Munich has a reputation. The expression “Munich shines” (“München leuchtet”) that is so cherished today is derived from a 1902 novel by Thomas Mann, entitled “Munich shone”. It encapsulates the sometimes mythical image that this city in Southern Germany has enjoyed over centuries. As a magnet for arts and commerce, its former royal glory and present-day rather bizarre schickeria glitz, but also its well developed, if somewhat provincial and not always justified, self-confidence. Today, friends of classical music, of paintings and the other beautiful arts gather there with pleasure, as do beer lovers, soccer fans and car enthusiasts. In any event, Munich, so its citizens find, is special, was always special and intends to continue being special also in the future.

Munich has had its dark sides, too, as the home of “the Movement”: The Nazi scourge that – though with a rule of a mere 12 years duration – still casts its shadow forward. Munich has undertaken great efforts to come to terms with its role in this monumental civilisation ‘traincrash’ and today, the city is a charming, open, liberal place, not just for commerce, science, and arts, but also as a place where many persecuted have sought refuge from their tormentors, be it from the Soviets during the Cold War or nowadays from the unruly Middle East and parts of Africa. Today, Munich shines again.