Latest / Abide Meditation App / Dreamy Historical Story _ The Sleepy History of Oktoberfest

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Dreamy Historical Story _ The Sleepy History of Oktoberfest · Abide Meditation App

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: we get sleepy. My name's Thomas, and I'm your host.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for tuning in. Simon will be reading
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: to us tonight. On the plains of Upper Bavaria, tucked
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: away near the northern edge of the Alps, lies Munich.
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  Speaker 1: Germany's third largest city is famous for its art, architecture, museums,
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  Speaker 1: lush greenery, and the rivers that wind around it like ribbons.
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  Speaker 1: But one of the things it's also best known for
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  Speaker 1: is Oktoberfest, the annual two-week celebration of Bavarian culture, merriment,
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  Speaker 1: and one of my personal favorite tipples, beer. Tonight we'll
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  Speaker 1: trace the origins of Oktoberfest and see how it's changed
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  Speaker 1: over time to become one of the most popular festivals
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  Speaker 1: in the world. But don't worry, we'll be keeping things
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  Speaker 1: relaxed and sleepy as always. So my friends, let's get
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  Speaker 1: nicely settled into bed now. ready to enjoy tonight's story
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: and a good night's sleep. I hope you've had a
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  Speaker 1: lovely day today, one that's left you feeling soothed and
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  Speaker 1: calm tonight. But even if that's not been the case,
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  Speaker 1: just know that you can leave whatever came today in
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  Speaker 1: the past. This is your time now. So while you
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  Speaker 1: lay in bed and prepare to sleep, just remind yourself
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  Speaker 1: that you've done all you can for today. And you
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  Speaker 1: deserve to unwind, relax and rest just as much as
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  Speaker 1: anyone else. Begin with a nice deep breath in, feeling
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  Speaker 1: the rise of your chest and stomach. Then very softly
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  Speaker 1: release the breath as your muscles relax and your worries
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  Speaker 1: and cares begin to fall away. With each deep breath,
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  Speaker 1: You can imagine any disruptive thoughts or any tension you're
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  Speaker 1: holding rising to the surface in line with the motion
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  Speaker 1: of your chest and stomach. And then, when that breath
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  Speaker 1: is released and the body drops back down, Those undesired
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  Speaker 1: thoughts or areas of tension fall through the mattress, all
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  Speaker 1: the way down into the ground and into the earth,
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  Speaker 1: where they are absorbed and removed from your body and mind.
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  Speaker 1: bit by bit, breathe in and out, and let anything
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  Speaker 1: you'd like to let go of be absorbed into the
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: earth's core. The earth that gives us all life cares
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  Speaker 1: so deeply for each one of us, and it can
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  Speaker 1: assist you tonight in relieving you of stress, tension, or
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  Speaker 1: any sense of responsibility. Now, I'll hand over to Simon.
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  Speaker 1: We'll begin in southern Germany, along the banks of the
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  Speaker 1: Isar River, in the bustling city of Munich.
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  Speaker 2: Standing in the busiest corners of the city, you may
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  Speaker 2: find yourself surrounded by tall buildings, vying for a place
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  Speaker 2: on the skyline with historic church towers and apartment blocks.
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  Speaker 2: Munich is a city of commerce and sports, automobiles and biotech.
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  Speaker 2: But if you find your way down to a quieter spot,
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  Speaker 2: On the banks of the Izar River, the air is
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  Speaker 2: filled with birdsong and the hum of insects. A breeze
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  Speaker 2: rustles the heavy green branches of the trees, and the
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  Speaker 2: river gently laps against its gravel banks. You enjoy the
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  Speaker 2: touch of cool, crisp air on your skin, and feel
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  Speaker 2: all of your worries disappear. This is the heart of Munich,
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  Speaker 2: a city born and reborn through the ages, where the
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  Speaker 2: lush landscape and the movement of change and progress go
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  Speaker 2: hand in hand.
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  Speaker 3: To see the.
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  Speaker 2: Spectacle of Oktoberfest in this day and age is to
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  Speaker 2: be swept up in a two-week whirlwind of Bavarian culture,
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  Speaker 2: tourism and celebrations lasting all through the day and night.
