Literaturhaus (House of Literature)

Get it in writing at Munich's esteemed Literaturhaus

If you’re an author, journalist, writer or just a very keen bookworm, here’s the place in Munich you may feel most at home.

THE WRITE PLACE: A haven for the literary minded..

Munich's House of Literature was opened in 1997 and is the perfect place for a torrid debate about anything from Socrates to Satre to Stephen King.

The ground floor café has exhibitions – French fanatical letter writer Marcel Proust will be under the spotlight till June.

Upstairs there’s a program of book readings from published authors, concerts, workshops, discussions and comic conventions. Conveniently close at Salvatorplatz 2 is an English-language branch of the Hugendubel bookstore chain.

HOUSE SPIRIT: Author Oskar Maria Graf lives on at the Literaturhaus. Photo from the Bayerischer Staatsbibliothek.

Cappuccino with the “Lederhosen narrator”

The buildings’ showpiece café honours vivacious Munich author Oskar Maria Graf (1894-1967). Graf was one of many German artists who went into voluntary exile during the Third Reich.

He moved to New York in 1938 and lived there the rest of his life, but he never gave up his Bavarian identity. He was vehemently anti-Hitler and took offence when his works were not included in the Nazi book burnings of the 1930s, protesting ‘’Burn me!’’ in a Viennese newspaper.

Graf was known as the “Lederhosen narrator” who wrote prolifically, wore leather shorts and emptied more than his fair share of beer steins. The cafe, Brasserie OskarMaria, features a digital installation saluting its namesake, put together by American artist Jenny Holzer.

The tableware, napkins and coasters bear the lively wordsmith’s quips including Mehr Erotik, bitte! – More erotica, please!, Mehr Sexualität, die Herrschaften! – More Sexuality, Gentlemen!, and Friß nur! Mensch, friß und sauf! Wir hängen sowieso schon halb am Galgen – Eat, man! Eat and drink! We're practically hanging in the gallows already anyway.

COZY: The Brasserie OskarMaria is a great place to while away.

More from me

The café is great for whiling away rainy days. The mezzanine level is the place to sit unobtrusively with a coffee and you’re favourite book.

I think it’s great that Munich has an institution like the Literaturhaus, the city has one of Europe’s biggest publishing industries, don’t you know! There are fine views of city from the Theatinerkirche fromthe top floor.

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