125 years of Thalkirchen: From the raft trip to leisure fun!

125 years of Thalkirchen: From the raft trip to leisure fun!

Thalkirchen, Deutschland - On June 21, 2025, Thalkirchen celebrates an important anniversary: ​​125 years ago, on January 1, 1900, the district was incorporated into Munich. This event was deeply linked to the history of raft traffic. A key moment was the foundation of the central areas for raft traffic, which revolutionized the transport of goods via the Isar. As early as 1268, Thalkirchen was first mentioned in writing and began as a small farming village before it became the center of raft traffic in the 19th century.

The wedding of the Munich raft trip took place in the 1860s, about 40 years before the incorporation. At that time, the raftsmen covered a high need for wood with their flat wooden boats, which resulted from industrialization. Helga Lauterbach, a founding member of the Flößer-Kulturverein Munich-Thalkirchen, has been dealing with the fascinating history of this form of transport for over 30 years. "The emergency area on the Isar Canal was an important point of contact for the raftsmen," she explains. "On their way, they had to overcome numerous obstacles, such as the Georgenstein, - that was a real challenge!"

from the business branch to leisure fun

Over time, raft traffic suffered a decline: the construction of the Isartalbahn and the associated decrease in wooden trift made raft traffic obsolete. The Thalkirchner train station, whose tracks once ran between Maria-Einsiedel-Straße and the Mühlbach, has now made room for a supermarket. From 1900 the traffic was handled over the new central areas of Thalkirchen. Today, traditional raft traffic has turned into a tourist attraction-every year there are about 500-600 rafts.

Life on the river has always been linked to special traditions. The "Thalkirchner Bratwurst" were local specialties during the indulgence period, which were very popular with pilgrims and seams. Pope Pius VI. in 1780 granted complete indulgence for pilgrimage, which significantly increased the degree of awareness of the region. The pilgrimage church of St. Maria Thalkirchen, whose original town center grouped, is still a attraction.

the last raft area and their importance

Today the central areas in Thalkirchen remains the last remaining raft area in Munich, while the once important raft lands like the lower countries and the upper countries of the past belong. The latter was above the Ludwigsbrücke and was important for disassembling the rafts and wood storage - a fact that led to the naming of the Holzstrasse. The lower area was the main base for rafting in Munich for many years and was considered one of the largest river ports in Europe in 1870.

With the gradual decline in raft traffic, the use of the railroad also grew, which drastically lost the rafting as a means of transport. There is also a restaurant at the central area today, converted from a 19th century villa, which attracts both locals and tourists and keeps the history of the raft ride in Thalkirchen alive.

The history of Thalkirchen and its raft traffic is not only part of the city's history of Munich, but also reflects the changes in society and the economy that have shaped the region over the centuries.

Further information can be found at Hello-muenchen.de and on Wikipedia .