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  Speaker 2: Beginning in late September and continuing through the start of October,
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  Speaker 2: the festival draws people as many as six million attendees
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  Speaker 2: every year. They enjoy live music, parades, dancing, and lively
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  Speaker 2: conversation in the enormous tents and halls that house the celebration.
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  Speaker 2: And in total, about two million gallons or nine million
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  Speaker 2: liters of beer are consumed. But what has turned into
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  Speaker 2: the world's largest folk festival traces its roots back more
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  Speaker 2: than 200 years to a royal wedding between two very
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  Speaker 2: interesting characters. The year was 1810. Crown Prince Ludwig I
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  Speaker 2: of Bavaria was set to marry Teresa Charlotte Luisa of Sachse-Hiltburghausen.
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  Speaker 2: At the time, Bavaria was emerging from a state of upheaval.
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  Speaker 2: Much of Europe had been involved in wars and internal
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  Speaker 2: struggles for power and land for centuries. Borders were often redrawn.
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  Speaker 2: Cities were razed as armies moved through and marriages and
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  Speaker 2: infighting among the elite could turn the tides of battles
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  Speaker 2: and loyalties. Bavaria was often caught between the larger and
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  Speaker 2: more powerful forces of both France and Austria, shifting alliances
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  Speaker 2: as it needed to or was forced to over the years.
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  Speaker 2: The wars of succession in Austria and Spain resulted in
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  Speaker 2: Bavaria falling under the rule of Charles Theodore in 1777.
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  Speaker 2: he served as both Prince Elector and Duke of the region.
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  Speaker 2: The following year, he signed over southern Bavaria in exchange
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  Speaker 2: for part of the Austrian Netherlands. His unpopular actions ultimately
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  Speaker 2: led to the War of Bavarian Succession, which he was
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  Speaker 2: eventually forced to accept. In the 1790s, the French revolutionary
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  Speaker 2: armies invaded Bavaria. Charles Theodore ran away to Saxony. The
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  Speaker 2: regency he left behind signed an armistice convention with the French,
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  Speaker 2: for which they had to pay heavily. By the end
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  Speaker 2: of the century, the Austrians had invaded once more. Much
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  Speaker 2: of the Bavarian leadership sympathized with the French more than
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  Speaker 2: with the Austrians by this point, though they were left
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  Speaker 2: with serious financial troubles and a crumbling army. In the
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  Speaker 2: early 1800s, Bavaria made a formal alliance with France. Bavaria
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  Speaker 2: was given control of several bishoprics, abbeys, cities, and villages.
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  Speaker 2: During the war of 1805, Bavaria fought alongside the French
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  Speaker 2: as Napoleon's star was rising. And finally, in 1809, just
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  Speaker 2: a year before the marriage, and the first Oktoberfest, Bavaria
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  Speaker 2: and France took up arms against Austria. The alliance would
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  Speaker 2: shift again before the end of the Napoleonic campaigns. But,
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  Speaker 2: as we settle into the year 1810, we find Bavaria
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  Speaker 2: in a moment of calm amidst a storm of politics.
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  Speaker 2: In Munich, at the start of October, preparations were in
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  Speaker 2: full swing for the upcoming nuptials. The bride-to-be, Teresa, had
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  Speaker 2: been on a list of potential matches for Napoleon. But
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  Speaker 2: when he married Marie-Louise I in April of the same year,
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  Speaker 2: the wedding with the Bavarian crown prince was planned instead.
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  Speaker 2: On October 12th, Ludwig and Teresa were married in Munich.
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  Speaker 2: A grand celebration was held in their honor. Ludwig's father,
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  Speaker 2: Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, invited the citizenry to attend
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  Speaker 2: a gathering in a large field near the city gates.
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  Speaker 2: The location of the first Oktoberfest was called Theresienwiese or
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  Speaker 2: Teresa's Meadow, in honor of the new princess. Over the
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  Speaker 2: following years, the festival itself earned the nickname Wiesen, or Meadows,
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  Speaker 2: among locals, something you'll still hear used to this day.
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  Speaker 1: One of the.
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  Speaker 2: Highlights of that first celebration was a horse race.
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  Speaker 3: On the green.
