Memories of Oktoberfest 1966

Me, Carol and ??? 1966-67 Germany

Surely going to The Oktoberfest in Munich is on everyone’s bucket list——I know it was on mine. But still, I was shocked at how many people from all over the world were there.  I had lived in Germany maybe a month and my high school friend, Carol had just arrived for her year in Germany.  So, of course, we decided to go to Munich for the Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest was far more than just beer and enormous tents with oompa music—it was a carnival with lots of rides, attractions and bright lights.  We were more entertained by the sights than by the beer but, of course, we had to give one or two of the tents a try.  I marveled at how many huge mugs of beer the be-dirndled waitresses carried. 

We were surprised when the whole place shut down at 11 PM, and we became part of a flood of thousands of party goers leaving the fair grounds.  Carol and I were technically college students 21 and 20 living abroad for a year.  We had had a great time but the mob leaving the grounds was a little scary.  I’d never seen so many drunk people in my life.  Carol and I managed to stick together at a time when there were no cell phones if we’d been separated.

Our “plan” after the Oktoberfest was to go to the Bahnhof (train station) get a train home to Memmingen or at least a train some place where we could get a room. 20somethings don’t always make the best back up plans. With thousands of party-goers milling around  the Bahnhof, we discovered that the last train for Memmingen had already left and there wouldn’t be another until the next morning.  For that matter, there were no trains leaving and we were stranded with hundreds or thousands of Oktoberfest refugees.  We decided to just hunker down like others were doing.  So, finding a spot on the bench, we tried to sleep until the guards came through and told everyone they had to leave because the Bahnhof was closing.

So we were on the streets of Munich without a place to stay.  We simply walked around outside until someone found a “back door”  into the train station.  So, we sneaked back in with about a hundred of our closest friends.  The station had minimal lighting and we found a spot on the steps to catch some sleep.

In the early hours of the morning, we were awakened by the rolling buckets of the cleaning crew.  These beefy women with their mops and brooms were scarier than the guards had been. They shooed us off the steps and out the door.  They were not to be argued with.  So, back out on the streets of Munich, we were beginning to get hungry.  This was NOT New York City which never sleeps—Munich was sleeping off a grand week of partying with no open shops or cafes.  We did finally find a place for coffee and a roll before we headed back to the Bahnhof and  a leisurely train ride back home.

From my friend Carol:  “Believe it or not, I found my journal from my stay in Germany that school year, but the details about Munich are sketchy.  I do know one thing...we didn't meet up in Munich.  I had already been in Memmingen , and we took the train to Munich on Saturday.  What I remember is that we had checked our luggage in the luggage room which was closed when we got back to the Bahnhof.  I don't know if the last train had left or not, but it didn't matter because we couldn't get our luggage.  I also don't remember being chased out of the station...all I have written is that we spent the night in the Bahnhof in the company of some American Air Force guys. “

I also wrote that we left Munich at 7:33 a.m. and got back to Memmingen at 9:00, after which we slept until noon and lunch at the Mädchenwohnheim, after which we napped again.  Somehow I got on the wrong train (really??) and had to transfer twice to get  to Stuttgart. 

I didn’t really keep much of a journal, but I did write letters home which my mother saved.  So, whose memories are correct and are there some memories we both have forgotten?  I found the letter. .. . .it’s very interesting.