- Title: WEST GERMANY: BOISTEROUS REVELRIES AT MUNICH BEER FESTIVAL
- Date: 5th October 1966
- Summary: NATURAL SOUND THROUGHOUT OF THE FESTIVAL THE FAIRGROUNDS, SIDESHOWS, EATING, DRINKING AND SINGING. Initials JT/V/MR/MM Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 20th October 1966 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MUNICH, WEST GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA83PYQI1YGXZSL0WUAW6VPCXQV
- Story Text: THE WORLD'S GREATEST BEER BINGE IS OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR. THE DRUNKS HAVE STAGGERED HOME AND THE BREWERS ARE COUNTING THEIR PROFITS. IT'S THE ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST IN MUNICH - A 16-DAY ORGY OF GUZZLING AND GLUTTONY, UPSET ULCERS AND SORE HEADS, AND BOISTEROUS REVELRIES AND MERRY-MAKING THAT ATTRACTS TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THE OKTOBERFEST - IT MEANS OCTOBER FESTIVAL - IS HELD EACH YEAR IN A MEADOW IN THE WEST GERMAN CITY, WHOSE POPULATION HOLD THE SAME REVERENCE FOR BEER AS THE FRENCH DO FOR WINE. AN EVENT WHOSE HISTORY STRETCHES BACK TO EARLY LAST CENTURY, IT'S A TIME FOR THE MUNICH BREWERS TO DEMONSTRATE THE MALTED POTENCY OF THEIR BREWS AND FOR THE PEOPLE TO LET OFF STEAM.
IT'S ALSO A FAMILY OCCASION. THE MEADOW BECOMES A HUGE FAIRGROUND WITH THE SIDESHOWS AND FLEA-CIRCUSES VYING WITH THE BREWERS FOR CUSTOMERS. PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE MUNICH POPULATION ROLL UP. EVEN THE POLICE ARE ROSTERED SO THAT EACH OFFICER HAS ONE DAY FREE TO JOIN THE FUN. THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS JOIN IN, TOO, ESPECIALLY FROM AUSTRALIA, BRITAIN, CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES.
CATERERS DO A BOOMING BUSINESS, TOO - THIS YEAR, REVELLERS TUCKED AWAY 350,000 ROAST CHICKENS AND 1,500,000 SAUSAGES. BUT THE BREWERS GRAB THE MOST BUSINESS AS THOUSANDS OF THIRSTY CUSTOMERS DESCEND ON THE SEVEN HUGE BEER TENTS. EACH ONE CAN HOLD 2,000 SEATED AT LONG WOODEN TABLES.
AND EACH DAY THERE ARE 12 HECTIC HOURS OF BEER-SWILLING. BARMEN WORK OVERTIME AS WAITRESSES BUSTLE FROM TABLE TO TABLE WITH FISTFULS OF TWO-PINT JUGS. THE DEMAND - WITH THE NOISE - RISES AS THE NIGHT WEARS ON. THIS YEAR, DRINKERS EXCEEDED THEMSELVES AS NEVER BEFORE - CONSUMING A RECORD 3.8 MILLION LITRES (ABOUT 7 MILLION PINTS).
THE BEER TENTS REVERBERATE TO THE OOMPAH MUSIC OF THE TRADITIONAL BAVARIAN BAND AND THE GUSTY SINGING OF THE DRINKERS. AND IF YOU FANCY YOURSELF AS A CONDUCTOR, YOU CAN BORROW THE BATON FOR GBP3 AND WAVE THE BAND THROUGH A COUPLE OF DRINKING SONGS.
JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT, THE KEGS ARE TURNED OFF, THE BANDS PACK UP, THE DRINKERS STAGGER HOME, AND THE MESS IS CLEANED UP. ALL THAT IS LEFT IS A GIANT HANGOVER.
(IN RECENT YEARS, AUSTRALIAN VISITORS HAVE EARNED THEMSELVES A BAD REPUTATION WITH BAVARIANS, SO MUCH SO THAT BEFORE THIS YEAR'S OKTOBERFEST ONE NEWSPAPER RAN THE HEADLINE: "HELP! THE AUSTRALIANS ARE COMING." HELP WAS IN FACT NEEDED WHEN BRAWLING BROKE OUT IN A BEER HOUSE. THERE WERE OTHER REPORTS OF ROWDYISM, AND SEVERAL AUSTRALIANS - ALONG WITH OTHER ENGLISH-SPEAKING BEER-SWILLERS - WERE EJECTED FROM A CAMPING SITE).
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