Europe 2019 - Day 51 (Part 2)

26 June 2019, Wednesday 

And what a piece of luck! We happened to be right there at 5 p.m. when the clock chimes went off, so we were able to see a Bavarian jouster fighting a French one (the Bavarian wins, of course 🙄), followed by a Coopers Dance to keep the plague away. It was quite cool. We were really lucky as we just happened to be passing when the chimes went off, apparently it only chimes at 5 p.m. in the summertime; otherwise only at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. 

Nearby the New Old Town was the Old Town Hall but it looked newer that the New Town Hall. Apparently it used to be 600 years old but is now about 60 years old because it was destroyed in WW II and had to be rebuilt. There was a Fish Fountain in the square, quite cute.

Then to Alter Peter or St Peter’s Church, Munich’s oldest parish church which is a Roman Catholic Church. Then to St Michael’s Church, a Jesuit Church and one of the largest Renaissance church in Europe in baroque style architecture. Next, we passed by the monument of Ludwig der Bayer, a bronze figure of Emperor Ludwig on horseback with his right hand raised, built in 1967. 

Then to Hofbrauhaus, one of the most popular beer halls in Munich. In 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria decreed the Purity Law, which rules that the only ingredients in beer must be barley, hop and water. Wheat was eventually allowed to be used. In 1906 the rest of Germany endorsed this law. Although this regulation was recently overruled by European law (causing major public outcry and calls to leave the Union!), German brewers pride themselves on sticking to it. 

The Beer Gardens came up after 1539, when it was forbidden to brew during summer, in order to avoid the fire hazards. Hence, huge cellars were built to store the booze brewed during winter. They were protected from sunlight with chestnut trees (as they have big leaves and grow fast), which is still found in most beer gardens today. 

When the Catholic Duke Wilhelm V realised that the only good beer available had to be imported from Lutheran provinces, he ordered to end heretic drinking and founded the “Court Brew”. It first opened in 1589 to produce booze for the Bavarian royals and their servants exclusively, but since they were an egalitarian bunch, they sold it to any willing buyer, even people of other faith. 

Now a bit about Oktoberfest. The first one was a wedding celebration (Ludwig I and Therese) in 1810. In honour of the bride the Oktoberfest grounds were renamed ‘Theresienwiese’. Now it is repeated every year. Oktoberfest always starts on the 2nd last Saturday of September and ends on the 1st Sunday of October, unless that happens to be October 1st or 2nd, then it ends on the 3rd. Beer comes in 1 litre ‘steins’.