The Mathäser-Filmpalast is the largest cinema in Munich and enjoys great popularity, not least because of its central location. But now the future of the building is in limbo after an investor came up with new plans. There is talk of possible demolition and new construction, which would mean a similar fate for the Mathäser as for the Donnersbergerbrücke. The cinema would then possibly face closure, and Munich would be one movie theater poorer after the closure of the Filmtheater am Sendlinger Tor.
Brewery, beer hall, revolution: an eventful history
Photo: Unknown/Wikimedia Commons
The area where the Filmpalast cinema stands today has seen a number of buildings come and go over the centuries. In 1690, there was initially a beer hall here, which was supplemented by a brewery in the 19th century. In 1858, Georg Mathäser acquired the brewery and initially ceased brewing operations, but resumed them 14 years later. After his death, his wife took over and eventually had the building rebuilt.
Löwenbräu AG acquired the Mathäser in 1907 and expanded it to include three beer halls, a banquet hall, and a beer garden. Eight years later, brewing operations were suspended again, this time for good. At the end of World War I, the Mathäser became the headquarters of the Munich revolutionary movement because it offered plenty of space and was centrally located. After the revolution failed, it resumed its original role as a restaurant.
During World War II, the Mathäser building fell victim to Allied air raids and was not rebuilt until 1957. The mega-project included the Mathäser Bierstadt, which gave the building its name at the time , with 16 different restaurants, a shopping arcade, and the Filmpalast cinema. It had the largest cinema screen in Germany at the time, measuring 8.5 by 21 meters. As it was and still is Munich’s largest cinema, it has repeatedly hosted red carpet premieres. The ballroom was also the venue for the German Film Ball, which is now held at the Bayerischer Hof.
The new Mathäser and the impending end
Pexels: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels
At the end of the 1990s, the beer hall and cinema ceased operations and the building was demolished and rebuilt. In 2003, the Mathäser Filmpalast was reopened as a multiplex cinema with a total of 14 screens. It was the first cinema in Germany to install Dolby Cinema and is still the only one in Munich.
The Mäthäser has undergone many changes over the years, and the building has been demolished and rebuilt several times. Another demolition could now be imminent, as an investor has new plans. He wants to construct a new building that will combine offices, apartments, shops, and cultural facilities to revitalize the southern station district.
The application for a preliminary decision has already been submitted to the local building commission. As the Mathäser is Munich’s largest and highest-grossing cinema, this step would be a significant blow to the city’s cultural scene and the entire German cinema landscape.