Oktoberfest History

Origin of Oktoberfest  Oktoberfest was first celebrated in 1810 to commemorate the marriage of Princess Therese of Saxony and Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. This was important because at that time, the two kingdoms were not part of the same government. Oktoberfest is known as Wies’n to the locals.

The Beginning of Oktoberfest  Oktoberfest is set in motion by the Mayor of Munich in the Schottenhamel beer tent. He ceremoniously taps the first beer keg and declares “O’ zapft is!” (It is tapped!). Before this point, no one is allowed to drink any beer.

Events at Oktoberfest  Most of Oktoberfest occurs in the month of September due to the better weather in Bavaria. The first event was traditionally a horse race, but they no longer occur. Beginning in 1835 parades began to be held for Oktober fest, lead by the “münchener kindl” or the children of Munich.

Theresienwiese  Oktoberfest takes place in a part of Munich known as “Theresienwiese”, or Therese’s Meadows. The 103 acre meadows were a gift to Princess Therese from Prince Ludwig, and are thus named after her.

Cancellations  Oktoberfest has been cancelled 24 times throughout its history mainly due to war, but also outbreaks of disease, such as cholera. In 1980, Oktoberfest was almost cancelled due to a pipe bombing that killed 13 people.

Oktoberfest Vocabulary  Gemütlichkeit: coziness; comfort  Maβ: a liter of beer.  Bierleichen: people who are passed out drunk.  Brat: grilled  Senf: Mustard  Sekt: Sparkling wine.  Kraut: cabbage.  Märzen: Beer that is brewed beginning in March to obtain the correct flavor.  Münchener Kindl: Children of Munich  Es Schmeckt Mir/Dir: It’s tasty to me/you.  Wurst: sausage  Käse: cheese

Hippodrom  One of the smaller tents, it serves Sekt, Wiesn beer, and Maβ. It is one of the trendier tents. In the evening, the band “Münchener Zwietracht” plays all of the Oktoberfet classics.

Armbrustschützenzelt  Translates as “the crossbow shooters tent”, a competition that has been a part of Oktoberfest since 1895.

Hofbräu-Festzelt  The counterpart to the famous Hofbräuhaus, this tent is especially popular with the Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders.

Hacker-Festzelt  A rock band plays starting at 5:30 in the evening (as opposed to the traditional brass band. It is also known as “Himmel de Bayern” (Heaven of the Bavarians)

Schottenhamel  Very popular amongst younger people, this is where Oktoberfest starts. The mayor of Munich taps the first keg here.

Winzerer-Fähndl  This tent is noted for its huge tower, with a maβ of Paulaner beer sitting atop of it.

Schützen-Festhalle  This is a mid-size tent. Situated under the Bavaria Statue, the current tent was newly built in 2004.

Käfers Wiesen Schänke  The smallest tent in Oktoberfest, it is known for it’s extremely good food. It is allowed to stay open until 12:30, while the other tents must close at 11, making it very popular.

Weinzelt  This tent offers a selection of more than 15 wines, as well as Weiβbier.

Löwenbräu-Festhalle  Above the entrance is a 15 foot lion who occasionally drinks from his beer. This is overshadowed by another tower where another drinking lion sits.

Bräurosl (Hacker-Pschorr)  Named after the daughter of the original brewery owner, this tent has the usual brass band and a yodeler.

Augustiner-Festhalle  Considered by the locals to be the best tent, it serves traditional Augustiner beer from wooden kegs rather than stainless steel vats.

Ochsenbraterei  This tent offers a great variety of ox dishes.

Fischer Vroni  Fisch is the German word for “fish” and this tent carries a huge selection on its menu.

Test Your Knowledge!  This quiz is made directly from the Power Point 