Hirmer, Munich, Germany

Architect	Eugen Hönig & Karl Söldner
Date Built	1912 - 1914
Location	Kaufingerstrasse
Description
This beautiful building on Kaufingerstrasse in Munich's city centre is home to the men's apparel store Hirmer. It opened in 1914 and was originally owned by the textile trading company Bamberger & Heart. The building stands close to the location of one of the city's famous gateway towers known as "The Beautiful Tower". The tower was built in 1157 but rebuilt in 1479 and decorated with frescos hence the description as "beautiful". The tower survived until 1807 when it was demolished. On the street outside the Hirmer building, the footprint of the old tower is marked out in the paving. You can see it in the image below indicated by a white arrow. It is also commemorated by the sculpture shown below that occupies the corner of the Hirmer building. The sculptures on the building have been attributed to the German sculptor Julius Seidler. The Hirmer building was heavily damaged during WWII and essentially rebuilt in the post-war years. It was further altered in the 1980s. Today it is a listed building and one of Munich's tourist attractions.