New Book: Be a guest at the Oktoberfest

Franz Kotteder: A guest at the Oktoberfest

Franz Kotteder probably has one of the most coveted jobs at the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The cultural journalist has dedicated himself not least to pub culture and for the past ten years in particular to the Oktoberfest. During this time, he has become an intellectual figurehead as a Wiesn reporter, and his articles reveal a deep understanding of the biggest folk festival that one would wish for some of the key players at the Oktoberfest.

When Franz Kotteder writes an Oktoberfest book, it’s not just any book, but the “official Oktoberfest book,” according to the publisher - with a foreword by former Munich mayor Christian Ude. Otherwise, it just wouldn’t feel right at all. The result is a culinary guide in which each of the large and small tents at the Oktoberfest is described, including a recipe for a typical dish. It is pleasing that the texts do without the usual platitudes. Kotteder often adopts a pleasantly ironic distance, especially when describing the individual breweries. He even dares to question whether Löwenbräu, which no longer has its own brewery but is merely a tenant of Spaten, can still be described as a Munich brewery.

It is a pity, however, that the selection of photos is so mixed. Although (mostly high-quality) agency material was used anyway, only phone snapshots of some of the tents seemed to be available. Wurstbraterei Heinz is even represented with a photo from Auer Dult, although there is a completely different tent there. The tent’s page is missing a reference to this faux pas.

The book is pleasant to read, produced to a high standard, and recommended for anyone who wants to delve a little deeper into the Wiesn of the here and now. Even though the review is based on the German-speaking edition, it’s also available in English, for example, from Amazon (affiliate link).