The area around Murnau was already settled in pre-Christian times. From the reign of
Septimius Severus, a
Roman road called Via Raetia led above the
Brenner Pass and Seefeld Saddle through the upper Isar-Loisachtal valleys all the way to
Augsburg. The road continued under the name
Via Imperii as an
imperial road and trade route until the 19th century. Signs of
Celtic and Roman settlements have been found on the now-eroded moss area around the Moosberg in the
Murnauer Moos. At that time Murnau was no more than a stopping-off point for travellers, called
Murau or
Mureau. The name Murnau comes from
Mure ("mudslide") and
Aue ("meadow"), referring to the Murnauer Moos and Loisachtal.
Middle Ages Murnau was first documented in 1150. The first official mention of the church of Saint Nicholas was in a document of 1300, and the castle (
Schlossmuseum) is first mentioned in 1324. In 1350
Louis V, Duke of Bavaria granted Murnau the
Blutbann (the right of
high justice), the
Niederlagerecht (the
staple right), and the right to hold a market weekly on Wednesdays and at
Michaelmas. It retains the title of "
Markt" ("market") to this day.
Modern era From 1632 to 1648, Murnau was occupied by
Swedish and
French troops during the
Thirty Years' War. Plague broke out in 1634. The church of Saint Nikolaus was rebuilt between 1717 and 1734. In 1722 the town was granted the right to hold the Leonhardimarkt and Skapuliermarkt fairs. In 1803 the
Ettal Abbey was dissolved, the office of
Pfleger was abolished and Murnau was assigned to the district court of Weilheim. The town suffered a major fire in 1835 and subsequently was almost completely rebuilt, leading to the enclosed townscape seen today. In 1879 the
Weilheim to Murnau railway opened. Ten years later in 1889 the connection to
Garmisch opened, followed by the line to
Oberammergau in 1900.
20th century In 1908 two pairs of artists (
Gabriele Münter and
Vassily Kandinsky; and
Marianne von Werefkin and
Alexej Jawlensky) stayed in Murnau at the same time to paint together. Through their pictures of Murnau and its scenery, which they continued to paint until 1914, the market town became famous to a worldwide art audience. In the history of art, this period before the First World War is called the "Murnau Era". This period is directly connected to these four artists and marks stylistically the development from expressionism to abstract art. Today, the Münter-Haus ("Russian House"), where Münter moved in 1909 with Kandinsky, is one of the most prominent cultural attractions of Murnau; as is also the Castle Museum with its art collection. From 1923 to 1933 the author
Ödön von Horváth lived and worked in Murnau; he was an opponent of the Nazis. In 1924 a private girls' high school (later a
Gymnasium) was founded. A new hospital, founded by Dr. hc James Loeb, was built in 1932. POW camp during World War II Some citizens of Murnau took part in
Hitler's putsch in Munich and received the
Blood Order. During the Nazi era, Murnau received a garrison of mountain troops for the first time. During
World War II,
Polish officers were imprisoned in the Werdenfelser barracks, which housed the
Oflag VII-A POW camp. In 1941, the Oflag 57 POW camp was established in Murnau, but was soon relocated to
Ostrołęka in
German-occupied Poland.
Christoph Probst was born and raised in Murnau. In Munich he joined the
White Rose an anti-Nazi group. The
Gestapo arrested a few of its inner circle. Along with the
Geschwister Scholl, the 23-years-old Probst was found guilty after a two-hour trial, and beheaded by guillotine the same day February 22, 1943. After the Second World War, the town was part of
West Germany. In 1953 the trade association's accident clinic opened in the southeast of the town, and has since been regularly expanded. The Goethe Institute opened its gates in 1954, and in 1956 and in 1971 the barracks were occupied by the army again. Numerous country houses, including some villas and a sports hall, which was built by Emanuel von Seidl, were demolished in the 1960s and 70s. The Staffelsee high school was extended to a full school in 1967. On 1 July 1972 Murnau was separated from the administrative district of Weilheim and transferred to that of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. On 12 March 1979 the name of the municipality of Murnau was officially changed to Murnau am Staffelsee. In 1979 a youth centre was opened, and in 2006 it acquired its own building, the Erlhaus, named after its founder. In 1980 The Murnauer Moss became a nature reserve. In 1993 the Castle Museum opened. From 1998 to 2000 Murnau's historic centre underwent restoration. The redesigned Münterhaus reopened in 1999. In 2000 the pedestrian zone and the underground car park were inaugurated.
21st century Incorporations On 1 July 1974 the independent municipality Weindorf was integrated. In January 1978 parts of the municipalities called Riegsee and Seehausen were added. On 1 May 1978 the incorporation of the village Hechendorf forms the final point.
Residential development Blazon The coat of arms shows a green dragon with a red tongue and claws on silver background. Its body is turned to the right but its head is pointing backwards to the left. When the dragon first appears in the Murnauer blazon can't be said exactly. The first local seal turns up in 1374. ==Infrastructure==