The Virtual Oktoberfest at "bavarikon"

From horse race to export hit: It may come as a surprise today, but the starting point of the first Oktoberfest was, as you may know, a horse race in honour of the wedding celebrations of Crown Prince Ludwig (1786-1868) with Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen (1792-1854) on 17 October 1810. The race revived the tradition of the so-called "scarlet races", which had been held at the Jakobidult – a traditional fair held in Bavarian around late July or early August – until 1786. The idea came from the Munich coachman and National Guardsman Franz Baumgartner. His superior, the Munich banker and Major of the National Guards, Andreas von Dall'Armi (1765-1842), took up the idea and made enquiries at court. King Max I Joseph (1756-1825) gave his approval on 2 October - the birth of the Oktoberfest!

In 1810, Andreas Dall'Armi commissioned academy student Peter Hess (1792-1871) to document the horse race and thus "leave a lasting record of the first celebration of this kind in Bavaria, or rather of the most pleasing occasion for it, and of the spirit of the time."

Until the First World War, the Bavarian rulers - with the exception of the shy King Ludwig II (1845-1886) - saw the Oktoberfest as an ideal, annually recurring date to present themselves to their subjects and symbolically celebrate the unity of the people and the ruling family.

You can find out more about the history of the Oktoberfest in the chapter "Reflection of the Times". (external link, opens in a new window)

Customs and traditions come alive in many different ways during the Munich Oktoberfest. As part of the festivities, which last for a fortnight, there are rituals, some of which date back to the 19th century. However, some of these programme items are actually not as old as they seem at first glance, as they only developed in the course of the 20th century.

The best-known Oktoberfest tradition, for example, only developed in the post-war period. Although the Oktoberfest was opened as early as 1908 with a simultaneous tapping in all the festival tents, there was no central opening ceremony until 1950. This honour was first bestowed on the then Lord Mayor of Munich, Thomas Wimmer (1887-1964). He thus established a ritual that was subsequently adopted at numerous festivals throughout Bavaria.

In the virtual exhibition, bavarikon explores the background to established programme items such as the magnificent parades, the Oktoberfest country shooting or the standing concert at the foot of the Bavaria, as well as lesser-known constants of the folk festival.

To the chapter "Identity and Tradition" (external link, opens in a new window)

Since its beginnings, the Oktoberfest has also been a place of gluttony. In addition to the beer from the Munich breweries, Bavarian specialities such as chicken, grilled oxen and grilled fish are world-famous. The Münchner Fremdenblatt even asked itself in 1898:

"What the Oktoberfest air can handle without making it sick is close to miraculous.".

Until the large beer halls were built around 1907, the Theresienwiese was initially dominated by a ring of smaller pubs. The first huts on the Sendlinger hill at the edge of the race track were still very simple in design. From 1818, catering was also permitted on the Theresienwiese itself. In the decades that followed, increasingly elaborate stalls were built: they included a small dining room, a kitchen with a cooker, a pub and an outdoor beer garden. To emphasize the rural character of Oktoberfest, the city of Munich preferred to approve stall designs in the 'Alpine' style.

Johann Rößler's “Ochsenbraterei”, first represented at the Oktoberfest in 1881, offered the festival audience a "sensation" of a special kind in 1882. The master butcher had invented a device that allowed a whole ox to be roasted on a spit. This attraction seemed spectacular enough to charge admission. The picture in the centre of the advertisement shows the then still free-standing roasting area with cooker, sideboard and serving counter.

The well-known Oktoberfest host Michael Schottenhamel (1838-1912) initiated several groundbreaking changes. He was the first to serve Märzen beer from Franziskaner-Leistbräu, which eventually became the typical Oktoberfest beer. In 1896, Schottenhamel took over the 'Schützenwirt,' located outside the ring of beer tents. At that location, he had the first large festival hall built. The hall was designed by the renowned architect Gabriel von Seidl (1848-1913). The hall, arranged in an L-shape, could accommodate 1,500 guests.

As seen in the historical postcard, the structure consisted of a front cross building, a tower, and the main hall. However, the new festival hall did not last long: by 1908, it was replaced by a larger hall. The largest Oktoberfest beer tent ever was the Pschorr-Bräurosl tent from 1913, which, with 5,500 square meters, could accommodate about 12,000 guests. Today, the Hofbräu-Festhalle, with nearly 10,000 seats, is the tent with the largest capacity.

You can find out more about beer stalls, festival halls and the history of beer tents in the chapter "Beer, Chicken and Fish" (external link, opens in a new window)

There have been many unique personalities in the over two-hundred-year history of Oktoberfest, and they have shaped the Bavarian festival into what it is today. The festival on the Theresienwiese still draws on the influence of these historical figures in a special way. bavarikon explores in its virtual exhibition the traces of famous Oktoberfest hosts, fascinating carnival personalities, and iconic Oktoberfest symbols.

From the legendary "Krokodilwirth" Georg Lang to the death-defying "Steilwand-Kitty" and the "Bavarian Hercules" Hans Steyrer: bavarikon portrays these shining lights in the "Wiesn Originals" (external link, opens in a new window) chapter. Current interviews with contemporary witnesses from the collection of the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (House of Bavarian History) also show the personalities behind the scenes of the folk festival.

The range of amusements on offer at the Oktoberfest is almost unmanageable. With its high visitor numbers, the festival has always provided innovative showmen with a reason to create new and profitable attractions. The latest and most spectacular rides, which delight young and old alike, are still joined today by numerous traditional fairground attractions. Some of these unique attractions, such as the "Devil's Wheel", can only be found at the Oktoberfest.

The programme sheet shown here comes from the application documents of M. Dendl's fairground business from 1880, describing a colourful potpourri for the attraction "The Learned Dog Family". Numerous of these application letters can be found in the Stadtarchiv München (Munich City Archive). To this day, every fairground company on the Theresienwiese has to apply for a pitch at the Department of Labour and Economic Affairs of the City of Munich.

The photograph from the collection of the Munich City Museum shows the festival grounds in 1899. The image depicts Showmen's Street with various carnival attractions, including the “Russian Giant Air Swing”.

Find out more about traditional Oktoberfest businesses and the history of “Showmanship” (external link, opens in a new window) here.

The folk festival atmosphere at the Oktoberfest is characterised in particular by the typical background noise. Between the loud sounds of the many rides, which mingle with the conversations of the drunken festival-goers, the sounds of the music bands echo across the Theresienwiese. The musical mix on offer at the Oktoberfest is particularly entertaining.

In collaboration with the Archive for Folk Music and Regional Literature at the Center for Folk Music, Literature, and Popular Music of the District of Upper Bavaria, bavarikon invites you on an acoustic journey through historic Oktoberfest. Eleven shellac recordings featuring musical pieces and humorous scenes have been selected from the extensive collection of historical sound documents at the archive. These acoustic treasures, ranging from the Schäfflertanz to Caruso, date from 1906 to 1938.

Have a listen to what the Wiesn sounded like back then? To the “Historical Wiesn Sounds” (external link, opens in a new window)

For more exciting information on the history, background and highlights of the Oktoberfest - guaranteed virus-free - visit the virtual exhibition in bavarikon (external link, opens in a new window).

Fig. at the very top: Brass band at the entry of the Oktoberfest hosts on 24 September 1960, Georg Fruhstorfer © Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) Munich / Bildarchiv

Irma Bachhammer & Julia Misamer, bavarikon