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  Speaker 2: It proved to be so popular with the townsfolk that
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  Speaker 2: they eagerly awaited the next Oktoberfest when the horses would return.
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  Speaker 2: And return they did, along with other animals and the
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  Speaker 2: people who raised them. The next year, the Bavarian Agricultural
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  Speaker 2: Association took over the festival, combining it with an agricultural fair.
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  Speaker 2: Farmers shared their achievements, and people came from all over
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  Speaker 2: to the meadows to enjoy the atmosphere and each other's company.
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  Speaker 2: After a brief hiatus in 1813, when Bavaria went to
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  Speaker 2: war with Napoleon, it returned the next year. While the
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  Speaker 2: agricultural fair was fun in its own right, Oktoberfest was
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  Speaker 2: quickly grew into much more than these humble beginnings might suggest.
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  Speaker 2: In 1818, festival organizers erected the very first rides, a
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  Speaker 2: merry-go-round and two swings. Additional rides were added regularly, and
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  Speaker 2: now festival goers can often enjoy more than a hundred
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  Speaker 2: during the two-week event. they also brought in the first
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  Speaker 2: booths dedicated to serving food and drink, paving the way
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  Speaker 2: for the Oktoberfest we know today. In 1819, the people
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  Speaker 2: of Munich took over organizational responsibility for the festival, promising
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  Speaker 2: to make it an annual event. For decades, it grew
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  Speaker 2: in popularity and size, In 1850, organizers unveiled a statue
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  Speaker 2: of Bavaria. She has watched over the fair ever since.
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  Speaker 2: In 1885, one of the most popular Oktoberfest staples was introduced,
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  Speaker 2: the Bratendl, or roast chicken. With the opening of the
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  Speaker 2: first roastery, people could purchase fresh, hot, seasoned chicken to
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  Speaker 2: eat as they partook in all the other excitement at
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  Speaker 2: the festival. Over the years, many other classic German foods
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  Speaker 2: have been added to the staple menu. Walking through one
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  Speaker 2: of the celebration halls today, visitors will be met with
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  Speaker 2: the sumptuous aroma of pork roast with thick gravy. and
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  Speaker 2: large puffy dumplings. Colorful Brotzeit, or snack boards, will be
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  Speaker 2: laid out on long wooden tables. They'll be piled high
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  Speaker 2: with cold cuts of meat, wedges of cheese, radishes, pickles, tomatoes,
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  Speaker 2: and Obatzda, a delectable spread made of aged soft cheese, butter,
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  Speaker 2: and paprika. In the middle of the tables are thick
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  Speaker 2: slices of rye bread and soft, chewy pretzels for everyone
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  Speaker 2: to share. For anyone seeking lighter fare, there's bound to
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  Speaker 2: be a healthy selection of Wurstsalat, or sausage salad, made
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  Speaker 2: from sliced sausage, pickles, onions, radishes and cheese in a vinaigrette.
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  Speaker 2: Even lighter still is radi, salted and vinegared sliced white radish.
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  Speaker 2: There are countless types of sausages to try, from the
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  Speaker 2: ghostly white weisswurst, or white veal sausage, which often comes
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  Speaker 2: in broth, to the flavourful smoked sausage, blood sausage, grilled
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  Speaker 2: pork sausage, and more. Some come nestled in bread, while
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  Speaker 2: others can be enjoyed with a side of tart sauerkraut.
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  Speaker 2: The large, round Oktoberfest dumplings are just as varied, from
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  Speaker 2: the soft potato dumplings to the hearty bread dumplings. the
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  Speaker 2: spinach dumplings laced with forest green, and even the liver
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  Speaker 2: dumplings served with a bowl of soup. One of the
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  Speaker 2: most beloved foods to find its way into the Oktoberfest
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  Speaker 2: halls is the warm, familiar Käsespätzle. These small, thick noodles
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  Speaker 2: are covered in gooey Emmentaler cheese and cooked onions. This
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  Speaker 2: dish is often compared to macaroni and cheese, but in
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  Speaker 2: some ways the small noodles more closely resemble tiny starchy
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  Speaker 2: dumplings than the noodles you might think of because of
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  Speaker 2: their consistency. For anyone with a sweet tooth, there are
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  Speaker 2: sure to be booths offering plates and bags of gebranta mandeln,
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  Speaker 2: or roasted almonds coated in crunchy cinnamon sugar. This treat
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  Speaker 2: is also a popular German Christmas snack, perfect for munching
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  Speaker 2: during a chilly day, walking around an outdoor market. And finally,
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  Speaker 2: there will always be the beloved Lebkuchen, or gingerbread hearts.
