The Munichs Oktoberfest exists since almost 200 years.
 The Oktoberfest took place on the 17th October 1810 for the first time.
By reason of their wedding on 12. October 1810 the prince Ludwig and princess Therese have arranged a big horse race on a field in front of the Munich´s city walls.
Therefore the field is called Theresienwiese or Wiesn.
Due the fact that the prince Ludwig was very interested in ancient Greece, it was suggested to make the festivity similar to the Olympic Games. Due this, the Oktoberfest was in the early years more a sport event. Today it is seen as the ideal for the Olympia’s. The Bavarian royal court decided for the joy of the city´s inhabitants to repeat the horse race in the next year at the same time.
That was the beginning of the Oktoberfest tradition.
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The way to the biggest fair in the world:
In the year 1813 the fair was cancelled due of Bavaria being involved in the Napoleonic wars. Then it has grown from year to year. Climbing trees, swings and bowling alleys have joined the race course. 1818: Setting up of the first carousel. Lots of fortune stands attracted the poorer city inhabitants, because they could win china ware, silver and jewelry. From now on they wished to celebrate the Oktoberfest every year without any exception.
On the end of the 19th Century, the Oktoberfest has grown more to the fair, which is known all over the world. It has been brought forward to the end of September, because it´s warmer at this time. Since 1880, the city council allowed the beer sale and one year later opened the first chicken grill. Electric light lightened up over 400 booths and tents. To make more seats for the visitors and space for music bands the breweries have built large beer halls instead of beer booths. More and more carneys and carousel owners have been attracted by the Oktoberfest, whose arranged for more fun.
 In the year 1910 the Wiesn celebrated its 100th anniversary, where 12.000 Hectoliters beer has been tapped. In the Bräurosl, the biggest beer tent at that time, have been 12.000 seats. Today, the Hofbräu-hall with 10.000 seats is the largest beer tent on the Wiesn.
1914 - 1918 was the Oktoberfest cancelled because of the first world war.
1919 - 1920 was only the small "Herbstfest" (fall fair) celebrated
1923 - 1924 rejection because of inflation.
1939 - 1945 cancellation because of the second world war.
1946 - 1948 again only "Herbstfest".
So the Oktoberfest failed since its establishment 24 times.
In the year 1950 hast the Wiesn been opened by the traditional keg tapping for the first time by the mayor Thomas and in the following years the Oktoberfest became the greatest fair in the world. The horse race has with exception of the 150th anniversary never been held.
On 26th September 1980 a bomb has exploded at the main entrance. Thirteen people died, more than 200 were harmed, 68 from them severely. The Oktoberfest assassination is seen as one of the biggest attacks in the German history.
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The Oktoberfest today
The Oktoberfest attracts yearly over 6 million visitors. More and more guests come from abroad, mostly from Italy, the USA, Japan and Australia. In the past years the traditional costume became a trend again; it means that more and more Wiesn visitors wear Lederhosen and the Dirndl there.
Today the Oktoberfest offers its visitors a big variety of an rides e.g. the big wheel, the looping-roller-coaster, the legendary Devil´s wheel as well as tradition rides like the Krinoline or the Schichtl.
There are new rides every year on the Oktoberfest.
Wiesn highlights:
Entrainment of the innkeepers
 Because the Theresienwiese in 1887 in front of the city gates was, went the innkeepers and carneys together to the Wiesn to open the fair.
Since then is the entrainment of the innkeepers the official start of the Oktoberfest.
On the beginning of the festive procession are the Münchner Kindl and the mayor. Behind them follow beautiful decorated harnessed horse teams and fair wagons of the breweries and carriages of the innkeepers and carneys. The music bands of the beer tents accompany this with their music.
Keg tapping event
At 12.00 o´clock taps the mayor in Schottenhamel-fair-tent the first beer keg. With the tap event and the call "O´zapft is!" ("It is tapped!") is the Oktoberfest officially opened. After this there are being 12 cannon shots fired on the stairs to the statue Bavaria.er Bavaria. That is the signal for all innkeepers to start tapping. The Bavarias Prime Minister gets the first mug. After that beer is tapped in the other beer tents.
It is being awaited with tension how much hits will the mayor need until the first beer flows, it is even being bid. The best performance was one hit (Ude, 2006), but there have been even 19 hits necessary (Wimmer, 1950). In 2007 Ude required three hits.
Traditional costume procession
To honor König Ludwig I. and princess Therese silver wedding in 1835 the first traditional costume procession took place. Since 1950 it takes place every year and is one of the Oktoberfest highlights.
It is one of the biggest events of its kind in the world.
8000 Participants trek on Wiesnsunday from Maximilianeum on a seven kilometer long route to the fair ground. This procession is leaded by the Münchner Kindl as well.
Zu Ehren der Silberhochzeit von König Ludwig I. von Bayern und Prinzessin Therese fand 1835 erstmals ein Trachtenumzug statt. Seit 1950 wird dieser jährlich durchgeführt und ist einer der Höhepunkte des Oktoberfests und einer der weltgrößten Umzüge dieser Art.
8000 Teilnehmer ziehen am ersten Wiesnsonntag vom Maximilianeum auf einer sieben Kilometer langen Strecke bis zur Festwiese.Dieser Umzug wird auch vom Münchner Kindl angeführt.
 Fair tents
The Munich´s breweries Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu und Löwenbräu have their own fair tents. According to the Oktoberfest´s rules only Munich`s beer from the efficient and and approved tradition breweries may be tapped. The visitor can choose to stay in one of the 14 large and 15 smaller beer tents.
Due the fact that the tents have been overfilled and closed in the past years, the city of Munich built a „Wiesn barometer“ on its Homepage, which shows the load of the tents.
Beermug theft
The beer mugs on the Wiesn today are not made of clay but glass. They want to avoid wrong beer tapping with this. They are property of the brewery and taking them away is considered as a theft. In the 1980s and 1990s the beer mug theft increased rapidly and the security personnel were ordered to watch for thieves. The thieves are being generally penalized since years. Beermugs, which were bought as a souvenir, are marked with a colored badge.
The Wiesn numbers
The Theresienwiese is 42 hectare large.
The fair ground is 31 hectare large.
Yearly visitor count: ca. 6 million. Record: 1985 with 7,1 million visitors
100.000 seats
12.000 jobs every year on the Wiesn, thereof 1600 waitresses and waiters.
60.000 hectoliter beer und ca. 500.000 grilled chicken are sold.
1 billion Euro total revenue per Wiesn and year.
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