This is a question that the locals living in this area have been asking themselves since 2009.
The makeshift Michael Jackson Memorial in Munich has become a popular destination for fans of the King of Pop from all over the world. However, many Jackson fans and visitors are surprised to find that there is no actual statue of Michael Jackson at the memorial site.
So, why is there a Michael Jackson Memorial in Munich at all, but no actual physical form memorial of the pop icon? Let’s find out, shall we?
All About The Famous Michael Jackson Denkmal in Munich
The Takeover of the Orlande de Lassus monument at Promenadeplatz
After Jackson’s death in 2009, there were several plans to erect statues of the pop icon around the world but many of these plans were met with protests and opposition due to some very public allegations against Jackson.
For instance, a proposed statue of Jackson in the UK was met with outrage from abuse survivors who felt that it was inappropriate to celebrate a figure who had faced such serious accusations prior to his death.
In Munich though, it seemed that the situation was a little different thanks to the city’s special affinity with Michael Jackson thanks to the time he had previously spent Living in Munich, and recording in the city.
Nevertheless, there was still lingering controversy surrounding the idea of erecting a statue in his name, even here, and as a result, fans instead created a makeshift shrine as a tribute to Jackson’s legacy, without actually erecting any sort of effigy in honor of the pop icon.
Where Is the Michael Jackson Memorial in Munich?
The makeshift memorial to Jackson is located at the base of a statue of Renaissance composer Orlando di Lasso at Promenadeplatz.
The statue has been decorated with posters, flowers, candles, and other personal tributes by Michael Jackson’s fans since his abrupt death in 2009.
Jackson had previously stayed at the nearby Hotel Bayerischer Hof several times which is why this location became the scene of his remembrance shrine.
Location: Promenadeplatz 9, 80333 Munich, Bavaria Germany
Website: michael-jackson-memorial-munich.com Yes, incredibly there is even a website
Facebook: facebook.com/MichaelJacksonMemorialGermany with 95 thousand followers and still growing.
Orlando-di-Lasso-Statue und zugleich Michael-Jackson-Gedenkstätte
Is the Michael Jackson Monument Still in Munich in 2023?
The memorial to Jackson, like the phoenix rising from the ashes, has been wiped out on more than one occasion but it just keeps reappearing.
Locals have tried birdseed to attract pigeons to ruin the shrine, the council has previously undertaken in clandestine opportunity to remove unwanted items and eyesores from the base of the statue, and tourists themselves have been seen removing objects from the shrine.
Most recently, during Covid lock-down the statue of Orlande de Lassus was cleaned and all traces of Michael Jackson removed
But the founder of the Munich-based fan club, MJ’s Legacy, Nena Snezana Akhtar, has seen that Jackson fans in Munich won’t be silenced, and so, the memorial reappears like a Cyndi Lauper song – Time after Time!
Is the Michael Jackson Memorial in Munich Worth Visiting?
Whilst not a must-visit for most people to the city it’s definitely a must-see for devoted fans of Michael Jackson.
In all honesty, a lot of people sightsee in this area anyway, so if you do find yourself walking through Promenadeplatz, then you might as well give it a cursory look.
Anyway – we’ll leave it up to you to decide. Thanks for reading!
Where Did Michael Jackson Stay When In Munich?
The upmarket five-star hotel Bayerischer Hof is the hotel where Michael was reported to have stayed on multiple occasions whilst touring in the Bavarian capital and also when he recorded in the city.
When Did Michael Jackson Last Perform In Munich?
The last Bavarian tour for MJ was on his HIStory tour of 1997 at the Olympiastadion where he played to a crowd of approximately 150,000 over 2 nights in July of that year.