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  Speaker 2: These wonderfully large and sumptuous cookies are decorated with hard
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  Speaker 2: frosting and often come with ribbons attached so they can
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  Speaker 2: be worn like a necklace. On the 100th anniversary of
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  Speaker 2: the festival in 1910, visitors consumed an incredible 120,000 litres
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  Speaker 2: of beer. That record is has now been far surpassed.
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  Speaker 2: But at the time, it was quite a feat. Just
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  Speaker 2: three years later, in anticipation of ever-growing crowds, organisers oversaw
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  Speaker 2: the building of a larger Heurozel tent with a total
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  Speaker 2: of 12,000 seats. The earlier version was the first tent
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  Speaker 2: to be illuminated by electric lighting in 1901. Though there
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: was much to celebrate at the start of that decade,
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  Speaker 2: the following years would prove to be challenging both for
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  Speaker 2: the festival and for Europe as a whole. Oktoberfest went
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  Speaker 2: dark from 1914 through 1918 as the First World War
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  Speaker 2: raged across the continent. In the immediate post-war period, the
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  Speaker 2: fair returned but was billed as simply an autumn festival
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  Speaker 2: with a more subdued atmosphere. 1923 and 1924, so it
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  Speaker 2: cancelled again due to inflation. While the festival returned in
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  Speaker 2: the mid-1920s, another dark period was looming on the horizon.
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  Speaker 2: Construction of the 1939 Oktoberfest was already underway when the
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  Speaker 2: country went to war in August. Work on the fair
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  Speaker 2: halted abruptly, not to resume any until after World War
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  Speaker 2: II came to an end in 1945. The same year,
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  Speaker 2: the Association of Bavarian Showmen requested a permit to hold
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  Speaker 2: the festival that autumn, but it was denied by the
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  Speaker 2: American military overseeing operations in the region. In 1946, a
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  Speaker 2: small autumn festival was held on the site of the
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  Speaker 2: original However, half of the city had been destroyed in
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  Speaker 2: the war and locals could only purchase food and beverages
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  Speaker 2: using food stamps, so the fair was kept small. Nonetheless,
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  Speaker 2: hundreds of Bavarian showmen arrived, set up rides and performed,
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  Speaker 2: much to the delight of the crowd. They reportedly collected
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  Speaker 2: money to help the city rehabilitate the meadows, in the
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  Speaker 2: hopes that Munich could someday return to some semblance of
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  Speaker 2: normal life. The military government in power at the time
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  Speaker 2: didn't allow recreational shooting galleries, which had been a mainstay
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  Speaker 2: of prior festivals, so the showmen replaced them with ball-toss booths.
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  Speaker 2: the festival lasted for more than three weeks, proving that
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  Speaker 2: people wanted to find ways to come together, even after
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  Speaker 2: one of history's darkest hours. In 1947, the autumn festival
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  Speaker 2: returned with a single tent, which sold a record-breaking 1.5
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  Speaker 2: million litres of beer. Food shortages in western occupied parts
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  Speaker 2: of Germany meant locals faced empty shelves at stores, so
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  Speaker 2: they spent their money at the festival instead. The following
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  Speaker 2: year saw the opposite problem. After a currency reform, people
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  Speaker 2: were left with little to no savings and tightened purse strings. But,
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  Speaker 2: despite a lack of cash, many people spent what they
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  Speaker 2: had on the food they had missed so dearly during
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  Speaker 2: the shortages. Roast chicken, sweets, and more. Finally, in 1949,
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  Speaker 2: the decision was made to officially hold Oktoberfest once again.
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  Speaker 2: Despite concerns from the Munich City Council about potential pushback
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  Speaker 2: from the Americans, they went ahead and green-lit the festival.
