Regards, Ivan
Posted on 08/21/2004 5:14:48 PM PDT by MadIvan
The world's biggest bierfest, as famous for its traditional legwear as its beer and sausages, faces an unprecedented absence of lederhosen after the Bavarian government refused to back down on plans to cut grants to folk groups.
The prospect of drinkers in jeans and T-shirts packing the beer tents at the Munich Oktoberfest came closer yesterday after lederhosen wearers said that they would boycott the event.
More than six million people are expected to attend the festival - last year tourism brought in more than €50 million (£34 million) to Munich and the beer festival is the highlight - but tourism officials fear that many overseas visitors, usually drawn by the colourful traditional displays, may decide not to come.
The festival is regularly opened by about 6,000 men in lederhosen, or leather shorts, and women in dirndls - pleated smocks with low-cut blouses. They parade through the city centre as the barrels of beer are wheeled in by horse-drawn cart.
Their distinctive costume, however, does not come cheap. The cost of fitting an average family of three is about £4,000. State grants worth €500,000 (£338,000) - distributed for the past 40 years - used to cover 13 per cent of the cost of each garment. In return, members of about 1,000 clubs agreed to play an active role in festivals and cultural events. Last week, however, efforts to persuade the Bavarian government not to cut the grants collapsed. Edmond Stoiber, the Bavarian prime minister, said the subsidy had to be stopped to save public money.
His announcement prompted an outcry among the clubs and was seen as proof of the seemingly dire state of public finances in Bavaria, normally one of Germany's richest regions. Like other states, the local economy is in recession.
Last night, with passions running high, members of the 300,000-strong Bayerische Trachtenverband (Bavarian Livery Association) accused the state government of betrayal. Boycotting the Oktoberfest, they said, was among a range of options. "I just don't understand it," said Walter Weinzierl, the Trachtenverband treasurer. "It will cause drastic cuts in how we carry out our duties." Adi Mueller, the organisation's deputy chairman, said: "We are being trodden on."
Maria Paul, from the Bavarian Service tourism agency in Munich, said: "The Munich beer festival is the highlight of the city's social calendar. Of course it would be a disaster if the Oktoberfest was disrupted. What would Munich be without its most famous attraction?"
The Trachtenverband spent a total of €3.7 million (£2.5 million) on traditional outfits last year. The costumes, which date from the 17th century, reveal not only where a person comes from, but also whether they are Roman Catholic, married or single, and even if they are an experienced hunter.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Look at the bright side of it. As long as they're wasting their money on garbage such as this, they won't be able to spend it on weapons to assail their neighbors or build concentration camps. A European version of "midnight basketball," to be sure.
My guess is somebody's been making a lot of money off the state-subsidized costuming.
Of course, we're talking about a country that spends about 1% of its GDP on defense and thinks the US should keep bases in its country as a sort of jobs program for German workers. These people have very odd priorities.
Hey. How much off the pants did they cut?
Ah, the wonderful Muenchen bier hall, I have fond memories of trinking many glas bier there and hobnobbing with the natives, who all wanted to talk about how much they loved JFK. This was 30 years ago. Don't even ask me about staggering down the long steps supported by two friends--it might be an exaggeration to say they dragged their plastered friend out of there, hehehe.
Blessed socialism.
Every Mercedes and any other expensive German product that is bought by Americans and Brits subsidizes socialism like "Lederhosen".
We can only dream about, when the USA starts pulling our soldiers out the longest military quagmire in American history, post war Germany. Add regime changes in Iran and Syria and Germany will have its socialism cut to the bone, and no "Lederhosen" for any Heidis and Heinzs.
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