5 Amazing Oktoberfest Factoids

Munich’s Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival, opened its 16 day run last week. And we’ve 5 amazing factoids about what some have called “The Mother of all Beer Festivals.”

The original Oktoberfest wasn’t a beer festival

More than 200 years ago Europe took a breather from the brutal Napoleonic wars to celebrate a wedding. And it was that celebration which laid the foundation for Munich’s Oktoberfest today.

Back in 1810 King Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria invited his subjects to commemorate the marriage of his son, Ludwig, to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

Held in a pasture outside of Munich, which became known as Theresienwiese (‘Therese’s Meadow’) in honor of the new Crown Princess, the first gathering was a welcome respite for the war-torn nation

Today that same land (15 acres now surrounded by a bustling German metropolis) remains home to Munich’s annual Oktoberfest although its scope and scale has changed considerably.

Oktoberfest doesn’t start in October

Even though it’s known as Oktoberfest, Munich’s festival now opens each year in September and closes on the first Sunday in October.

The first Oktoberfest was held in October, and it stayed that way for a while, but its starting date was changed in 1904.

The reason for that change-up was Bavaria’s historically bad weather. It’s been known to snow in Munich in October and that would be a problem for a festival that is now a huge tradition and is estimated to generate more than €1.2 billion for the German economy.

Lots of things get lost at Oktoberfest

According to festival officials more than 6 million visitors from over 60 countries attended Oktoberfest 2018 in Munich, where they enthusiastically consumed nearly 7.2m liters of beer, countless bratwursts, pork knuckles, pretzels and oxen (!).

They also lost 1,300 passports (good luck flying home), 620 pieces of clothing (hey that can happen when you’re feeling festive), 600 wallets, 520 smartphones and cellphones, 360 keys, 325 pairs of glasses, 120 umbrellas, 100 bags and backpacks, 95 pieces of jewelry and 15 cameras…so there’s that.

Also misplaced were a set of dentures (oops!), a pair of crutches, a drinking horn (we’re not at all surprised by that one), a pair of leather pants (again) and a luxury lady’s watch by Carl F. Bucher (we’ve been looking for that…who can we call?).

Paris Hilton is permanently banned form Oktoberfest

Things can get wild at Munich’s Oktoberfest with visitors as young as fourteen allowed to drink beer (along as they are accompanied by an adult).  Security is quick to respond to overly physical behavior and visitors who show up provocatively dressed to promote their wares without the festival’s approval.

Thirteen years ago Paris Hilton (remember her?), blew it bigtime at Munich’s Oktoberfest according to momondo.

“Dressed in her skimpiest Bavarian ‘dirndl (the traditional Oktoberfest dress), the American socialite showed up to the 2006 to promote a brand of canned wine, without any sort of prior arrangement with the Oktoberfest organizers. After some sizeable and intoxicated public outrage, Paris was banished from ever returning to the party.”

Only Munich-Brewed Beer Allowed to be served at Oktoberfest

For more than 200 years, only beer conforming to the German purity law Reinheitsgebot, and brewed within the city limits of Munich, can be served at Munich’s celebration.

And since ‘Oktoberfest Beer’ is actually a registered trademark held by the Club of Munich Brewers, (which consists of the Munich breweries allowed to attend), it’s commercial usage in Germany is controlled by the festival.

Currently there are six breweries allowed to serve beer at Munich’s Oktoberfest. They’re all relatively big names in Germany and none of them are youngsters.

Augustiner is Munich’s oldest brewery, it was founded in 1328. Spaten was established in 1397. Hacker Pschorr in 1417, Hofbräu in 1583), Löwenbräu (1383?) and Paulaner, a relative newcomer to the club, was founded in 1634.