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By:
Enver Robelli
- September 22, 2024 15:15
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The biggest beer festival in the world has started in Munich. And not only beer. Some mostly serious notes (with some tidbits of Albanian history).
When you look at the explosion of joy at the opening of the "Oktoberfest", the beer festival, in Munich, you get a strange feeling, even uncertainty: is this joy allowed? On the first day (Saturday), half a million people took part in this celebration. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Johnny Depp stood out among them, the latter disguised with a hat and dark glasses.
Schwarzenegger, 77, doesn't need to hide. Likely. The Terminator fears no one, not even the fans.
After 1945, the world has never been faced with wars and crises of such proportions. Russian aggression against Ukraine, the war in the Middle East with Gaza as a field of ruins and victims and with Lebanon as a battlefield between Hizbollah militants and the Israeli army, supported by the Mossad secret service, which with the latest action of pocket pager explosions of Hizbollah members demonstrated the myth that nothing escapes the Mossad - how did the Mossad escape and not see the attacks of October 7 last year? (This remains a mystery, but how much?) Despite this gloom, one must celebrate. The German news agency called "Oktoberfest" a few years ago "Weltflucht-Wiesn" - that is: a meadow where you can escape from the world.
October is called October in German. "Oktoberfest" means the October festival, but it is important to make a clarification immediately: "Oktoberfest" is held at the end of September. According to insider rumours, the large Theresienwiese meadow has seen tourists in the past at the end of October looking for tents where beer is served and where the unrestrained atmosphere reigns. They found only the skeletons of the tents that were being dismantled.
According to tradition, the first keg of beer is broken by the mayor of Munich, only then can beer be served. This year the holiday lasts until October 6 - 16 days. A not-so-trivial question: how much does beer cost at this year's Oktoberfest? Between 13,60 euros and 15,30 euros (3,9 percent more expensive than last year). For this price, the thirsty gets something serious: a liter of beer ("Eine Mass Bier"). Last year "Munich Oktoberfest was occupied by 7,2 million visitors, this year as many or more visitors are expected. 13 thousand workers - waiters, cooks, cleaners, security personnel - make sure that the visitors do not miss anything.
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Oktoberfest on the verge of opening, participants queuing since the early hours of the morning
For hotel owners, "Oktoberfest" is "Christmas and Eid" combined: the prices for sleeping in the first nights increase by an average of 424 percent (a room can easily cost 412 euros, of course for one night). But whoever is looking can find a cheaper place to sleep - especially in the suburbs of Munich. "Oktoberfest" is called the Ramadan of hedonists, those who enjoy life. 60 hectoliters of beer. Half a million chickens. 7,4 billion pretzels (Bretzel). 26 thousand pigs (as many as there are inhabitants of a small town). The numbers are impressive - even for vegetarians.
600 policemen, 50 cameras, 2000 security personnel ensure that everything goes smoothly. There are no guarantees about this, the more men drink, the bolder and stupider they become - bloody punches are not excluded. The bad behavior of some men towards women is also disgusting (every year the police register sexual harassment). But thanks to general social awareness, the authorities quickly intervene and the party continues. Some visitors drink beer far beyond their thirst. Every year, the media reports on the first drunkard, that is, the first victim lying on the ground, which they call the "Bierleiche" (beer corpse). This year, an American tourist, aged 24, "sold her wood" only two and a half hours after the opening of the "Oktoberfest" and was sent for treatment to a nearby ambulance. Most of the visitors keep themselves under control and thus the "Oktoberfest" every year is the biggest party in the world.
"Oktoberfest" has existed for 214 years. It has been canceled only 26 times, according to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" newspaper. In 1813 during the war against Napoleon, in 1854 due to the cholera epidemic, from 1914 to 1918 due to the First World War and 1939-1945 due to the Second World War. After a bomb attack in 1980, the holiday was interrupted for only one day. After the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the USA, the holiday was not canceled.
"Oktoberfest" is not only a good opportunity to taste Bavarian beer, but also to listen with maximum concentration to the dialect of Bavaria through which Bavarians want to distinguish themselves from other Germans. For this reason, some call Munich "Italy's northernmost city". That Austria is between Bavaria and Italy, this is not even thought of, especially during the "Oktoberfest". From 1810 the Italian master chocolatier Luigi Tambosi started selling lemonade and coffee in Munich. In 1890, Osteria Bavaria, today Osteria Italiana, a restaurant with Italian cuisine, was opened in Munich. Currently, over 600 restaurants with Italian cuisine are open in Munich. Some of them are probably owned by Albanians. Because Albanians are diligent, kind, and creative. Have you seen how the waiter named Fadil becomes Fabio, the cook named Sylejman becomes Sergio and the bartender named Latif is known by half of the city as Luigi? They do not do this because they want to assimilate, but only to adapt to the work environment. All of them return home either to the sound of some serious song by Dervish Shaqa or to the rhythms of Dhurata Dora.
You don't go to Munich just for the beer. The modern history of Albanians cannot be imagined without Munich. Munich is the city where Martin Camaj (1925-1992) left an important scientific and literary mark. Marie Amelie von Godin (1882-1956), writer, translator, researcher of Albanian history and close friend of Eqrem Bej Vlora, was born and died in Munich. The Department of Albanology, the only one in the German-speaking area, operates at the Ludwig Maximilian University of this southern German metropolis. Professor Georg Stadtmüller (1909-1985), one of the most important Albanologists of the 20th century, taught in Munich. Professor Peter Bartl (1938-2022), one of the greatest connoisseurs of the history of Albanians and author of many works and works on the history of Albanians, made an outstanding contribution to the University of Munich. Hans-Joachim Lanksch (1943-2019), translator and great supporter of the authors of Albanian literature, lived in Munich. In the nineties of the last century, poets from Kosovo Ali Podrimja (1942-2012) and Azem Shkreli (1937-1998) stayed as scholars at Villa Waldberta near Munich.
Albanian history is a history of men written by men. Like any story written by men, it is a one-sided story. It is best to correct it where possible. For example: if you go to Nymphenburg Castle in Munich, there you will find a portrait of a woman of Albanian origin. Her name is Katerina Boçari. It is portrayed by Joseph Karl Stieler, who in the 19th century was court painter to the kings of Bavaria. How did the portrait of a woman of Albanian origin get into the magnificent Nymphenburg castle?
In August 1823, the Arvanite Marko Boçari wanted to kill an Ottoman commander of Albanian origin, but messed up the tent and was then killed by the mirditors, who were in the service of the Ottomans. Boçari entered history as a hero of Greece, his brother Kostas lived as a general and senator in Greece, Marko Boçari's son Dimitrios, educated in Munich, was three times minister of war under Kings Otto I. and Georg I. the two monarchs were German. Katarina Boçari, daughter of Marko Boçari, was lady of the royal palace in Athens and in the service of Amalia, princess of Bavaria and Queen of Greece.
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This year's Oktoberfest broke visitor records
All these Albanian stories are not directly related to the "Oktoberfest", but this celebration is also an opportunity to swim in history (not in beer).
Happy!
