Comment: Get rid of the Oktoberfest! Why Munich is better off without Oktoberfest

On Saturday the start would have been at the Wiesn 2021. But the Oktoberfest is canceled for the second year in a row.

Munich would do well to make a rule out of this and reinvent itself.

A comment.

The beauty of the pandemic is that it makes the unthinkable possible.

Home office - unthinkable in many companies - suddenly not only possible, but everyday life.

Having one's own car was essential.

In many households it is no longer needed, bicycles and train cards do too.

Irreplaceable business trips, domestic flights, fax machines have been replaced by a laptop at the breakfast table.

Of course, these little social revolutionaries can hardly be compared with the most unthinkable of all that is unthinkable:

Munich without Oktoberfest.

But maybe this is not a bad idea.

Continuous.

The past year has shown: the Oktoberfest may need Munich, but Munich doesn't need the Oktoberfest.

Munich doesn't need the Oktoberfest, Munich needs the Oktoberfest

The construction of the Oktoberfest usually starts at the beginning of July. On Saturday it would have been tapping. But for the second year in a row, bumblebees and joggers cavort on Munich's large field instead of showmen and beer lovers. Sales are sorely lacking in many industries. The city of Munich calculates around 800 million euros for the hotels and inns alone. Around half a billion euros will be implemented directly on the Theresienwiese in just 16 days of Oktoberfest. 8,000 permanent employees and 4,000 seasonal workers are on permanent short-time work or have no income whatsoever.

Terrible.

Without question.

Even if the city does not state the costs for the general public here.

What is meant now is less the outrageous mass prices, but more the around 2000 police operations per Oktoberfest, the rescue operations, the garbage - and, if we want to think a little more climate-oriented: the CO₂ balance.

The climate balance of the Oktoberfest is shockingly high

Only one aspect: in 2019 around 7.3 million mugs were served.

What many do not know: Brewing is not good for the climate.

Not good at all.

In a very brewer-friendly way, that's 730 tons of greenhouse gas per Oktoberfest through beer consumption alone.

If we want to reach the 1.5 degree target, that would be the annual CO2 budget for 500 people in Munich.

Not enough? It takes 800 truck loads before a Oktoberfest tent is completely delivered. Then we have half a million chicken, 50 calves, 115 oxen, 75,000 pork knuckles and 140,000 pairs of pork sausages. As is well known, meat is mainly consumed at the Oktoberfest so that the third measure is nice and smooth. And meat is the number one climate killer, way ahead of beer. Then the tents and large kitchens want to be heated, the beer cooled, the lights have to shine, the rides running ... That the city of Munich has been selling the Oktoberfest as an eco-Wiesn for years, because a bit of electricity and gas is renewable, seems ridiculous at best in times of floods in the Eifel and global forest fires and only shows that those responsible also see a tiny problem in view of these numbers.

Munich: You can get drunk there - is that still a figurehead that we want?

And what is it all for?

Probably not for the great external effect.

New York, the city that never sleeps.

Rome, the eternal city.

Munich - you can get drunk there.

We even have our own puke hill.

Nobody else has.

A little attention to the ladies, because someone likes to grab a hold.

But my, it's just the Oktoberfest, right.

The greatest binge in the world.

Actually, you shouldn't be proud of it.

To call the Oktoberfest “Volksfest” is quite brave

So what all of this for? So that the Isar-Preis can get out its fake lederhosen and pseudo-dirndl once a year, get really drunk and then celebrate as a Munich and Bavarian way of life, although in the second generation he still considers Bavarian to be an artificial language of Harry G. In general: To call the Wiesn a folk festival is quite brave. Anyone who does this must also describe skiing in St. Moritz as a national sport. In terms of price, that is more appropriate.

And now let's be honest: Support an institution only for the institution's sake - we can also mourn the coal-fired power plants and nationalize all the car companies so that they can continue to produce their combustion engines.

And anyone who is now buzzing “Sweet Caroline” with tears in their eyes and mentally swaying on a bench in a beer tent is warmly recommended to the countless small and medium-sized folk festivals all over Bavaria.

Those who still deserve their name.

Where a family with two children can spend an afternoon without having to take out a loan.

The Theresienwiese could be a place of unlimited possibilities

The Theresienwiese can be a space of unlimited possibilities if it is not paved with beer tents.

Why not show what Bavaria and Munich really stand for.

Regionality, small-scale organic farming, excellent beer creations from small breweries all over Bavaria with a price for the most climate-neutral product.

Gladly with a beer garden next door with the longest drinks menu in the world.

A world exhibition with technology ideas from Bavaria and the world to give it a future, where inventors, universities and industry from Bavaria show what they can do together.

Tech exhibition instead of Oktoberfest?

Unthinkable?

2019 sure.

Not so much in 2021.

About this series

This comment is part of a loose series on the calendar Oktoberfest tapping of the Munich and Bayern editorial team from

tz.de

and

Merkur.de. *

Already published: Seven things that I miss at the Oktoberfest.

And: seven things that I don't miss at the Oktoberfest.

*

tz.de/muenchen

and Merkur.de are an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

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