided whether to rewrite the history of the city.
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