Today I want to tell you something about current events from the Oktoberfest. For that starts tomorrow here in Munich. You know it all safe, because the Oktoberfest is the largest folk festival in the world. Each year about six million people visit the Oktoberfest!
It all began in 1810. Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese back in October. In a meadow outside the city, they organized to celebrate the day a horse race. Since that is the Theresienwiese meadow. Meanwhile, the city has grown so much that the grass is no longer on the edge of the city, but in the middle. Meanwhile, we also have here something similar to the Statue of Liberty in New York: The Bavaria with a lion wakes up beside her on the lawn. You can climb into her head and from there has a wonderful view over the city.
Every year the Oktoberfest, unless it was wartime, and the city was suffering from a cholera epidemic. Because in Munich in October but is already very cold at times, it was decided to bring forward the feast. Now it takes place in September - only the last weekend in October. The Oktoberfest always lasts three weekends, sometimes it is extended a bit. It always takes 16 to 18 days long.
The guests are international. The Munich itself often go with their business colleagues to the Oktoberfest, but there are also many Japanese and Australians to celebrate and drink here. It is typical that appear several weeks before the start of the Oktoberfest Italians with their caravans here. They park their caravans on the edge of the Theresienwiese and thus have a perfect neighborhood - they can also be drunk so still waver in her bed. During the weekend, when most Italians will be in Munich, the way in the radio traffic announcements made in Italian.
Oktoberfest is always opened on Saturday at noon by the Mayor. This is currently in Munich, Christian Ude. He stands in front of a giant beer keg and it needs to tap into. So pour the first beer. He then calls "Ozapft is", and the Oktoberfest is opened.
I like to ride on the Ferris wheel. It was erected in 1880 for the first time and was twelve feet high. Today it is 48 meters high and has a wonderful view over the city.
In addition to ghost trains, bumper cars, roller coasters and similar amusement stalls, there are of course especially many huge beer tents at the Oktoberfest. It is here, but there's no Heineken or Guinness tent - at the Oktoberfest, only the traditional Munich breweries sell their beer. These are, for example, Lowenbrau, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr and Augustiner. The Hofbrau tent is the largest and holds 10,000 spectators. If one of the 14 large tents is full, the doors are closed. Only when some visitors are gone, they are reopened. Sometimes the tents already close their doors at eleven clock in the morning, so many visitors are here.
In the tent, you can drink beer in liter steins, the so-called beer mugs. To eat giant pretzels with cheese, radishes (Radi who is called in Bavaria), fried chicken or even oxen. Whole oxen turn in a tent around a huge barbecue skewer.
More and more the way to go back in Munich at the Oktoberfest in traditional costumes. This means that the women wear a dirndl, so a dress with apron, and the men's leather pants. Two months before opening the Oktoberfest in Munich, then suddenly all shops that sell these costumes - then they are gone.
The Oktoberfest is to remain a traditional folk festival, which is very important to the people of Munich. It should not be just about binge drinking, but quiet and family friendly. Therefore, the brass band in the tents for some time may only play a relatively quiet, up to 18 clock at night they have to play traditional brass band music. Only in the evening they are allowed to sing pop and pop music.
Luckily I live in the vicinity of the Oktoberfest. Usually I do not go out, to me there are many people there, it's too loud. But I notice, however, that is Oktoberfest time watching: Even here, where I live, many people walk around in costume and go as to work.
So, that was my topic for today. I'll go to the costume parade on Sunday - as many groups from across Europe marched through Munich in their costumes, with horse-drawn carriages and marching bands.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. The latest version is here ready for download. And for JavaScript to be enabled in your browser.
Episode download
Text here to download as PDF
Learning material download (1 €)
Learning material downloaded here (08-20 sequence)
Learning material downloaded here (follow 08-50, 25 €)
Today I want to tell you something about current events from the Oktoberfest. For that starts tomorrow here in Munich. You know it all safe, because the Oktoberfest is the largest folk festival in the world. Each year about six million people visit the Oktoberfest! It all began in 1810. Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese back in October. ...
