1968 – 1969
Town planners create the space below Maximilianstraße as a subway for pedestrians.
 
1971 – 1973 
The subway is used as an exhibition space by a private initiative.
 
1973 – 1995 
Under the name of Kunstforum the space plays an important role in Munich’s cultural development: directed by Städtische Galerie im Lehnbachhaus, the subway is used as an exhibition space and thus the forerunner of Kunstbau. International as well as local artists who develop site specific works for Kunstforum participate in more than 150 exhibitions, performances, concerts and other events (for a list of all exhibitions please refer to Ausstellungsübersicht.pdf). 
 
1995
After the opening of Kunstbau, Städtische Galerie im Lehnbachhaus abandons Kunstforum. (No cultural use of the subway in the following three years.)
 
1998
The city’s Department for Arts and Culture proposes a resolution to the City Council: a constructional redevelopment of the space by the architect Peter Haimerl is supposed to “facilitate a contemporary multimedia-based series of presentations in the areas arts, economy, sciences, architecture and town planning, up to the point of product advertisement and event announcements using new media”.
 
Autumn 1999
Prof. Nida-Rümelin, then head of the Department of Arts and Culture, pushes art in the centre of the concept of the space that is renamed as Maximiliansforum. Maximiliansforum is considered part of the public art programme and the focus is set on media art. A budget of 80,000 DM is allocated to the pilot project and experiment.
 
June 2000
The constructional redevelopment of Maximiliansforum is completed and its purpose as an art space continues. Between 2000 and 2003, about 35 events take place during the pilot phase - coordinated by the Visual Art division of the Department for Arts and Culture.
 
June 2003 
Alternative operating systems are considered, amongst others a use of the room by the BUGA 2005 association (an art competition for students) and a cooperation with the Centre for Art und Media Technology (ZKM) Karlsruhe – the Department for Arts and Culture, however, is still responsible for the space management (from then on the Department allocates a yearly budget of 35,900 Euro for the programme and operation of the space).
 
October 2003 – End of 2009
Opening of ZKMax at Maximiliansforum, a new and temporary cooperation with a focus on multi-media art. The partnership between the Centre for Art and Media Technology at Karlsruhe (ZKM) and the City of Munich/ Department of Arts and Culture facilitates public access to the largest media art archive of the world, through an internet connection. Numerous exhibitions and activities dealing with digital culture take place. In the summer of 2007 the co-funding by ZKM Karlsruhe stops and the Department for Arts and Culture continues to be the sole main funder – until the end of 2009.
 
2010
Profiling of MaximiliansForum as passage for interdisciplinary art: the space creates possibilities for presentation of contemporary art, design, architecture, performance, theatre, film, dance and music in an urban context and offers the audience insights into the current coproduction of different scenes. The community projects are being specifically developed for MaximiliansForum and generate – for example through the participation of Munich’s off spaces in Open Art – new interactions and perceptions for Munich’s art world.
 
2011-2012 
Enhancement of the interdisciplinary approach and examination of possibilities for future use: being one of the City of Munich’s five art rooms, MaximiliansForum has become an important part of cultural infrastructure for the current scene. Since the beginning of 2012, the space has distinguished itself foremost as a forum for the applied arts. The exhibition and events programme showed the cultural and social relevance of fashion and design in multiple formats. The space will continue to focus on jewellery, design, fashion and architecture and thus is taking on a crucial place in Munich’s interdisciplinary arts scene. Maximilianstraße, due to its reputation for luxury, art and consumption, provides a compelling and interesting setting for this agenda.