Dutch Working Visit to Bavaria Begins

Today Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima started a two-day working visit to the German state of Bavaria accompanied by Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.

The visit began at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich where the Royal Couple opened the renovated Hollander-Saal where there are exposed Dutch paintings from the 17th century. Were present Bernhard Maaz, Director General of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and Ludwig Spaenle, Bavarian Minister of Education and Culture, Science and Art.

In the presence of the King and the Queen was signed an agreement between the Pinakothek and the Central Museum of Utrecht on a joint exhibition entitled “Utrecht, Caravaggio and Europe”.

Afterwards the Royal Couple paid a visit to the exhibition center of the German car company BMW. Upon their arrival, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were welcomed by Harald Krüger, CEO of the BMW group. After the signing of the Golden Book, the CEO presented to the Royal Couple a Mini convertible in the Dutch national colour and a “BMW Vision Vehicle”, a new car that drives itself.

Then took place a seminar with the theme “Urban mobility” at the presence of German and Dutch members of industry, academia and government.

Around noon, the King and the Queen were received by the Minister President of Bavaria Horst Seehofer and his wife Karin in the Residenz, the former royal palace in Bavaria. The Royal Couple greeted the people who were gathered in the square and then entered in the Palace where, after an audience and the signing of the Golden Book of the Land, took place a lunch hosted by the President Seehofer in the Antiquarium hall, the oldest room of the Residenz.

In his speech the King said that both countries have strong ties and he expressed his pride for the many cooperation relations between Bavarian and Dutch.

In the afternoon King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited the daily food market Viktualienmarkt where they opened a Dutch-Bavarian Pavilion. Later, in the Deutsches Museum, the world’s largest museum of science and technology, the Royal Couple attended a forum entitled “IT Security in the Industry”, about the importance of cyber security for the industry. The King and the Queen also made a tour of the Museum.

In the evening King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited the Neue Rathaus, New Town Hall, where they were greeted by Dieter Reiter, Mayor of Munich. After the signing of the Golden Book, the Royal Couple along with the Minister President Horst Seehofer, his wife Karin and the Mayor Reiter, made a walk from the Neue Rathaus to the Altes Rathaus, Old Town Hall, where took place a dinner with members of the Dutch delegation and their German partners.

Filed under The Netherlands
Tagged Exhibition, Germany, King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Working Visit.