Walking along the Isar River in Munich, it is worth taking a little detour from the waterfront to stop by the monumental Maximilianeum building, erected between 1857 and 1874. Commissioned by King Maximilian II of Bavaria (1811-1864), it was originally intended to serve as the headquarters of a foundation to support the training of talented female students to become future civil servants. Today, the building is best known as the seat of the Bavarian State Parliament, which has been in government use since 1949. The building's façade, in the upper part of the risalit, features mosaics depicting scenes from Bavarian history. One of them commemorates the victory of the Polish King John III Sobieski at the Battle of Vienna.

History of the plans and construction of the building

At the beginning of his reign, Maximilian II wanted to revolutionise Munich's architecture by creating a boulevard connecting the city to the River Isar, running from the New Residence to the waterfront. Construction began in 1853, and five years later the street was named Maximilianstraße. In order to give this space a coherent character, a competition was announced for the design of the Maximilianeum and the facades of the buildings along the street. The design was intended to embody the style of Maximilian II, combining historical elements with neo-Gothic solutions.

In 1854, the prize in the competition was awarded to the German architect Wilhelm Stier (1799-1856), but due to the high cost, the King abandoned the winning design and hired the architect Friedrich Bürklein (1813-1872), whose earlier work on the 'beautification' of the city was much appreciated.

Construction of the Maximilianeum building began in 1857 and took 17 years. Various factors contributed to the delays in the work, including the undermining of the banks of the Isar, Maximilian II's change of concept shortly before his death in 1864, the death of the royal architect in 1872 and the need to select his successor, who became Gottfried Semper.

Iconographic programme of the mosaics on the west façade

The building consists of a central section, built on arches, and side wings planned on a rectangular ground plan. The western façade, devoid of wings, is varied by three risalits. From afar, sculptures depicting "benefactors, inventors, sages, writers and generals" can be seen, foreshadowing the educational institution's iconographic mosaic programme, which aims to introduce viewers to the history of Bavaria.

Among the nine mosaics are scenes illustrating: the piety and benevolence of the Bavarian dynasty, the development of art and science in the region, the achievements of statesmen and successes in war campaigns. The most important of these from the perspective of the relationship with Poland is the mosaic in the central arched field of the western façade's risalit, depicting the liberation of Vienna from the Turks in 1683 under the leadership of the future Elector of Bavaria Maximilian I Emanuel Wittelsbach, Duke Charles of Lorraine and King Jan III Sobieski of Poland. The mosaic, which belongs to the category of military depictions, was realised in 1902 on the basis of a fresco for which an oil sketch of the composition was made in 1858 by the German painter specialising in historical and battle scenes, Feodor Dietz (1813-1870).

Description of the mosaic depicting the liberation of Vienna from the Turks in 1683.

John III Sobieski is depicted in the centre of the composition on horseback, wearing the characteristic fur cap with heron feather, worn in Poland from the 15th to the 19th century. Beside him, on a white horse, wearing a blue uniform, rides Maximilian I Emmanuel Wittelsbach. The Bavarian prince points with his hand in the direction of the attack. This scene not only emphasises the bravery of the future Elector, but also shows the friendship between the two commanders, which was born during the battle of Vienna. On either side of the mosaic are two mosaics depicting war trophies.