Munich was the seat of the kings of Bavaria until 1918. The city witnessed political unrest in the form of the German Revolution, which led to the proclamation of the Bavarian Soviet Republic in 1919. In 1923, the Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch took place here. From 1933, when Hitler took power in Germany, Munich became the ideological stronghold of the Nazis. Here, too, the anti-Nazi student group White Rose, led by the Scholl siblings, practiced non-violent resistance against the Nazis. When World War II ended, as a result of numerous Allied air raids, most of the historic city center was destroyed.
After World War II, Munich experienced an impressive recovery. Many historic buildings have been rebuilt based on the photographs. Some ruins were demolished to make way for modern buildings. The old part of Munich is centered around Marienplatz with the Old and New Town Halls. The large mechanical clock (Glockenspiel) in the latter's tower rings with its 43 bells every day, telling old stories from the life of the city.
