Though cancelled for the year 2020, Oktoberfest remains one of the longest-running festivals in the world. This 204-year-old tradition has endured through wars, epidemic outbreaks, and economic downturns.
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Join MemoriesMary Carr
Mary Carr Oktoberfest is an annual festival held in Munich, Germany. The event runs for 2 weeks, ending on the first Sunday of October.
Mary Carr The origins of the festival can be traced back to the celebration of the marriage between the then crown prince of Bavaria, Prince Ludwig (who later became King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausenin on 12 October 1810. Festivities were held on the fields in front of the city gates named the Theresienwiese or “Therese’s fields”. The five-day event then concluded with a horse race. The festivities were repeated in succeeding years and extended to two-weeks. The date was eventually moved to late September, to conclude in October.
Mary Carr 2020 wasn’t the first time that Oktoberfest was cancelled. The first time the event was cancelled was in 1813 due to the Napoleonic war.
Mary Carr
Mary Carr In 1818, food and drinks were introduced to Oktoberfest. Together with the addition of amusement rides, this marked a turning point to what Oktoberfest will be in the coming years.
Mary Carr The local city officials of Munich officially took over the management of the horse races and supervised the shooting and the host activities in 1819. It was decided that Oktoberfest should be celebrated every year without exception.
Mary Carr
Mary Carr 1835 was the 25th anniversary of King Ludwig I’s marriage to Queen Therese and the 25th anniversary of Oktoberfest. To celebrate, there was a costume procession that passed through the royal tent.
Mary Carr
Mary Carr A statue of Bavaria was built in 1850 and has watched over the Oktoberfest festivities ever since.
Mary Carr A cholera outbreak in Munich cancelled Oktoberfest in 1854.
Mary Carr
Mary Carr Oktoberfest was once again cancelled in 1866 when Germany became involved in the Austro-Prussian War.
Mary Carr Another cholera outbreak in Munich put a stop to Oktoberfest in 1873.
Mary Carr The introduction of electric lighting in 1880 marked another change in the way Oktoberfest was celebrated. For the first time, the festivities were extended into the evenings as the stalls and tents finally had lighting.
Mary Carr The first bratwurst stand, first Hendlbraterei (Oktoberfest chicken), the first Wiesnhendl (fried chicken) stand, and Ochsenbraterei (ox roasting) was authorised to open during the festival in 1881. These are now the most iconic foods that are a must-try for any Oktoberfest visitor.
Mary Carr
Mary Carr
Mary Carr Beer was customarily served in clay mugs, but in 1892, the glass mugs or the Maß was introduced and started another Oktoberfest tradition. One mug can hold up to 1 litre of beer.
Mary Carr The 100th anniversary of Oktoberfest was commemorated in 1910. It was estimated that about 120,000 litres of beer were consumed at the time.
Mary Carr
Mary Carr Oktoberfest had a four-year hiatus from 1914-1918 due to World War I.
Mary Carr Hyperinflation caused the 1923 and 1924 Oktoberfest celebrations to be cancelled.
Mary Carr In 1935, Oktoberfest celebrated its 125th year anniversary. It is the first time that the German Crossbow championships were held and the championships continue to this day.
Mary Carr Another six-year hiatus for Oktoberfest occurred in 1939-1945 due to World War II.
Mary Carr 1959 Oktoberfest Source: https://youtu.be/cQ62L23L7BE
Mary Carr 1989 saw the inaugural run of the München Looping, one of the world’s largest mobile roller coasters. It is a 1,250-metre long roller coaster with five loops. It remains one of the main attractions of Oktoberfest. Source: https://youtu.be/3cQu9_RvoXI
Mary Carr
Mary Carr On the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest in 2010, the horse races in historical costumes were brought back. A special brew was on offer and a museum tent was set up to let visitors see how Oktoberfest was celebrated in its early days.
Mary Carr A traditionally Bavarian dressed brass band
Mary Carr
Mary Carr Oktoberfest set a new record with a total of 7.5 million litres of beer served during the 2-week festivities during the 2011 celebrations.
Mary Carr Over 6.3 million visitors were recorded to have attended Oktoberfest in 2019.
Mary Carr
Mary Carr
Mary Carr The global pandemic of Covid-19, which caused lockdowns to be imposed all over the world put a halt on travel activities and festivals. For the 25th time in its 200-year history, Oktoberfest was cancelled. However, as history proved, Oktoberfest is a lasting tradition that will surely be celebrated again once the pandemic has ended.