The Alte Kongresshalle is part of the former exhibition centre at Theresienhöhe. The largest hall of its kind at the time, it was designed in 1952/53 in retro-futurist style by architects Etzold, Strobl und Freymuth and was used as an event centre by the Munich exhibition organization Messe München until 1998. From 1998 until 2004, when the building was taken over by the Edith-Haberland-Wagner Stiftung, it served as temporary premises for Bauzentrum München (Munich Construction Agency).

Shortly after the opening of the new congress centre, the September 1953 issue of the architecture magazine Baumeister praised the building as "an ideal solution born of its location, purpose and duties" which "does not fulfil any representational obligations outside its purely functional purpose".
This "ideal solution" became the setting for a wide range of events, from the International Cultural Critics' Congress in 1958 and the Eucharist World Congress in 1960 to the World Chemical Fibres Congress in 1971.

After restoration and refurbishment of the building by the Edith-Haberland-Wagner Stiftung in line with heritage protection specifications, the Alte Kongresshalle reopened in 2007 in its original style but incorporating state-of-the-art technology. Since then the Kongresshalle has served as a historical location for public and private cultural and social events. The building has a hall with gallery which totals almost 500 m² in area, a stage (162 m²) with direct access to a separate side wing, and a spacious mezzanine gallery in the 265 m² entrance hall. The inner courtyard, now again uncovered and landscaped in line with the original plans from the 1950s, complements the building to create a superb location for events.

The Baudenkmal-Stiftung (Architectural Monument Foundation) of the DEUTSCHE STIFTUNG DENKMALSCHUTZ (German Historic Monument Foundation) presented the 2011 Historic Preservation Award to Edith-Haberland-Wagner-Stiftung for its exemplary renovation of the historic architectural monument Alte Kongresshalle, Theresienhöhe 15.

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Alte Kongresshalle
Am Bavariapark 14
D-80339 München

By car:
If you are driving to the Alte Kongresshalle, you will find public parking in the immediate vicinity on Theresienwiese, at the Heimeranplatz Park & Ride car park at 19, Garmischerstrasse, or in the public underground car park at 4, Gollierstrasse.

By public transport:
From Munich's main railway station Hauptbahnhof, the Alte Kongresshalle is a ten-minute journey by U-Bahn (underground / subway) on the U 4 line in the direction of Westendstrasse or the U 5 in the direction of Laimer Platz; in both cases, alight at Schwanthalerhöhe.

By U-Bahn (underground / subway):
U 4 / U 5: Schwanthalerhöhe stop

By S-Bahn (rapid transit train, suburban train):
S 7 / S 20 / S 27: Heimeranplatz stop
Change to the U 4 or U 5 and alight at Schwanthalerhöhe

By bus:
Metrobus 53: Schwanthalerhöhe stop
Stadtbus 134: Theresienhöhe or Schwanthalerhöhe stops
Stadtbus 131: Hans-Fischer-Strasse stop

For public transport timetable information and detailed overview of connections for the Alte Kongresshalle, go to the website of the Munich Public Transport Authority at www.mvv-muenchen.de.

Extended view