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  Speaker 2: the World War II period remains its longest hiatus in history. Recently,
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  Speaker 2: it went dark in 2020 and 2021 because of the
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  Speaker 2: coronavirus pandemic. But locals and visitors alike have high hopes
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  Speaker 2: for its return. As the years have gone by, Oktoberfest
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  Speaker 2: has adapted and changed in new technologies, political and social shifts,
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  Speaker 2: and world events. But the heart of the festival remains
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  Speaker 2: the same, a celebration of Bavarian culture. Contemporary visitors will
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  Speaker 2: be met by an abundance of cultural markers, from people
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  Speaker 2: wearing recognizable traditional attire like lederhosen and the dirndl, the
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  Speaker 2: iconic dress from the Alps, to phrases you might only
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  Speaker 2: know if you've been to Oktoberfest before. To open the
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  Speaker 2: festival every year, the mayor of Munich taps the first
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  Speaker 2: keg with the words Oh, Satz ist, or It's Tapped.
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  Speaker 2: The beer halls are sponsored by the six major breweries
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  Speaker 2: in Munich. The halls are constructed from wood, and while
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  Speaker 2: they're sturdier than tents, they're meant to be taken down
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  Speaker 2: at the end of the festival. A visitor might wander
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  Speaker 2: from hall to hall, or spend a lazy afternoon enjoying
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  Speaker 2: the ambience of one in particular. Walking inside one of
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  Speaker 2: the larger halls, you could survey the tables and find
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  Speaker 2: one with plenty of room. Taking a seat, you could
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  Speaker 2: listen to jolly tunes being played by the musicians on
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  Speaker 2: the bandstand at the front. All around you, friends gather close,
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  Speaker 2: chattering happily over drinks. Or sit in companionable silence, watching
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  Speaker 2: the music as you're doing. Just then, some familiar notes
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  Speaker 2: drift through the air. you recognize the start of a
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  Speaker 2: song you've heard before, perhaps at one of the other
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  Speaker 2: halls you passed by earlier. Your neighbors on both sides
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  Speaker 2: begin to sing along with the musicians. Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit. Roughly,
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  Speaker 2: a toast to well-being. It's the most popular song of
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  Speaker 2: the two-week celebration, and you can certainly understand why. you
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  Speaker 2: feel a smile creep across your face at the sight
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  Speaker 2: of so many happy people all together in this jovial environment.
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  Speaker 2: Although you don't know any of them, their cheerfulness rubs
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  Speaker 2: off on you. It's as though everyone here in the
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  Speaker 2: tent is part of the same friendly community, brought together
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  Speaker 2: by a shared desire for good food, drinks, and company.
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  Speaker 2: Servers carry armfuls of giant mugs across the room. You
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  Speaker 2: think of the incredible strength it must take to accomplish
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  Speaker 2: such a feat, and then consider getting something to eat.
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  Speaker 2: Of all the delicious foods you could try, your mind
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  Speaker 2: keeps wandering back to the noodles with gooey cheese and onions.
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  Speaker 2: It sounds perfect on a day like this. Outside the hall,
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  Speaker 2: the weather has taken a turn. It's a bit cooler
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  Speaker 2: than it was this morning, and there might be rain
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  Speaker 2: later on. The first bite of this classic dish warms
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  Speaker 2: you to your core. You take your time savouring it,
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  Speaker 2: letting your thoughts linger on the sweetness of the onions
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  Speaker 2: and the richness of the cheese. The noodles are spongy
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  Speaker 2: and light. Once you're finished, you close your eyes. Although
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  Speaker 2: it's not quite early evening, you feel yourself getting sleepy.
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  Speaker 2: your mind moves with the lilting music up and down
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  Speaker 2: through the history of this event. From its royal beginnings
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  Speaker 2: to its humble agricultural interlude to the bustling folk fest
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  Speaker 2: that draws millions of people each and every year. You
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  Speaker 2: are grateful for this moment of respite This celebration of culture.
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  Speaker 2: this recurring commitment to relish the good times. This is Oktoberfest.
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  Speaker 2: Wiesn to the locals here in this timeless city of Munich.
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  Speaker 2: Good night, and sweet dreams.
• 30:34
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. you Thank you. Thank
• 35:47
  Speaker 3: you for watching. Thank you.