“Gemiitlichkeit” and High Tech : Germany

The state capital Munich (1.23 million inhabitants) lacks nothing as a major metropolis, yet the city also has its own distinctive atmosphere. In addition to the proverbial sociability to be encountered in the Hofbrauhaus, for instance, both the city and the surrounding region have a vibrant and dynamic economic life: automobile and aircraft industries, electrical and electronics industries, insurance firms and publishing houses.

With its renowned university and other higher education institutions, the Bavarian State Library (with over six million volumes one of the largest libraries in Europe), the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, the nuclear research reactor and many other institutions, Munich is an important center of science and research. Its airport is a major international air traffic hub.