How did Riem transform from a humble village to Munich’s vibrant city district? Riem is more than just a location. It is a story etched in time. Riem is a place about 7 km east of Munich city center. Together with Trudering it forms the city district 15 Trudering-Riem.
Let’s journey back to 788. The first written record of Riem appeared. The name “Riema” emerged around the 9th century. It possibly meant “belt”. The village with its courtyards encircled St. Martin’s Church. This church was in Trudering-Riem from 1183.
Since 1158, the salt road Reichenhall-Augsburg cut through Riem. Each year, 5,000 wagons passed. Then in 1644, Thurn und Taxis built a post and relay station. By 1881, Dornach gave Riem its first school building. Riem became its own municipality in 1818. Later it was assigned to Dornach for a time. From 1895 to 1897 the horse racing track in Riem was built.
Riem took center stage in 1936. It became the new Munich airport location. The old airfield in Oberwiesenfeld could not expand. It was also too close to Munich’s heart. So on January 1, 1937, Riem joined Munich. This was due to the airport’s construction. After two years, Munich-Riem Airport opened. That day was September 1, 1939. It coincided with World War II’s start. Civil flights began later on October 25, 1939.
Riem suffered greatly in April 1945. Bombing raids caused considerable destruction. Riem grew after reconstruction with the airport. It became a hub for the 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1975, the S-Bahn station Riem was built.
The airport relocated to Erdinger Moos in 1992. As early as 1990, a plan emerged. It was to transform the site into a “new exhibition center in Munich”. For some years, it hosted events and flea markets. From 1994, new exhibition grounds and apartments arose on part of the airport site. The tower, grandstand, and coat of arms hall remain as monuments.
In September 1992, a large transshipment station opened in Riem. This cargo terminal became a vital hub. It managed north-south traffic between Germany and Italy. Thousands of tons shifted daily between road and rail. The cargo handling terminal connects directly to the main rail line. By 2011, expansion included a third crane runway. The Riemer transshipment station could handle up to 400,000 shipping containers. It could also manage 7,000 trains yearly. That is about 20 trains and over 1,000 containers per day.
February 12, 1998, marked a milestone. The new Riem exhibition center officially opened. Construction took only 3.5 years. Almost six weeks later, Riem gained a new fire station. This fire station also covers the New Munich Trade Fair Center. It also secures the trade fair city, subway station, and Riem Arcaden.
Since May 29, 1999, the U2 line served the area. This was after a tunnel collapse on September 20, 1994. The ICM or International Congress Center Munich opened on October 9, 1998. Together with Messe München International and the MOC, the ICM forms the Messe München locations. Both the airport and Munich’s main train station are just 20 minutes away thanks to the good transport links.
The Riemer Park emerged on the old airport grounds from 1997. The Federal Horticultural Show took place here from April 28 to October 9, 2005. With a central exhibition area of 130 hectares, the BUGA2005 in Munich stood as one of Europe’s largest.
Today, Messestadt Riem stands separate from Riem. Since 1999, residents have moved to Messestadt Riem. The Riem Arcaden shopping center opened on March 10, 2004. An ecumenical church center was built next to it. Messestadt Riem grew from 1,600 residents in 1999 to almost 12,000 residents from 111 nations today.
Riem’s story is one of continuous change. It evolved from a village to an airport and then an exhibition center. It stands as a testament to Munich’s dynamic spirit.