Four years ago I attended the opening ceremony of BMW Welt in Munich. This sensational vortex of a building is where you go should you feel like a little Freude am Fahren (Joy in Driving, BMW's slogan) to collect your gleaming new German car. With its bars, music, art and apfelstrudel, this corporate shrine was designed to attract 850,000 visitors a year. In its first 12 months, it drew 2.2 million – 900,000 more than Neuschwanstein, Ludwig II's fairy tale castle and, once upon a time, Bavaria's top attraction. The highlight of the opening ceremony was a religious service conducted by archdiocesan clergy. As clouds of incense rose to the high glass vaults, there could be no doubt: in Bavaria, BMW is an ersatz religious cult.
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