Marion Square is the central square of Munich. As early as 1158, the founder of Munich, King Henry, named it the geographical center of Munich. The center of the square is the Virgin Mary column established in 1638 to commemorate Munich's independence from the Swedes. The 11-meter-high monument is the statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of that tall marble column. As the patron saint of Munich, she has been overlooking the development and changes of Munich for centuries.