Mars­platz

From Marsfeld to city quarter

The 1812 master plan already designated the western Maxvorstadt area as Marsfeld — a military parade ground of the Bavarian army, named after Mars, the Roman god of war. Troops drilled here, parades were held here, and here — at the Marsfeld north-west of the city centre — executions also took place. Marsstraße was created as the main axis of the drill ground.

With Munich's population growth in the late 19th century the Marsfeld was gradually given up to tenement houses, breweries (Augustiner, Löwenbräu) and railway facilities. Today Marsplatz is a small area on Marsstraße — the name lives on in the quarter, the military legacy has disappeared entirely.