Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival, begins in Munich, Germany, on 22 September. A celebration of Bavarian folk traditions, the event is attended by more than 6.2 million tourists from around the world. Last year 7.5 million litres of lager were drunk in 18 days, according to Oktoberfest Tour
First held on 12 October 1810 to honour the marriage of King Ludwig I to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, revellers named the field where their celebrations took place “Theresa’s Meadow” (“Theresienwiese”) after their new crown princess. The land outside the old Munich city gates retains the name today.
A parade was held, children in traditional Wittelsbach costumes sang for the royals and horse races were staged, watched by 40,000 spectators from Sendlinger Hill.
The party was such a success that it was repeated again the following year, with an agricultural show added. Following an interruption caused by the Napoleonic Wars, the city fathers subsequently decided to make it an annual fixture.
A statue of Bavaria, the region’s patron, was erected in 1850 to watch over proceedings, constructed by Johann Baptist Stiglmaier and Ferdinand von Miller from a design by Leo von Klenze.
Oktoberfest was cancelled because of cholera outbreaks in 1854 and 1873, in 1866 because of the Austro-Prussian War and again in 1870 because of the Franco-Prussian War.
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